I have a problem with property manager

[Bernice Monroe]

Hello BP,

Im a new investor,only investing in real estate for a year so there SO much i have to learn.Property management is a BIG one!Ive had a PM managing my first house for 2 years,thought she was great but i was mistaken.I ran into yet ANOTHER problem with firing her and receiving ALL funds that i am entitled to. I recently checked my banking statements and realized that my tenants have been late w payments for 2 years and not once did my property manager deposit the funds.She tells me one price to fix something,I agree,then I get a statement showing more!Long story short,property manager stated she would take our tenants security deposit and pay the bill and we can part ways. Isn't it illegal to touch any money from tenants deposit?If she does this,will I be able to take her to court for that AND the late fees from the past years?

[Nathan Gesner]

Quote from @Bernice Monroe:

This is 100% illegal. 

I would send something like this to the property manager:

"You will transfer the security deposit to me, along with a copy of the lease, payment history, and any other records pertaining to this tenant or lease within 15 days. If you do not, I will immediately file a complaint with the Florida commission."

The commission will likely call this PM to notify them of the complaint and see if there's a way to resolve the issue before opening an investigation. That's usually enough to scare the PM into compliance because the State will audit the file, the bank accounts, and more. It could cause the PM to lose their license.