Special Judge Glenn Jones is best known to me for the tight ship he runs during the Forcible Entry and Detainer (FED) docket (eviction court) at the Oklahoma County Court house. Of the judges who preside over the FED docket, Judge Jones is certainly high on my list as a judge who treats both sides with respect. 

• The single biggest problems facing landlords in FED court are improper service to tenants, and not having the evidence in court to support the claims they are making. Be sure to understand what the requirements of good service are. 

• Be very careful in regard to your treatment of personal property left behind after a tenant has been locked out following a lawful eviction. Be sure to send a letter by certified mail to the last known address of the tenant (i.e., the house you rented to them) letting them know you will dispose of the remaining items 30 days after the eviction. You as landlord must decide if items left behind have any tangible value.  If they do not, you can dispose of them. 

• Once a tenant has been locked out, do not give the former tenant a key to the property. This should be an obvious one, but if they left a bunch of stuff behind, it may be a pain for you to have to stay at the property while they remove theire things, but don’t give them a key because if they decide to stay, you just won the privilege of starting the eviction over again.

• You must keep tenant deposits in a separate account. No other money shall be kept in that account other than just deposits. Keep a detailed record of the amount of the deposits kept in this account.