BOISE -- According to property managers, evictions are on the rise in the Treasure Valley thanks to the economic downturn.
But how much can a property owner do if a renter isn't paying and damaging a house that's not theirs? In one case, not much.
One year ago when Larry and Ann Smith had to move to Washington from their home in Meridian, they decided to keep the property and rent it out. But the family now living in the home hasn't paid rent since October and their lease is up.
"(They) haven't paid rent, haven't been able to keep the utilities on," said property manager Christy Wright. "We were concerned because they have a 4-year-old child."
Also, when Wright was finally able to get into the house, the tenants weren't home, but she did find a shocking scene.
"It's beyond belief," said Wright. "I've been at this a long time and it's the worst I've ever seen. There's not a floor that isn't completely covered with debris and dog feces and cat feces. The smell is sickening."
Wright can't evict the tenants because she can't serve them the court papers, that has to be done in person. And quite simply, the tenants just aren't answering the door.
"We've tried every conceivable way we can think of, short of a high-speed chase through the streets of Meridian," said Wright. "So it's just a matter of trying to catch them, and people who are under the system know how to avoid that."
Wright and the owners are trying to get assistance from elected officials, police, and other organizations. But they can't help them, because the eviction process starts with serving the tenants, in person.
"The biggest frustration for us has been, we just didn't know where to turn for help," said Wright.
The owners, Larry and Ann Smith, say this is putting an incredible strain on their finances, but not just for the two mortgages they're paying. They've also had to start paying a few utilities, they say to keep the pipes from freezing and causing more damage.
According to an Ada County court officer, if you can't meet your tenants face-to-face, eviction notice can be served by publication. That requires a judge signing the order, posting it in the paper weekly for four weeks, and then waiting 20 days to take action.
