I agreed 1 year ago I agreed to allow a friend who is gainfully employed and who had no where to go to stay in my lower level provided they paid a small portion of the rent. Other than throwing a few dollars here and there, they have decided that they are no longer going to pay and have told me that they are not leaving. They are not on my lease with the property management company. Do I need to go to court to get them out?

Yes, you do. First you have to give them a written notice. If you are evicting them for non-payment of rent then the written notice must be 3-10 days, depending on your state law. If they haven't paid in full or left after that time then you have to file a lawsuit for eviction. If they pay all amounts in full then you cannot file for eviction.

If you want to just terminate their tenancy completely then you have to give them a 30 day written notice. If they haven't left after 30 days then you have to file a lawsuit for eviction.