Mold Complaint, Tentat Threatening Lawsuit - Advice

[Jimmy Vance]

I've had a problem tenant for months, literally from the moment he moved in. Complaint after complaint after complaint.

To cut a long story short, recently there was a leak from a pipe in the condo, nothing major. I sent a restoration company out as there was moisture to baseboards and some of the drywall in the room. They believe to have a found a tiny amount of mold, but otherwise no big issues.

Tenant calls complaining to property manager, threatening lawsuits and says he's feeling all of these illnesses and it must be because of mold.

He says his health is at risk and demands ALL of his money back spent on the property.

Because of all the drama over the last few months - they offer him a sweetheart deal because I can't take the stress any longer - ALL of his money back, which is about 4 months rent, all of his deposits back and help in finding him a new place.

He rejects the deal, doesn't want to leave, and is more interested in his legal recourse based on what the mold tests will show from the restoration company.

An insurance claim has been opened, this professional restoration process will cost thousands.

Nobody involved can figure out the logic here. He claims his health is at risk and he feels ill, but is refusing to leave the property. He keeps demanding things (like getting all his money back), we meet his demands, and he still refuses to leave.

It appears he's fishing for a lawsuit or may have one on the way, but this is bananas to me. I don't know what else I can do here.

[Mark S.]

Originally posted by @Greg Scott:

If you have given the tenant everything they asked for and they elected to stay, that says a lot about their motivations to a judge.

It sounds like this business may not be for you.  These sorts of things happen all the time.  Learn to manage these bumps in the road or consider exiting.

I think you are being a little too harsh here.

Sounds like they are new to the business and the last thing you expect is someone threatening to sue you while refusing to leave the property in question, which they claim is causing them harm.

I've never come across this before. Usually most tenants I experience that have a unit issue and want out, they just want their money and want to get out. I've never seen a scenario where someone claims a unit has made them sick, they are offered all of their money back and they refuse to leave the unit making them sick.