I’m an Alabama landlord with a difficult tenant. I’ve given the tenant the proper Alabama termination notice, but he still won’t leave. What next? What is the Alabama eviction process

If you are an Alabama landlord and you have notified your tenant that you are terminating the lease, your next step is to file an eviction action. You will need to go to your local circuit or district court and file a complaint. The complaint should then be served on your tenant, who will either answer or ignore it. If your tenant ignores it, you can request a default judgment in your favor. If the tenant answers the complaint, then you will both have to go before a judge and argue your sides. If the judge rules in your favor, your tenant can file an appeal within 7 days, but that doesn’t stop you from getting a writ of restitution which will allow the sheriff to remove the tenant from the premises. Only if the tenant posts an appeals bond (which is set by the judge) will the writ of restitution be denied to you. Remember, do not try to remove the tenant yourself. Wait for help from the sheriff, or you may be liable to your tenant for damages.

If at any time you think you are in over your head trying to handle this eviction process personally, you can always seek the counsel of an experienced Alabama evictions attorney.