Tenant Questionaire - PM negligence issue

[Brie Schmidt]

We fired one of our property managers a few weeks ago and are now hearing about issues of negligence and possible criminal activity with missing tenant payments and/or not properly handling security deposits.  Because it is over 30 units that may have had issues, I want to send out a letter to all of them in a survey format.  Here is what I have so far.  Thoughts or additions?

It has come to our attention that there might have been things that happened with XXXManagement over the last few months that we were unaware of. We are writing to let you know that we are looking into these issues to make sure they do not happen again. To ensure we are aware of all your concerns, please complete this quick survey and mail it back to us in the enclosed envelope by April 30th. If you have any supporting documentation (emails, texts) that would be very helpful.

Did you receive your tenant statement at the end of March? No Yes

Do you dispute any of the information on that tenant statement? No Yes (explain below)

Did you make repair requests that were not done in a timely matter? No Yes (explain below)

Were you ever told anything that you later found out to be untrue? No Yes (explain below)

Is there anything else that I, the owner, should know? No Yes (explain below)

[Account Closed]

I would strongly discourage you from doing this questionnaire, in this manner.  Asking your tenants to help you hang the PM, is really not a good idea.  At the very minimum, you will open yourself up to an onslaught of complaints.  And once you open that door, it will be miserable.  Don't expect them to keep their complaints to the subject at hand.  You will create unnecessary drama.

Also, you may risk being sued by the PM for libel and slander, possibly.

I think you need to take a deep breath and think about what you want to accomplish.  

You've already fired the PM, so that's a done deal.

If you want to check in with tenants, I suggest you do it in a different way.  How about, you send out a letter to the individual tenants just saying something about a management change, and you want to be sure the paperwork is in order.  And to please let you know if they received their statements and if they were in order.  If not, to let you know by x date with specific information.

And, ask them if there are any maintenance issues that need to be addressed.  And if so, to please let you know asap, so their maintenance issues can be addressed.

Make it about you asking them if there are any issues that need to be addressed, without putting it in a way that asks them if the previous management has screwed up.  When you put it like that, people will either not want to get involved, or they will become major dramaholics.

If a crime has been committed, tell the police and let them do the investigating.

I've been screwed by a management company, as has my daughter - before my days of being a manager.  It's enormously frustrating and you're entitled to your anger.  But, I encourage you to act like a professional and remove yourself from the emotion, at least as far as your customers (tenants) are concerned.  

I'm really sorry this happened to you.