Missing Things from house I rented

[Maria Martinez]

Hello, I bought a house in Fl in 2009. Since I live in Venezuela and do not come to the USA very often I decided to rent the house and use a Realtor to manage the house as I couldn't do much from overseas. The house was furnished and even so they claim they told us they couldn't rent a furnished house, we are sure they didn't. A year went by and I came to the States to check on my house and I find out that the couches are ripped off by a dog, beds are in the garage with all the pieces spread apart, an edge trimmer and a ladder I had bought are missing. The management company claims that since the tenants moved out and we weren't there to check on the house before they leave that there is nothing they could do. I don't know much about the laws in here so I need an advice. Is the realtor right?? Is there any way I could get my money back for the couches and the other stuff missing or it is my fault for not being here? 

[Account Closed]

Owners should not leave items behind the tenants to use. If you have extra furniture, appliances or yard equipment sell them or donate them.

Minimize your exposure to litigation and lawsuits. We find many times owners want to leave things behind for the tenants to use without thinking about the possible consequences. If the tenants, their children or pets were to be injured by items that the owner left behind for the tenants to use, the owner can be exposing themselves to litigation and lawsuits. If the tenants child were to get poisoned by pesticides, or they were hurt on equipment – the swing set that was left behind by the owner of the property for the tenants to use – the first thing the tenants are most likely to do in this day and age is to get a personal injury attorney. Owners can find themselves having to defend themselves from a very costly lawsuit which could go on for a year or more, all because they left items behind for the tenants to use. A while back in San Antonio there was a young boy that was severely burned when he kicked a gas can at a water heater in the garage. This was tragic accident, but can you imagine the owner's liability if the owner had left the gas can behind for the tenants to use! Also if a child, even a neighbor's child were to break an arm or sustained a head injury while playing on playground equipment that was left behind by an owner, you can be sure that the parents would be looking towards the owner for compensation and restitution. In today's litigious society you want to do everything possible to help minimize your exposure to litigation and lawsuits.