Damage caused by movers to neighboring property

[David Guthrie]

We have a tenant who hired a truck and crew to help him move out of a unit that we own. In the process of maneuvering the truck in a pretty tight spot, the movers caused some relatively minor damage to the neighboring property that I do not own.

The owner of the damaged property does not live on-site and is not yet aware of the recent damage, though I have historically kept an eye out for their building and given them a heads up if anything seems amiss and warranting their attention.

When I became aware of the damage, I texted my tenant to inquire about his plan for addressing and making adequate repairs, though he has not responded and seems to be ignoring the issue. The right thing for the tenant to do is have the moving company arrange and pay for the repairs to the owner’s satisfaction, though there is no indication that he will be taking this approach.

To the veteran BP landlords out there, any recommends on managing this so as to get the situation resolved without becoming entangled in a mess between my tenant and the neighbors? I have thoughts on how to proceed but welcome other opinions. Thanks!

[Scott M.]

You should pass the movers/tenants info along with photos for your neighbor and tell them what happened.  You should also CC the tenant and the movers on that letter so everyone knows everyone.  Then, I would get out of the way.  One side calls you, tell them to contact the other as you can't be in the middle, best for them to deal direct.