It’s My Way … No Highway Option

Dealing with Ingnorance

Why is it that property owners always have to be cocky? They are always thinking that everything is someone elses fault…especially when they have a property management company. It’s like they assume that when they hire us we automatically take fault to every little thing that happens or goes wrong and they never take any responsiblity. I mean if they dont send us over the paperwork we need to correct a problem or at least make us aware of the issue, how do they expect us resolve anything. We are not mind readers or psychics!!!! Its ridiculous what owners expect of Property Management Companies. They should try reading their property management agreement over and over again until they understand what we are responsible for exactly when it comes to their property.
For instance, I had a woman owner call me today….and I tell you she is a woman not because I am sexist in any way but because I want you to understand the attitude she was throwing at me for something that was her fault. She had received a Courtesy Notice HOA violation for weeds in the front landscaping that was dated June 11 and faxed it over to me on June 18, I didnt get to it until June 20…(she isnt the only client I work for…to her surprise imagine that…lol). She was pissed off because she just received a hearing notice regarding the same violation which means it wasnt taken care of OBVIOUSLY. Just for your information when it comes to landscaping violations it states within the tenants rental agreement that they are responsible for maintaining all landscaping for the property. When I receive an HOA violation for landscaping I send a letter to the tenant with a copy of the actual HOA violation so they are aware that this issue needs to be resolved otherwise there will be a fine imposed. Well the first notice she sent on June 18 was the Courtesy Notice, which I did exactly what I am expected of once received. Now she calls screaming at me about getting a Hearing Notice almost a month later??? Everyone knows in the HOA world that first they send out Courtesy Notices, then a Violation Notice, and sometimes even a 2nd Violation Notice, then a Hearing Notice, and if you still haven’t taken care of the problem a Fine Notice. She must have received a Violation Notice in between there somewhere but failed to send it to me and now she is screwed and has a deadline because she sat on it until it was the last minute. But its my fault??? Yeah right…even when I send out a letter to inform the tenant to take care of the issue, I certainly do not have the time to follow up and call all the tenants I send letters to. I get roughly about 50 violation letters a month for different things…some take longer than others and I dont have enough time for what I have to do now. So to add a follow up phone call for a Courtesy Letter is just plain waste of time because it is the owners responsibility to let me know if they received another violation letter from the HOA. That is how I know the problem wasnt solved and then I take the next step and hire a landscaper to do it and charge the tenant for the cost. SO IF IM NOT INFORMED BY THE PROPERTY OWNER THEN I CANT HELP THEM….and if they get a fine because they failed to let me know they received more violations then that is on them and completely their fault.

It sucks being the middle man sometimes….or middle woman in my case. GRRRRRR!!!