Is a Verbal Notice Or a Text Notice to Family Member to Leave my Home Legal?
My sister and niece moved in with me in my home in November 2011 with no contract but the deal was that she would pay me $350.00 per month and get on her feet. She stopped paying in April 2012 and has paid once since then. I let her stay because my niece has special needs and was in her final year of high school. I told my sister in January 2013 that I wanted her to leave by the end of March because I couldn't handle paying all of the bills and my utilities were being cut off and I'm scrounging to find money to turn them on and she wasn' t helping. March 29 came and my siblings and I imploded because she shared her lies of not being able to get her teeth fixed so she couldn't find a job, etc. That day, told her and texted my brothers that she had until my niece graduated last Friday, then she had to go. Friday came and she came up with lies that she was waiting on a case worker, etc. Friday night, texted her that I didn't want to get the cops involved and she had to leave. She texted me Saturday that she's not leaving because she called the cops and they said I couldn't make her leave. I was livid, went home (was at a friend's house) and told her to leave. She refused and the cops came, telling her they can't force her to leave and telling me in front of her to evict her. That was Saturday. Today, called the magistrate's office and they said I have to give proper notice, then go pay the $74.00 to have her served. I'm trying to learn if the text messages and the verbal deadlines count as notice to vacate? My niece is welcome to stay and I've told sister to get her life together, then come and get niece. She's irrational, bi-polar and has dragged even our 70 year old mother into it. Please help! I need her out because the stress is seriously affecting my health. Seriously! Thank you so much.