1. Due Date:  
   Rent is due on the 1st of the month before noon. We generally take rent all day and consider it received on time. If the 1st falls on a weekend or holiday we consider rent paid on time if received the next business day.
   
   
2. “Past Due” send a "Demand for Possession" letter:
   If rent is not in by the 6th we will send you a demand letter. This letter is required by Georgia Landlord Tenant Law and must contain specific language that demands possession of the property or payment of the rent. This letter by its very nature is kind of harsh and unfriendly because its language must comply with Georgia law.
   
   
3. Start a Dispossessory proceeding with the County:
   If rent is unpaid by the 10th, dispossessory forms will be filed at the county courthouse. A sheriff’s deputy will serve the warrant to the property. The charge is $200.00. You will have seven days to respond to court.
   
   
4. Court appearances are both time-consuming and intimidating.
   If you have brought your rent current, or vacated the property, appearing in court can be avoided. If rent is still unpaid or some personal items remain in the property, we’ll meet you in front of the judge where we will both make our case.
   
   This is an expensive process. If Crown wins and you are evicted, the costs we incur will ultimately be paid by you. This ranges from $300 to $700 if it runs its full course. We will prefer you keep your rent current or move. It saves us all precious time and money.
   
   
5. Buying the Writ:
   If you fail to move by the court given deadline or if you move and leave personal property behind, we are forced to follow the writ of possession process. We buy the piece of paper (the writ) giving the sheriff the responsibility to physically move your possessions to the street.
   
6. Consent Order:
   Usually we get a consent order from the judge at the hearing. The judge will typically give you 7 to 10 days to move or pay. If you pay as the judge requires, the money must include the late fee, court costs, attorney fees, warrant fees, rent and must be paid in certified funds.
   
   
7. Buying the Writ:
   If you refuse to move by the court given deadline, or if you move and leave personal property behind, we are forced to follow through with the writ of possession process.
   
   
8. Actual Eviction:
   The Sheriff (not Crown) controls the calendar for scheduling the actual eviction. They will call us with a date for this action and we will notify you every way we can. When the day comes they will give us less than an hour's notice to meet them at the house. We will meet them at the property and watch them move your belongings into the street and re-key the house. The cost of this varies depending on the volume and type of materials hauled but ultimately the cost will be paid by you. This is a brutal process and the careful handling of your property is not their priority. Please do all you can to schedule a move out well before this date to prevent the embarrassment and property damage of this event. We will do all we can to keep this from happening but we represent the owner and must act on their behalf. The eviction process is quick and unfriendly as it is done by the Sheriff’s office.
   
   
9. Accepting Partial Rent:
   The law does not allow us to take partial rent as it derails the eviction process. Once the dispossessory is filed with the county, we must insist on full rent, late fees, warrant fees and any other amounts owed. This is not Crown’s “policy” as it is dictated by the Georgia court system.
   
   Rent collection is a stressful legal process and we completely hate being put in the position of being the rent collector. It is what it is and we will do it professionally and courteously. We expect the same from you if you should find yourself in this process. The best solution if you can’t pay rent is to just move.

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