Fired property management company. get my tenants deposit back?
ok so this gets messy. I'm in the middle of a divorce, my original rental management company was my soon to be ex wifes father figure. (no relation via marriage or blood). I fired him before the tenants moved in. However, he somehow got a hold of my tenants deposit. I would like to get that deposit into my hands, since I am the landlord and sole owner of the house. The rental contract is between myself and my tenant only. I have an excellent divorce attorney but I don't believe she is an expert in rental law. The house is in Alabama, but the management company is in Atlanta GA.
- Can I ask for this deposit back?
- Should I put a reasonable timeline on returning the deposit?
- If this guy says 'no' to returning the deposit, what should I do then?
I'm a new landlord, my tenants are super awesome. But I want to make sure they get their deposit back should they decide to leave.