Here are pictures of the damages. Not much else to write, plumbers are coming tomorrow & the neighbors and I had an extensive conversation. The tenant was just trashy and even a bad parent. They were all glad we were back fixing it up & wanted to know a good family was moving in.
They expressed concern that the property manager is partly at fault. They say no 6 month inspections were done & she wasn't timely in her response. DH has expressed concern because she stated this condition as "Standard" or otherwise, not the best but not the worst.
So we're considering switching property manager. Just not sure when, seems pretty shady for her to screen over 50 people, get new tenants & a lease signed and when the old tenants move out say "We want a new property manager". So we'll see how she handles this turnout, if we have to move and rent this place out I have an idea of a different guy I want to use. Stakes are higher for this house & this guy does QUARTERLY inspections. If we end up liking him better then we'll just switch both places to him.
Oh, and I counted the dents - TWENTY-ONE on the FRONT ALONE. There are two big chips in the ceramic framing of the stove also. We priced replacement PARTS ONLY for the stove & refrigerator and it comes to $1100. Their deposit was $1525
STOVE
Bent curtain rods
Refrigerator
Paint on the siding & their shoddy repairwork to fix the damage to the wood trim from their dog
Closeup of the "fix" to the trim
More paint on the siding (NOTE: The two little handprints) - This better come off with pressure washing
Pictures of the damages
June 29th, 2009 at 12:32 am
June 29th, 2009 at 01:37 am 1246239435
June 29th, 2009 at 12:22 pm 1246278168
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June 29th, 2009 at 04:09 pm 1246291789
June 30th, 2009 at 02:38 am 1246329518
I don't know how this would jive with your state's laws (re discrimination) but could you ask your property manager to look for a "relocation renter" ... someone who is just in a rental temporarily, either because they are new to the area, just sold their house and are waiting for the new one to be built, etc.
I can't help but wonder if people who are in a "I am a permanent renter & I don't give a crap about property" just have a different frame of mind when it comes to caring for property than someone who is a home owner at heart.
June 30th, 2009 at 07:55 am 1246348520
but i felt sick to my stomach if anything ever got damaged, not that anything was ever damaged as bad as what you have (and considering - it's not as bad as what i have seen). once the clothesline broke in a house we were renting (from rust and old age) but it stressed me out so much!
i just don't understand people's thought processes sometimes. it's someones HOUSE! how can you treat it badly without feeling horrible inside???