Property Management and the Eviction Process in Virginia

[Bernard H.]

Good afternoon,

We run a small property management company here in Virginia. We're potentially about to experience an eviction situation with a tenant. I understand the process when attempting to handle an eviction case with out an attorney. My question is who's responsible for compensating an attorney when one is hired. My guess would be the owner/landlord of the property. My question is how is this communicated to the owner/landord. I can't recall anywhere in our PMA where it talks about the who's financially responsibe when it comes to the possibility of having to hire an attorney. Just wondering if anyone had any best practices. Perhaps there's a generally clause or statement thats added to a section in the PMA or an addendum. It would seem to me that having this kind of conversation and information during the initial signing of the PMA is the best time to discuss. Again, looking for any best practices. Thank you

[Patti Robertson]

None of the landlord tenant attorneys in Hampton Roads charge my PM brokerage a fee upfront. Are you using a REIN or VAR PMA?  If so, they address that the landlord pays for the cost of evictions. Looks like you are a member of NARPM. Larry Patish is the affiliate attorney. I highly recommend his services.