All Forum Posts by: Tanya H.

I just looked at the Zillow ad.  I don't know who took the pix, but they don't show the property very well.  They were maybe taken with just a cellphone, and the phone was not even held sideways.  So the rooms all look super small.  And the last exterior picture doesn't really do you any favors either.  

Also, requiring a prospective tenant to fill out an on-line application before being contacted to make an appointment might cause a lot of people to just go to the next property in their search results list.  I always do some pre-screening before setting up a showing, but requiring completion of an on-line application is probably unrealistic.  

So just from this, I would have to say that the problem is most likely with the PM.  

I would check into the advertising, but I would also check to see how the PM is handling inquiries and/or showings.  It's a bit difficult to believe that you are not getting any bites at that price here in CO.  

Welcome, @David VanWert.  I've got a few properties in Bay City - one in the city proper and 2 in Bangor Township.  I think the townships have a bit better potential than the city.  The city can be a little difficult to deal with, especially for people out of town.  I'm from BC, with lots of relatives and friends, and it's been a challenge.  Let me know if you have any specific questions I could help with.  

Welcome to BP, @Roy Ulmer.  I'm from Bay City and have invested in a couple of places there.  Let me know if I can help with anything!

Sounds like an awesome deal, @Jacob Allweil.   Did each of the properties come with tenants in place?  Were the rents appropriate?  Any deferred maintenance?  Since the property mgmt company stayed in place, I'm guessing the transition was pretty easy for both you and the PM.  

Hi Jamaal,

I'll admit that I've made most of those same mistakes.  I will even admit that I've made a couple of them more than once.  I think that many of those are common mistakes.  Unfortunately, we sometimes have to make the mistakes ourselves to really learn the lessons we need to learn!  

I love your attitude about it all.  You are not playing the victim (very important in life) and you are not blaming anyone but yourself (very important in this business).   You will do much better on your next one.  

And I have a feeling that you will be wonderfully successful in real estate!

@Greg M. - thanks for the reply.

Due to some other situations upon move-in, the checklist was not able to swapped for keys.  I do have a statement in my lease that reads pretty much exactly as you noted.  So yes, the checklist is worthless at this point.  I stamped it with the receipt date, and I have in writing that she had not provided me the checklist until today.

But yes, I do need to update my lease stating that the tenant is responsible for additional damage caused by failure to notify me of issues.  I've been an active landlord for over 20 years, and my leases have evolved thru the years.  It's always the "special" tenants that provide the learning experiences.    

But this one turned out to be not a case of failing to report issues.  It's actually a case of lying about what happened.  The toilet was in fact bolted down properly, and there was not any leaking around the light fixture until the toilet overflowed from a tenant-caused blockage.  

Just a follow-up for anyone who cares...

We discovered (as we rather suspected) that the mounting bolt was just fine.  There was a nut on there after all.  And the wax ring didn't fail (which would've been quite rare).  The toilet did overflow - let's just say there was proof of it in the bathroom  - and she finally admitted that it did.  

So the final result is that she is responsible for the damage caused by the blockage/overflow.  End of story.  :) 

Thanks @Mike McCarthy for the quick response.

I know there was a blockage - she has admitted to that.  So definitely something she shouldn't have flushed.  This is the 2nd incident with a toilet blockage for her, but different toilet.  The first one happened shortly after she moved in (10 days) so we gave her the benefit of the doubt for that one, and hired Roto-Rooter for that one.  

I agree that we should've noticed the missing nut on the bolt during the changeover, but some things get missed.  She stated that multiple guests have mentioned the toilet, but she failed to bring anything to our attention.  

We will definitely be replacing the wax ring and securing the bolt.  That's not an issue.  The issue is the damage to the ceiling and/or any other damage.  She also notes that she noticed a ring around the light fixture.  But I have pix of the house before she took possession, and there was no water damage ring.  So another item that pointed to a problem that she did not bring to our attention.  

I believe that if there is an issue and the tenant does not bring it to our attention to fix, that resulting issues are most likely (and in this case) the responsibility of the tenant.   Also, my lease states that the tenants are responsible for plumbing blockages.

I have a tenant who moved in to one of my patio homes in July.  

This morning she notified me that 2nd floor toilet for the 2nd bathroom overflowed yesterday and leaked to the ceiling on the first floor around a light fixture.  They used a plunger and got rid of the blockage.  But she's included a picture of one of the bolts of the toilet, showing that it's missing a bolt.  She claims she noticed it on move in and noted it on the checklist which she has not sent to me (yet - supposedly).  

Upon further questioning, she says the toilet actually didn't overflow and that the wax ring was broken and water was seeping there.  She claims guests that have used that toilet have mentioned that the toilet rocks.  So you can see where this is going.

But isn't the fact that there was an issue that she failed to notify of us make her liable for the issue and the damage?  We can easily fix the toilet - new wax ring and make sure the bolt is secure.  But the damage to the ceiling below, etc should be her responsibility. 

Thoughts?

Tanya