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I interviewed a number of attorneys both in the States and in Mexico.

One has to understand his own market to recognize value when the PTR ratio is skewed.

You need to decide what is more important to you....Enforcing your type A personality that demands rent on the first regardless of crcumstances because you are the landlord and they are the lowly tenant that should is blessed to live in your property and should always bow down before you OR think like a logical business man that recognizes the value in a long term tenant with a history of paying, albeit it late but for a logical reason and offer to make necessary adjustements that will benefit all parties.  

Possibly there was a pet "interview" and reference check that was paid with this fee.

With a total investment of $501 (plus sales costs), this market here recognizes that there is still margin to be made and thus the actual sales prices are driven higher even for an investment property. 

This 2nd was put in place after the reference checks and interview but they didn't last long.

That's like showing up to a job interview in your sweaty gym clothes. 

Jay Papasan (co-author of the Millionaire RE Investor) described this phenomenon well in an interview I recently heard.  

I also signed up for his interview and was also hit with a massive upsell that was not relevant to the initial offer.