Small claims usually top out at $4k - $5k. I'd really like to do somewhat better than a 50% return...but if it came down to it, I'd take even that over nothing.


Yes, Brad...we have a full and detailed legally binding lease. But due to the fact that we've been out of state for the last three years, and the property manager we hired sort of....hmmmm......deteriorated slowly...the debt sort of piled up and its been a huge bear of a process to even find out exactly what's going on, much less take steps to fix it and get those tenants OUT of there.

Anyhow...hiring a lawyer and suing them for the full amount might be an option, but I really think these people just don't have any money...so even if they garnered wages or whatever, we might see $100 a month or something, which just wouldn't cut it. I want this over with, if at all possible. I'm hoping we can find some solution that will give us better than half our money back, and then just be done with it. We're just now starting to study this...so we'll see how things go.

Adam...you're SUCH a doll! A tough Jersey doll...but a doll, nonetheless! However, I'm afraid my hubby's high security clearance might be put at risk if we resorted to such methods.