Obtain a Restraining Order for the Employee Against the Resident

This is part 8 of my blog series about dealing with threatening and violent residents.

If the behavior by the resident is physically threatening or violent, a restraining order prohibiting the resident from having contact with the employee may be the best solution. A restraining order is actually a stay away order prohibiting the resident from harassing, threatening, assaulting and contacting the employee and requiring the resident to stay a certain amount of feet away from the employee.

A restraining order consists of the employee (or attorney of employee) filling out temporary restraining order forms and filing them with the appropriate court. These forms can be obtained on the Internet and downloaded. Most court websites provide these forms along with simple instructions on how to fill them out.

After the papers are filed with the court, a judge typically reviews the paperwork and takes testimony of the employees seeking the restraining order to determine if there is an imminent threat to the employee posed by the resident. Employees seeking restraining orders should make sure they have any police reports or witness statements with them prior to seeing the judge. The initial court appearance for a restraining order is to seek a temporary order at which a hearing for a permanent order will be set within a few weeks. At the hearing for the permanent injunction, the resident will be requested to appear and will have an opportunity to present evidence and defend him or herself. If at the hearing, the judge believes the restraining order is necessary to protect the employee, the order will stay in effect for three years.

Since the resident resides in the community where the manager/employee works and lives, the judge may modify the order to address this, such as by reducing the number of feet the resident must stay away from the employee or by requiring the resident to drop his rent in the drop box after hours to avoid resident contact with the manager/on-site employee. The restraining order should include the employee’s family members or others living on-site with the employee.

* For specific inquiries regarding a threatening/violent tenant you may have, you’re welcome to visit my California Manufactured Housing Community Owners legal services page.

Serve a Notice for Rule Violation

This is part 7 of my blog series about dealing with threatening and violent residents.  Again, this blog series is targeted at owners of mobilehome parks (“communities”) which are subject to the Mobilehome Residency Law (Civil Code Section 798.1 et seq.) The notice requirements will differ for apartment owners and property management companies that manage apartments or other non-mobilehome/manufactured housing residential units.  The notices provided to dangerous tenants in apartment/rental units  are typically a 3 day notice to cure or quit or a 3 day notice to quit, instead of  a 7 day notice for a rule violation that is required under the Mobilehome Residency Law.

Upon an incident of a resident’s behavior becoming abusive or threatening, have your attorney send a 7-day notice to the resident notifying them that the behavior toward the management will not be tolerated and it constitutes a substantial annoyance and is a violation of the rules and regulations. Cite the specific rule prohibiting abusive, threatening behavior toward the employee in the 7-day notice. Again be specific in the notice as to exactly what was said by the resident, what actions were displayed, dates and witnesses.

Service of a 7-day notice for rule violation not only protects the threatened employee and sets up the resident’s file for an eviction, but it also protects the owner who is now taking reasonable steps to address a potentially dangerous situation.

* For specific inquiries regarding a threatening/violent tenant you may have, you’re welcome to visit my California Landlord – Tenant legal services page.

Call the Police, Make a Report

This is part 6 of my blog series about dealing with threatening and violent residents.

Again, workplace violence incidents will differ substantially and the specifics of each situation will dictate which response should be taken, if any, and in which order.  In many cases it is necessary to

Call the police, make a report

The most obvious action an employee can and should take if the resident displayed threatening or violent behavior towards them is to call the police to come out and make a police report. Again, whether this option is appropriate, depends on the facts of the situation. If the police are called, get the officer’s name, the incident report number and a copy of the report for your file.

* For specific inquiries regarding a threatening/violent tenant you may have, you’re welcome to visit my California Landlord – Tenant legal services page.