Recently I received a letter from the city stating that the grass at one of my properties was too high and in violation of city ordinance. I forwarded the letter to the property manager and they said they would notify the tenant, and if the grass was not cut they would hire a gardener to do it and send the bill to the tenant. Well, they dropped the ball, the grass was not cut, so the city cut it and sent me a bill for $350. My question is this: when a property manager makes a mistake that costs me money, should I attempt to hold them responsible, or do I have to eat it?
You bet. As a property manager (and rental owner) I would be very embarassed to have that happen and would take care of anything that resulted from my own actions or lack of them. I would expect them to pay the bill or be shopping for a new manager myself.
The property managers should be responsible for the bill, especially since you forwarded the city notification. If you need legal backing, check the agreement which you signed. It should be clearly spelled out how to handle such problems. This “mistake” was theirs, not yours. That is the whole reason you pay a property management company - to manage your property.