All Forum Posts by: Peter Sik

Quote from @Chris Seveney:

Something isn't adding up - if it's a broken key in your keyhole then someone else was trying to use your mailbox as the tenant using the key it would have worked

if tenant was targeting wrong mailbox how would it break in your mailbox ?

I initially suspected that it might have been the previous tenant who damaged the lock cylinder.

Quote from @Drew Sygit:

@Peter Sik what can you prove?

Probably nothing definitive.

So, you'll have to bear the cost.

PM has already replied to the email and said that the tenant opened the wrong mailbox, so the cost will be borne by the tenant.

Hi everyone,

Looking for some advice regarding a mailbox issue and an unexpected charge.

A new tenant just moved into my rental property. Shortly after moving in, the property manager informed me that the tenant was unable to access their mailbox due to a broken key lodged in the keyhole. Based on that, I assumed it was a maintenance issue—possibly wear and tear or tenant-related.

Later, I received another email from the property manager's maintenance team saying a vendor was sent to inspect the issue. They now believe the tenant may have been targeting the wrong mailbox, which could have caused the confusion. Despite this, a $75 service fee was charged for the inspection.

Now, the property manager has sent me an email asking me, as the owner, to pay the $75 bill.

Since the tenant is new and may have been given incorrect mailbox information, I’m unsure who should be responsible for the charge—the tenant, the property manager (if they gave the wrong info), or me.

Has anyone dealt with a similar situation? Who typically covers this kind of cost?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

Captivate reasonable benefit for landlord:

1. Why PM does not inquire to bring potential tenant to view occupied property upon tenant agree? I know some PM do, which is good for shorter the vacancy period.

2. Why does PM start promoting the property only after existing tenant moved out and property fixed (small repairs)? I know some PM start fixing (small repair job) after new tenant moved in.

3. Is it too much to ask PM send me the application to review and let me pick the one look good to me? I have 2 PM, even I asked they not sending me application for review. They just select a tenant that the one they like.

Thanks for your any comment.

Do you see any new rental property up in the market has increased rent since L.A. fire issue?

Quote from @Adam Bartomeo:

It sounds like your PM gets the full amount of the late fees, unethical from my standpoint but it is common. It also sounds like they want "their" fees paid ahead of yours. Again, from my standpoint unethical but still common. They are probably aware that the tenant will stop paying at some point in the next 2+ years and they want to recoup their money ASAP. You will have to look through your PMA to get a better understanding how this works for your scenario.

"It also sounds like they want "their" fees paid ahead of yours." this is where I don't agree. This is not their fee, PM is just helping landlord collecting payment. Why the whole late fee goes into PM's pocket? Should just take 10% to be fair. In fact, there should have no such late fee existing after judgment decision made.

@Adam Bartomeo thank you for your information. The agreement didn't mention about how to handling the late fee that helped by collection agency. Usually, PM take 10% of the late fee in normal circumstance. 

One thing I don't understand is the late fee is belong to landlord and PM take portion of it as service fee. PM is helping landlord collecting payment from tenant ideally. How could PM take the whole cake??

I just received second email from PM saying:

"Hi , looking at the account , there are late fees for July and August. These were some of the existing unpaid charges submitted to the Attorney and before the Judgement took place. Funds collected as the result of the collection judgement are applied beginning with the charges in arrears. Late fees are flat fee charges while the 10% will be against any unpaid rental amounts.

It appears that the actual unpaid rent has been satisfied now, this is why those funds collected were applied to the late fees next. Soon the funds collected will be paid to you less, the 1/3 Attorney fee, without the flat fees or the 10%."

After took some time of understanding this email. My question is why there were some existing unpaid charge before judgement took place? The judgement claim balance is $7,569.33 then focus on this amount, should not mention any more number. Keep it simple....

After pm forwarded my case (tenant did not pay rent) to collection agency, the judgement claim balance is $7,569.33. The debtor will make $200 monthly payments until paid off.

1/3 of the $200 goes to the agency, and 2/3 goes to my account and within this 10% of 2/3 goes to PM as service fee. Simple and fair.

First month received that $200 and was distributed as above, Everybody happy.

Second month received $200 on time and PM break down that amount and claim there is $45 late fee, and all that $45 goes to PM account. Means I received less then I expected. So, I sent email asking PM why there is late fee existing? And they replied:

"Hi ,the total judgement not only includes physical damages that you had to pay initially to secure another tenant but also includes outstanding rent balance if any and late fees if any and any other charges that may have been charged against the previous tenant. The $45 is most likely a late fee.

So, as the funds are received from the Attorney, they are applied to all charges in arrears. Eventually you will receive funds less the 1/3 collection fee from the Attorney forwarded to you."

After sent them third email and finally got reply but that did not answer my question. Any idea what PM trying to do? Why not just following the distribution of the first month?

Update: Just got email reply from PM. 

"Hi , looking at the account , there are late fees for July and August. These were some of the existing unpaid charges submitted to the Attorney and before the Judgement took place. Funds collected as the result of the collection judgement are applied beginning with the charges in arrears. Late fees are flat fee charges while the 10% will be against any unpaid rental amounts.

It appears that the actual unpaid rent has been satisfied now, this is why those funds collected were applied to the late fees next. Soon the funds collected will be paid to you less, the 1/3 Attorney fee, without the flat fees or the 10%."

After took some time of understanding this email. My question is why there were some existing unpaid charge before judgement took place?  The judgement claim balance is $7,569.33 then focus on this amount, should not mention any more number. Keep it simple....

Second, the late fee is belong to landlord, PM can only take 10% of it. Not whole. 

Want to hear from you guys. What is this PM doing, is it making  sense? Thanks in advance

After pm forwarded my case (tenant did not pay rent) to collection agency, the judgement claim balance is $7,569.33. The debtor will make $200 monthly payments until paid off.

1/3 of the $200 goes to the agency, and 2/3 goes to my account and within this 10% of 2/3 goes to PM as service fee. Simple and fair.

First month received that $200 and was distributed as above, Everybody happy.

Second month received $200 on time and PM break down that amount and claim there is $45 late fee, and all that $45 goes to PM account. Means I received less then I expected. So, I sent email asking PM why there is late fee existing? And they replied:

"Hi ,the total judgement not only includes physical damages that you had to pay initially to secure another tenant but also includes outstanding rent balance if any and late fees if any and any other charges that may have been charged against the previous tenant. The $45 is most likely a late fee.

So, as the funds are received from the Attorney, they are applied to all charges in arrears. Eventually you will receive funds less the 1/3 collection fee from the Attorney forwarded to you."

After sent them third email and finally got reply but that did not answer my question. Any idea what PM trying to do? Why not just following the distribution of the first month?

Quote from @Jordan Myer:

Quote from @Peter Sik:

Quote from @V.G Jason:

Quote from @Peter Sik:

i have a rental property at Murrieta, CA sitting in the market for 2 months, the condition is good and the rental price is at the lowest. Have requested my PM to host an open house but they do not offer this service. Want to know what should i do to get it rented. thanks

 It's a winter market, so likely slower but even so for 2 months to be sitting the PMs need to be more proactive. You need find a better PM and re-do this, in my opinion. Likely off in price, but could also be a more advertisement. They should have told you around Day 10, hey leads are low from what we are seeing and figured out how to adjust. No later than 3 weeks some firm adjustment should've been done.

Find new PM, one that's proactive!

 Thanks for fast reply. At the very beginning, the PM wanted to list BELOW market price, I didn't agree. So it was listing at medium to high market price until now adjusted to lowest market price but still higher then their suggested price. I mean with such PM experience, what they can only do is lower the price under market price to get a tenant? Where is their marketing skill?? 

 Sounds like the problem could be that the price was lowered too many times. Potential tenants will see this as a red flag ( is there something wrong with this property). They should take down the listing for a few weeks and re-post

The price only adjusted one time.