Evictions3 Day Notice RequirementsCALCULATING THE TIME PERIOD OF A 3-DAY NOTICECalculating the 3-day period the tenant has to pay or vacate on the 3-day notice is extremely important.  Calculating the 3-day period incorrectly on the notice or filing the case in court prior to the expiration of the 3-day time period can very likely result in the eviction case being dismissed. The following is a simple chart to help determine when the 3-day notice legally expires.  VERY IMPORTANT: Please note that weekends and holidays observed by the Clerk of Courts should not be included when calculating the 3-day time period.  Example: a 3-day notice served on Tuesday, July 3, 2007, would expire on Monday, July 9, 2007, because you would not count Independence Day, Wednesday, July 4, nor Saturday, July 7, and Sunday, July 8.
Day Served Notice Expires Midnight of

Monday         Thursday
Tuesday         Friday
Wednesday    Monday
Thursday        Tuesday
Friday            Wednesday

Saturday      Thursday
Sunday        Thursday

 

 

WHEN CAN A 3-DAY NOTICE BE SERVED

 

The 3-day notice can be served as soon as the rent is past due.  In other words wait until the tenant is late with the rent.  If you have a written lease, you should consult with your lease to determine when he rent is due.  For instance if your lease states that the rent is due on or before the first of the month and a late fee is charged after the fifth of the month, you do not necessarily need to wait until the fifth and can serve a 3-day notice on the second as the rent was due on the first.

 

WHAT AMOUNTS CAN BE CLAIMED ON A 3-DAY NOTICE
You can only claim rent amounts that are past due.  Do not include any amounts that are not “rent”, such as utilities, security deposits, late fees or other costs.  If you have a lease in effect with your tenant and any of the preceding items are defined as rent in the lease then you may include it in the amount due in the 3-day notice.  If you claim items other than rent in your 3-day notice or rent that is not due (future rent) the eviction case can be dismissed.  Example: If your lease contains language that states that as additional rent the tenant shall pay a late fee if the rent is paid late then the late fee may be included in the 3-day notice.

 

HOW TO DELIVER THE 3-DAY NOTICE
The 3-day notice should be personally delivered to the tenant.  If the tenant is not at the leased premises the 3-day notice may be posted in a conspicuous place at the leased premises, i.e.,  tape it to the front door.  You can also mail the 3-day notice to the tenant.  However, please note that you must add 5 days each way for mail time.  If you mail the 3-day notice add 5 days for the notice to be delivered via the mail to the tenant and 5 days for the tenants response to be delivered via the mail to you.  In other words if you use the mail to deliver the 3-day notice it actually becomes a 13 day notice.

 

There are some circumstances where delivering the notice via the mail is the only option or where the tenant will always be allowed to use the mail to respond to a 3-day notice.  This typically occurs when the landlord uses a P.O. Box or an out-of-town address for the tenant to pay rent.

 

 

TENANT PAYMENTS DURING THE 3-DAY NOTICE PERIOD
 If the tenant attempts to tender payment for the full amount due as per your 3-day notice you must accept the payment and can’t evict the tenant for non-payment.  If the tenant attempts to tender a partial payment you do not have to accept it.  Some landlords may decide to accept partial payments or a payment plan for the arrears.  This is entirely up to the landlord.  If the landlord accepts a partial payment the 3-day notice has been partially complied with and you can’t evict the tenant for non-payment of rent.  You may technically be able to evict the tenant for non-payment of rent if you serve the tenant with a new 3-day notice with a revised amount.  As far as accepting a tender of full payment goes, you must accept the payment in the usual manner that it is paid.  You can only insist on certified funds or cash if the tenant has given you bounced checks in the past.  If you accept cash from tenants keep a receipt book and provide the tenant with a receipt for cash.

 

3-DAY NOTICE FLAWS
Courts have struggled and differ on how to treat defects in 3-day notices.  However, the end result is that many times cases are dismissed due to the defect.  Among the consequences a dismissal has for the landlord is that a new 3-day notice must be served and the case started from scratch.  Another more bleak result is that the landlord may be liable to the tenant for legal fees and costs associated with defending the eviction case.