This may be a continuation of another post of mine but I would like to know how YOU go about hiring un-skilled labor in today's climate of a national labor shortage. I want to give an example of a LL situation that requires unskilled labor and how you would handle this.

Lets assume here you have obtained a Writ of Possession after the eviction judge ruled in your favor. Now it is time for you and the sheriff (or constable) to meet at the house for the 'set out'. The constable tells you that you have only 45 minutes to remove all of your tenants furniture, kitchen appliances and other misc. junk out to the street curb. The constable did give you a 24 hour notice as what day and time your set-out would occur. You do have 24 hours here to locate unskilled labor to do this 'set-out' the following day.

I guess when ya don't have a Wife,

nor Kids or close (hard working) Friends,

ya can't call 'em in a pinch,

to give ya a hand,

like the majority of Folks here, probably do.

I imagine calling on the "Church Family" would not

RB,

I also use day labor workers from the mission but you have to realize there is a risk when you do. In almost all states you are required to carry workers comp insurance. For all practical purposes, these folks are employees. They meet the definition which includes directing their work, establishing the hours, and providing the tools. If they get hurt the ambulance chasers will take them on for a cut of what they get which will be a sizeable settlement that isn't bound by the limits of the state's workers comp rules. Your commercial policy will have a liability exclusion for employees hurt on the job so they will be no help.

So, you can either go through a temp agency that pays the workers comp insurance, an HR place that will take care of the payroll and workers comp requirements for employees, attempt to establish them as an independent contractor (my approach), or just not worry about them getting hurt and risk the peril.

The choice you make will depend on a lot of factors including your own nature in being risk averse or a risk taker, how much you risk loosing (low net worth VS high net worth), how frequently you have this work (increasing the likelihood that a bad event will happen), and one's own knowledge of what risk is being taken (ignorance is bliss).

As I posted in the previous discussion. My strategy is to work these folks as independent contractors. I would have picked up a couple of them from the mission, had them sign the independent contractor form, taken them by a store and given them $10 to get their own box of 50 contractors trash bags, and taken them to the jobsite and let the Sheriff direct what they are to do. Hopefully, if someone gets hurt I have put enough roadblocks in place to legally call them independent contractors so they are required to provide their own insurance. If I'm successful with that then the liability clause of my insurance kicks in to settle the case.

The one time I had to go all the way to Sherrif set-out, about 1 1/2 years ago, I learned that the deputies don't want to stay there at all.

They went in first, alone, to clear the house. Once it was determined no-one was there, they were ready to leave. They only stayed long enough for me to change locks because I asked them to - what if the guy came back with friends after they left?!

If it is not immediately emptied to the curb, we have to allow access for another 24 hrs, if they want to come back for some treasure they forgot.

And I knew for several days when it would be, but decided to schedule the clean-out a few days later.

I have a guy who thinks he and his 2 other guys are "handymen". I have hired them for grunt work a few times, including this time. The entire house was full. I paid them cash. I am not familiar with the practice of "day labor" as some of you describe. I've NEVER seen a group of guys on the edge go the Home depot parking lot looking for work.

DJ,

Day labor is nothing more than people with no regular job looking for someone to hire them for 1 or 2 days and willing to pay them in cash. Some of them are alcoholics, some are dope heads and others are legitimate good hard workers who would like a full time job if they can prove their worthiness. The Lowes in my town will not allow these groups of men congregate in their parking lot and hassling their customers for short term work.

6x6,

Why is it that not many LLs have answered this post here? My basic question here is very simple,..how do you go about obtaining people to do your dirty grunt work which involves hiring unskilled labor?

I have had great success with posting gigs on craigslist, of all places. I post the job to be done, with pictures. I ask them to respond with how much they'll charge, their qualifications, and their phone number. I post it at most two days before I need the job done. There are a surprising number of people with legitimate skills who are willing to do a side hustle on their day off.

Briefly and to summarize the main points, in Calif if the value of abandoned property, after proper notice and if it remains abandoned, and its worth is less than $700 then you can trash it, keep it, or whatever.

Otherwise you are supposed to inventory, safely store it and hold public auction.

Since I prefer to not have to do auction if not necessary, I am most definitely and closely involved in documenting with photos were appropriate the contents of the apartment.

This can take a little time but when I can conclude that I have covered my a$$ and can document that the items have little or no value, then I have no problem getting unskilled labor involved.

Briefly and to summarize the main points, in Calif if the value of abandoned property, after proper notice and if it remains abandoned, and its worth is less than $700 then you can trash it, keep it, or whatever.

Otherwise you are supposed to inventory, safely store it and hold public auction.

Since I prefer to not have to do auction if not necessary, I am most definitely and closely involved in documenting with photos were appropriate the contents of the apartment.

This can take a little time but when I can conclude that I have covered my a$$ and can document that the items have little or no value, then I have no problem getting unskilled labor involved.

Thank-you Robin about 'posting gigs on CL'. I am going to try that now instead of combing the homeless shelters for unskilled labor.

As for family members working on rentals, I've never had a toxic sewage spill, but I will point out that the spouse is benefiting greatly from the income and the potential retirement income. The children should be learning the business.

Agree with Oregon Woodsmoke. Kids learn skills from helping turn over apartments . .

Your network depends on how long you've been in this business. Took me a couple decades to develop a few contacts I could rely on in the hood. Weed out the bad apples. Always pay when the job is done IN CASH and they will follow.

This has been my #1 issue well before Covid. My solution is to pay through the nose. Your specific example, hire a company that does evictions...cost pre Covid was about $2K.. ??? now who knows.

I do not have children but if I did and they wanted to follow in my footsteps, I would be training them how do negotiate RE business deals. Like how to buy a house for $5K when the owner wants $25K for it. I would not be wasting their time by telling them they need to get a shovel and scoop up all of the foul smelling poop and tampons in the tenant's backyard. I would be teaching them how to find people who will do this type of work.

I think that spouses and children SHOULD get involved in mundane/routine tasks of the business/chores/household duties. One of the local handyman companies advertises here using the "why spend family time fixing things when you could be XYZ (insert pleasurable activity here)?" Which makes me cringe.

I raised my children to believe that life is NOT a bed of roses and the sooner they learn that the better. Time for everything under the sun including work, even distasteful work. They turned out well as adults, easily navigating life's ups and downs.

MikeA,

Well, to start off with the scenario you've set up doesn't apply to me, so I've never had to think about it. We don't have 45 minutes. We have "however long it takes." My handyman handle all of our trash outs. Some have taken him and a helper a couple of hours. No worries. Sheriff's deputy calls a few days in advance to tell us of the date, and says, "Call me if there are any problems." He never even shows up, unless we call him.

But if I WERE in your situation, here's some ideas:

1) Hire your handyman. Those guys usually have a "crew". Holler at him 4-5 days in advance and give him a heads up that the order could drop any day and you need a fast turnaround time. Let him go find and hire the crew. Most of them have a pool of grunt labor they know and will work for $10-$12 cash under the table.

2) Talk to your sheriff/constable and see if he can work the situation like mine does. Explain to him that you know his time is valuable and he can't be expected to baby sit these things unless there is genuine trouble. Then say, "If you can give us a 2 hour window, we'll be sure to get it done, and I'll only contact you if the tenant refuses to budget." That's a win-win for him and you. You get more time, he gets to go eat donuts instead of babysitting you and your movers. He only shows up if there is a legit problem. I can almost guarantee you there is no law anywhere in your state that says "all curb set outs must be done in 45 minutes or less." Rather, it's "just the way they've always done things." You need to put on your salesman hat and sell them on your new process that saves them time, manpower, and hassle. Oh, and have a box of donuts and coffee ready if they do have to show up. A little thanks goes a long way. If they don't have to show up, drop the coffee and donuts by their office after your crew finishes the clean out.

Just two ideas. Give 'em a try!

Sid,

Here there is only 1 constable and he will schedule 6 eviction set-outs in one day. 3 in the morning and 3 in the afternoon. Each LL gets only 45 minutes and you better come prepared.

Roy, I've noticed that sometimes when I give you idea to try, you tell me "Nah, here's how it works in my town."

Have you even TRIED my idea about talking to the constable? Will you try it? What would it hurt to TRY it vs tell me something that is only marginally relevant?

I GET IT. That's how it works TODAY! But find me the LAW that says it MUST work that way.

You can't. There is no such law.

Now go offer your constable and easier way to do this, for him and for you. Put on your SALES hat. Works your $5000 Roy house magic, but on this topic instead of a cheap house. Same process: you have to convince him it's in his best interest to do it your way.

If it fails, you're out one box of donuts.

Sid,

In MY area the moving companies AND the storage units place REFUSE to take renter move out stuff for fear of bedbugs, fleas, and roaches.

I've never had anyone leave anything of actual value.

Once we hauled the stuff to his mother's front porch.

Lockouts: In over 350 evictions I have only had ONE get to the lockout stage. Our court gives them the deadline to "return possession" and 349 moved out on time.

That was a lockout only. I told the guy we would move his stuff to the detached garage and he had a week before we disposed of it.

Men: Never ever NEVER ask your wife to clean a rental. NEVER. Keep he happy counting the rent money and supporting you. The quickest way to turn your wife against the biz is to expose her to the dark pits of LLing.

Workers: for add jobs my handyman hires some friends from church. They work for HIM and HE pays them, not directly from me.

A previous contractor showed up at the project with a different skinny person every day. He was literally driving by and picking up homeless people from homeless camps. THAT did not go well. Very little accomplished each day and lots of stuff to rework.

There are a couple of metal junkers and "trash haulers" so my handyman calls them. Our society NEEDS these scavengers or the city will fill up with junk.

#22 had a great system - lay 5 $20 bills on a pile of trash and post a photo of the job and the money on CL.

Look for a locally owned moving company to hire the labor.

What happens if you do not remove everything that instant?

If you have to let them back in SUPERVISE for the safety of your property! Check this vid - the PM allowed the evictee to return for their stuff...without supervision! youtube.com/watch?v=xbadtmWh7Y4

Pastors and church secretaries know who needs money.

In the end our best helpers have come as friends of existing workers.

BRAD

Last lockout I had I gave them extra time to move more stuff. Had to be out by 10am. Think they started at 9:30.

The officer said he would wait a little while. I changed locks and we chatted while they moved more junk. I was happy because it was less I had to deal with. Officer finally said he needed to get back on the job so I told them to bail and closed the door.

Called a trash out company and two hours later the place was empty. They were expensive but wow did they get it done fast.

Ex-tenant sent me a text claiming she left valuable jewelry in the apartment and wanted it back. She was placed on ignore and never even showed for the damages hearing.