I'll keep this as short as possible.I have a tenant who has been living in a 2-bedroom flat in my property since 2007 and hasn't paid a dime.I used the services of a reputedly efficient lawyer in 2008 but as it turned out, the lawyer was only interested in getting as much money from me as he could and had no intention of pursuing the case to the very end.I then decided to use the landlord/tenant council in Alausa (governors office) but that was another dead because at the end of the day, the best they could offer was to advice me to resolve the issue with my tenant.Now in July 2009, i hired the services of another lawyer.Every 2-3 weeks i have to leave my business and appear in court only for the case to be adjourned and adjourned and adjourned.I have honored all my agreements with this lawyer even doing much more than we had agreed on.The tenant in my house wants to turn the case from one where i want to reclaim my property to one where he's having personal issues with me (which is non-existent).His lawyer is bringing up all kinds of false accusations to derail the case and my lawyer is doing nothing about it.Up till now, i am yet to be called to the witness stand after over one year with this lawyer.In the last two adjournments, my lawyer was supposed to have filed a counter affidavit (or something like that) but till today when i was in court, it hasn't been done. He hasn't be present in court in the last three hearings.Every time i inquire about this and why the case isn't making any progress, he either brings up some flimsy excuse or of recent, he becomes agitated.As it is, i believe he has probably collected bribes from my opponents and that's why whenever i talk to him, he seems to be spoiling for a quarrel.I have totally lost faith in the Nigerian Judicial system.From several unfortunate experiences, it seems all the lawyers care about it getting as much money as they can from you and when you get tired of their games, they leave out in the open to dry. It's as if the lawyers you hire are the ones who delay the case for eternity so that they can milk you dry.

Currently, this tenant of mine has been boasting to other tenants in my house that he will live there till 2015 free of charge and will only leave when it pleases him.He is a complete nuisance in the compound, always causing problems and doesn't pay his electricity bills which sometimes leads to PHCN officials disconnecting the entire compound. Also, his boasting has caused some of the tenants to have cold feet when it comes to paying their rent coz at the end of the day, they will remind you that after all, they are only owing 6 months and there is someone in the compound who hasn't paid for over three years.It is so frustrating and the only viable option open to me is extra judicial eviction.I don't see any hope in the laws of our land.In between NPF and Nigerian lawyers, i don't know who is worse.They are all the same.

If there is some other means i can use to evict this tenant, i would welcome it since there is no hope in the never ending eternal court of justice.I know there are people here who have gone through this unpleasant experience.Please kindly advise.All positive replies are welcome.

Thanks.

harakiri:

Currently, this tenant of mine has been boasting to other tenants in my house that he will live there till 2015 free of charge and will only leave when it pleases him.He is a complete nuisance in the compound, always causing problems and doesn't pay his electricity bills which sometimes leads to PHCN officials disconnecting the entire compound.

Also, his boasting has caused some of the tenants to have cold feet when it comes to paying their rent coz at the end of the day, they will remind you that after all, they are only owing 6 months and there is someone in the compound who hasn't paid for over three years.It is so frustrating and the only viable option open to me is extra judicial eviction.I don't see any hope in the laws of our land.In between NPF and Nigerian lawyers, i don't know who is worse.They are all the same.

If there is some other means i can use to evict this tenant, i would welcome it since there is no hope in the never ending eternal court of justice.I know there are people here who have gone through this unpleasant experience.Please kindly advise.All positive replies are welcome.
Thanks.

I cannot believe such nonsense can happen in Naija. . . . .In your own house?

Jesus Christ!!!!
Go to a proper Magistrate court, i recommend the one in Ikeja.
File a suit against the useless tenant and if you must bribe the court clerks and the judge so your case can be heard quickly, so be it.
How can a man stay in your house for the past 3 years without paying a dime? An educated man like yourself?
Dang it. . . . . . .U need to be arrested for your nonchalance.

~Sauron~:

I cannot believe such nonsense can happen in Naija. . . . .In your own house?

Jesus Christ!!!!
Go to a proper Magistrate court, i recommend the one in Ikeja.
File a suit against the useless tenant and if you must bribe the court clerks and the judge so your case can be heard quickly, so be it.
How can a man stay in your house for the past 3 years without paying a dime? An educated man like yourself?
Dang it. . . . . . .U need to be arrested for your nonchalance.

I have been to ikeja,alimosho and currently in oshodi/bolade high court.It's not the court that's the problem.It's the lawyers.

harakiri:

I have been to ikeja,alimosho and currently in oshodi/bolade high court.It's not the court that's the problem.It's the lawyers.

I know Lagos lawyers can be useless but then you must play dirty to fight a pig in a kick-boxing contest.

Ma jungle advice. . . . .

Go to another district. . . .get a good impersonator(u will pay him plenty)
He would act as your stubborn tenant and you must get a lawyer(he has to be bribed too) for him.
Take the two to court. Of course they would accept all manners of indiscipline and admit all the guilt.

Naturally, the judge would rule in your favour and serve papers ordering your impersonator(who would be answering your tenant's name) to move out of the house by so-so date. The judge would ask bailiffs to go into the house and remove your tenants properties with new locks.
With as little as N100,000 - N200,000, this can be done.

However, if you think your tenant wouldn't have accrued such an amount in rent by 2015, then it won't worth your while.
But knowing how high rents go in Lagos, a 2-bedroom flat in a year should be about N300,000 so i think it would worth your while.
I hate non-paying tenants more than i hate snakes. Get this w@nker out of your house ASAP!!!

~Sauron~:

I know Lagos lawyers can be useless but then you must play dirty to fight a pig in a kick-boxing contest.

Ma jungle advice. . . . .

Go to another district. . . .get a good impersonator(u will pay him plenty)
He would act as your stubborn tenant and you must get a lawyer(he has to be bribed too) for him.
Take the two to court. Of course they would accept all manners of indiscipline and admit all the guilt.

Naturally, the judge would rule in your favour and serve papers ordering your impersonator(who would be answering your tenant's name) to move out of the house by so-so date. The judge would ask bailiffs to go into the house and remove your tenants properties with new locks.
With as little as N100,000 - N200,000, this can be done.

However, if you think your tenant wouldn't have accrued such an amount in rent by 2015, then it won't worth your while.
But knowing how high rents go in Lagos, a 2-bedroom flat in a year should be about N300,000 so i think it would worth your while.
I hate non-paying tenants more than i hate snakes. Get this w@nker out of your house ASAP!!!

This sounds good.I have to admit, since this thing started, i have spent more than N300,000 pursing this case. . .far more than the pittance the tenant paid when he got into the house.I will take your advice under consideration.How long do you think the process might take?I ask coz i am yet to win one case in court. It never seems to end.It always money, money, money, reneging on agreements and the case hangs.I'm also considering forceful ejection however illegal it seems.I am so sick of the whole farce.What do you think?

harakiri:

This sounds good.I have to admit, since this thing started, i have spent more than N300,000 pursing this case. . .far more than the pittance the tenant paid when he got into the house.I will take your advice under consideration.How long do you think the process might take?I ask coz i am yet to win one case in court. It never seems to end.It always money, money, money, reneging on agreements and the case hangs.I'm also considering forceful ejection however illegal it seems.I am so sick of the whole farce.What do you think?

This shouldn't take more than a month if you grease the palms of your actors very well.

The reasons your case kept getting adjourned is because your tenant's lawyer has bribed the judge or your own lawyer.
They make sure one or two items needed to hear your case properly keep missing from the files.
Also, if one of the two parties involved is not present in court, the judge cannot rule in anyone's favour. . .I am sure it's one of the reasons your case is dragging at the speed of snail.

With the kangaroo method, all the materials needed will be taken to court and your actor must annoy the judge to the hilt with ridiculous excuses.
By so doing, the judge will ask the court bailiffs to go into the property with immediate effect and throw his belongings out.
Before you get there, arm yourself with new locks - as soon as he gets thrown out, change your locks and enter your flat.

CASE CLOSED!!!!

~Sauron~:

This shouldn't take more than a month if you grease the palms of your actors very well.

The reasons your case kept getting adjourned is because your tenant's lawyer has bribed the judge or your own lawyer.
They make sure one or two items needed to hear your case properly keep missing from the files.
Also, if one of the two parties involved is not present in court, the judge cannot rule in anyone's favour. . .I am sure it's one of the reasons your case  is dragging at the speed of snail.

With the kangaroo method, all the materials needed will be taken to court and your actor must annoy the judge to the hilt with ridiculous excuses.
By so doing, the judge will ask the court bailiffs to go into the property with immediate effect and throw his belongings out.
Before you get there, arm yourself with new locks - as soon as he gets thrown out, change your locks and enter your flat.

CASE CLOSED!!!!

Seems you've had quite some experience with troublesome tenants in the past.Let me ask. . .will the quit notices be served to the actual tenant since it's an actor involved or will everything go kangaroo style without the tenant knowing anything till judgement day? I intend working on your advice right away. . .need all the details.

Thanks.

harakiri:

Seems you've had quite some experience with troublesome tenants in the past.Let me ask. . .will the quit notices be served to the actual tenant since it's an actor involved or will everything go kangaroo style without the tenant knowing anything till judgement day? I intend working on your advice right away. . .need all the details.

Thanks.

U don't need to serve him any quit notice. . . . . .U have served him plenty of notices, i presume. . . . .
Just do everything without his knowledge cos if he knows, he would work against it.

It's better if he doesn't know. . . . . . .Let court bailiffs just arrive. . . .throw his belongings to the street whilst you change the locks.
He cannot argue he has been paying you for the past 3 years. . . . . . .He knows he's guilty so naturally he would lick his wounds.

As soon as they throw him out, you change the locks or the main doors to his flat if possible.
The case will be dead n buried there. Trust me.

~Sauron~:

U don't need to serve him any quit notice. . . . . .U have served him plenty of notices, i presume. . . . .
Just do everything without his knowledge cos if he knows, he would work against it.

It's better if he doesn't know. . . . . . .Let court bailiffs just arrive. . . .throw his belongings to the street whilst you change the locks.
He cannot argue he has been paying you for the past 3 years. . . . . . .He knows he's guilty so naturally he would lick his wounds.

As soon as they throw him out, you change the locks or the main doors to his flat if possible.
The case will be dead n buried there. Trust me.

I LOVE NAIRALAND! ! !

I'm on it right away.I have contacted the caretaker of my house on the phone and he's agreed to play the act of my "tenant".Next is to find get the right lawyer and iron out the terms.I'll update as things progress.Thanks a billion man.Today hasn't been such a bad day after all.

harakiri:

I LOVE NAIRALAND! ! !

I'm on it right away.I have contacted the caretaker of my house on the phone and he's agreed to play the act of my "tenant".Next is to find get the right lawyer and iron out the terms.I'll update as things progress.Thanks a billion man.Today hasn't been such a bad day after all.

To be on the safe side. . . . . . .Get a quit notice in his name and back-date it.
He might argue he didn't get a copy of any quit notice asking him to leave. Show him your own copy on the day of judgement.
Of course, we both know he didn't get anything from you - but it will be too late for him to prove anything.
The judge's decision is the FINAL.

I am an impatient creature. One woman tried nonsense for just a few months on our property and she fled . We hired some rough boys who scattered part of the house. She called police and got nw husband arrested but he was out in under two hours. She was not too sure we might not do worse than scatterering the house and took fright. In under a month she was gone. Same woman got another house nearby tried same bad tricks and new landlord reported to baale who have her notice. When that expired said ruler sent some toughs from palace to evict her. It takes hell to build a house why must someone stay there and insult me? Call it jungle style but I remember de sacrifice that went into building that particular property.

~Sauron~:

To be on the safe side. . . . . . .Get a quit notice in his name and back-date it.
He might argue he didn't get a copy of any quit notice asking him to leave. Show him your own copy on the day of judgement.
Of course, we both know he didn't get anything from you - but it will be too late for him to prove anything.
The judge's decision is the FINAL.

Noted.I will put that in mind.You have no idea how relieved i am right now even though i haven't commenced yet.

madam L:

I am an impatient creature. One woman tried nonsense for just a few months  on our property and she fled . We hired some rough boys who scattered part of the house. She called police and got nw husband arrested but he was out in under two hours. She was not too sure we might not do worse than scatterering the house and took fright. In under a month she was gone. Same woman got another house nearby tried same bad tricks and new landlord reported to baale who have her notice. When that expired said ruler sent some toughs from palace to evict her. It takes hell to build a house why must someone stay there and insult me? Call it jungle style but I remember de sacrifice that went into building that particular property.

Abi oooo! The wahala involved no be beans! Acquiring genuine land without getting scammed, settling omonile boys who are never satisfied and will continue to badger you from fencing and foundation to decking and roofing.At the end, some numb nut will pay for two years and start dragging your house with you in the incompetent Nigerian courts.It's pathetic.Sometimes, i feel sorry for those who are unfortunate to have unsympathetic landlords/landladies but if find out what those people had gone through in the hands of devilish tenants, you would understand why they are that way. Sometimes i wonder if it's worth it to build properties and lease to tenants! The wahala is not worth the money.