All Forum Posts by: Margaret Bean

I'm interested, but it's a hike, in traffic (I'm in Dallas, Lakewood). If you have any meetings on Saturdays, I'd love to attend!

Bids for simple re-landscaping coming in at twice the cost of deposit. Plus deposit is for move-out, right?

Thanks, Bart. Getting estimates on re-doing just the front yard landscaping (around $3,000). I'm planning on having tenants pay it in installments, due with rent. Will send notification to that effect in a "lease violation" letter when I decide on a company. Hopefully, they will be able to afford it, and all will be well, and they won't touch anything else (they had sprayed everything with glyphosate, and even severely trimmed back the 2 huge live oak trees in the front yard). If they complain that they got permission from the previous management company, I will suggest they try going after them - though they didn't get anything in writing.

Thank you, everyone. Update, and reviews:

1. I'm in Dallas (Duncanville).

2. House is paid for, and has rented very successfully in the past.

3. I could raise funds, but it would be borrowing from other accounts, and not a good financial decision.

4. Fired previous PMs as they did a bad job over the past year (read previous posts if you want details).

5. I'm not asking if I should sell the house or not.

6. Would appreciate the name of a good landlord/tenant lawyer in the area, if anyone knows of one.

7. I'm in the process of looking for landscapers to give me a couple quotes for simple landscaping, so house has some curb appeal for future leasing.

8. I'm planning on charging tenants for landscaping. Will probably need to give them time to pay over several months - payment plan.

9. Taking it out of their deposit wouldn't cover landscaping; anyway, it may be needed for home repairs caused by them.

Thank you for your support and advice - even the harsh comments I learn from. I'm not offended. As I said, I'm new at this. I want to learn - and if I help others learn, so much the better.

I would like to pass my plan past a lawyer, if I knew one. I understand I have to keep the original lease, but I had tenants sign a "Rules and Regulations" addendum last Saturday.

@Dick Stevens - I'm not questioning whether to keep the house or not. It has done very well for me over many years; this year, however, has been a nightmare.

We did do a walk-through Saturday. Everything clean, sparse, and in order. Tenants not using oak kitchen cabinets because they're germophobic about wood(!). HVAC is only 1 month old.

Why should they think I'm not the owner. I told them a lot about the history of the house when I was there, what things were and how they worked and why things were the way they are (e.g. grass can't grow in certain areas of the yard; thus planting beds). They know my children grew up there.

Met with tenants Saturday. Went over new Tenant Orientation and Rules & Regulations for my taking over management. They were very friendly, made direct eye contact, followed well, and spoke in complete sentences. When I asked about the front yard (which is now completely razed), they said the property management company gave them verbal permission to remove plants (they deny it, and the person who was in charge of that (asset management) has now left the company.

They are 2 months into their tenancy. They seem to live paycheck-to-paycheck (they are used to paying rent via Pay Near Me). I told them I am thinking about what to do about the landscaping. It should have not been removed, and will need to be replaced in some way or another. They said they removed it to have 100% grass because they are afraid of bugs and snakes.

So far this year, the house has had a slab leak, replaced 50% of the flooring (due to the slab leak, covered by homeowners insurance), replaced entire HVAC system (went out, it was old), a clogged laundry line drain with flooding and water damage. I am out of money, and need rental income to build cushion.

If I had to re-list, I would have turnover/make ready costs, loss of rent, and would need to put in a sorely-lacking fence. Also, previous shoppers complained of the dated look of the paneling in this 1973 house's living room. I can't afford all this without a loan.

Thanks for your wisdom and thoughts.

Again, I'm in Dallas, TX. 

Margaret Bean

Sorry, @Jon Holdman - way up toward the top, I say I'm in Dallas, TX. I'm not sure if this is a bad tenant yet or not. We're meeting this Saturday (in 2 days - also mentioned higher up). Cost of eviction is what I read in the BP book on managing rental properties, by the Turners; includes lawyer, lost rent, and all associated costs. I used my reserves fixing trashed house from previous bad tenants, and then a plugged laundry line that caused more damage. Lease says plugged plumbing is tenant's responsibility, but PM company has not billed tenants, and does not respond. They are still taking their percentage from rent, until the 18th, a month from when I gave my 30 days' notice. I feel a hostage.

Wow - this is fascinating - thanks, everyone, for your different opinions, and specific suggestions. So glad to have different options from experienced managers to consider, starting from scratch.

FYI, Nathan G - I've had this PM for over a year. They have either mis-handles or not-handled many things during their tenure. Their "emergency" line is too full to take new messages. February, tenants reported a slab leak to them. I did not know for 3 days. I had to do everything. When I went to the house to meet the insurance adjustor, I found 8 people living in it (only 2 on the lease). I got cited by the city for all the junk in the yard. Lease had nothing in it regarding junk or # of people. When these problem tenants moved out (trashed the place), I had to pull teeth to have them put max # of people in the lease, that everyone in the house had to be listed on the lease, etc. etc. They double-charged me for some of the repair materials, and would not remove them. They said they would go after the tenants for repairs beyond their deposit, so I approved more repairs than I may have. Then they told me that I would only get 25% of what they get from tenants, IF they paid, and before their fees for pursuing them. I'm not sure if I'm using all the right terminology. This is a small sample of the PM's behavior. I rented the house for 4 years 15 years ago, and it was so successful, it paid the house off. 

Problem with things not being on the lease now is that it's the PM's lease. I understand that I have to keep the lease as-is for the term of the lease, even though I don't like it, since tenants signed it as is?

Thanks, everyone!

Just read that an eviction can cost around $5,000.