Property manager negligence?

[Sean Carroll]

Hey BP community! I am in kind of a weird situation and hopefully can get some advice from all of you.

Essentially I am having a home turned over to me from a trust that has been controlled by my Aunt since 2008. Unfortunately for the past 9 years, she decided to go with and keep one of the worst property managers in my hometown. She has now decided to turn over the house to me, perfect timing because apparently, the old T-11 siding on the back of the house is in desperate need of replacement. I was forwarded emails from the tenant that describes that their clothes are damp in the drawers, calcium deposit on the brick of the fireplace, and the house just overall feeling damp.

I email the property manager requesting the current lease agreement, all emails about this issue, as well as the agreement he has with my aunt. I also asked him to give a notice of entry so I can go look at the damage and get contractors out there to get bids. The companies GC is estimating $6,000 in repair with possibly more because he fears dry rot to the framing.

My question is this seems like negligence on the property managers part since he obviously is not going to the house every 6 months or a year to check in on it (not sure if that is common practice) and has let this issue with the house get this bad, I am unable to check on the house because I am 3 1/2 hours away in the Bay Are of California and my Aunt is in Los Angeles and the house is near Tahoe.

My questions are, is this negligence on the property managers part? Can I seek some compensation from the property managing company due to this possible negligence? Also, what would you do in this situation?

thank you for any help and advice!