Negligent Property Management Companies in Cleveland

Ezekiel Trevino

Realtor · McAllen, TX · Member since 2025 · 141 posts · 58 votes

1y

It depends what is in the the contract you signed with property manager. Talk to an attorney and see what they say.

0 Reply

Drew SygitBusiness Member

Property Manager · Royal Oak, MI · Member since 2012 · 13k+ posts · 9k+ votes

1y

Doubt it'll be worth your time & money to sue them.

How are you screening these companies?

Check out these BP blogs:

20 Questions to Ask When Vetting a Property Management Company: Processes

13 Questions to Ask to a PMC: Communication and Documentation

24 Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Property Management Contract

https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91878-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-2-communication-and-docum

https://www.biggerpockets.com/member-blogs/3094/91879-how-to-screen-a-pmc-better-than-a-tenant-part-3-the-management-contr

[email protected]248-209-6824

Logical Property Management4.9462 Reviews

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2 Reply

James Wise

Real Estate Broker · Cleveland Dayton Cincinnati Toledo Columbus & Akron, OH · Member since 2013 · 31k+ posts · 20k+ votes

1y

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Hi everyone,

I’ve worked with two property management companies in a row that seriously failed to deliver, and I’m at a loss on how to move forward.

The tenant in one of my units was supposed to be evicted starting in early April. However, neither the first property manager nor the second one actually filed the eviction, and now, several months later, the tenant is still living there, and the process hasn’t even begun.

The second company has also been completely unresponsive. I’ve followed up multiple times, waited weeks for answers, and still haven’t received basic information or confirmation that anything is being handled. I hired them to take over day-to-day management and oversee the eviction and renovation, but I’ve ended up having to micromanage everything myself and lost thousands of dollars in the process.

Has anyone here taken action against a property management company for this kind of negligence or breach of contract?
What are my options to hold them accountable or recover some of the losses?
Is small claims court the only option, or is there another path I should look into?

Also, if anyone can recommend a truly reliable and professional property manager -especially for out-of-state investors- I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

What was the reason for both of these PM's not filing said eviction? There's got to be more to this story if they both did the same thing.

0 Reply

Barbara Berta
OP
Member since 2023 · 30 posts · 28 votes
1y
Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Hi everyone,

I’ve worked with two property management companies in a row that seriously failed to deliver, and I’m at a loss on how to move forward.

The tenant in one of my units was supposed to be evicted starting in early April. However, neither the first property manager nor the second one actually filed the eviction, and now, several months later, the tenant is still living there, and the process hasn’t even begun.

The second company has also been completely unresponsive. I’ve followed up multiple times, waited weeks for answers, and still haven’t received basic information or confirmation that anything is being handled. I hired them to take over day-to-day management and oversee the eviction and renovation, but I’ve ended up having to micromanage everything myself and lost thousands of dollars in the process.

Has anyone here taken action against a property management company for this kind of negligence or breach of contract?
What are my options to hold them accountable or recover some of the losses?
Is small claims court the only option, or is there another path I should look into?

Also, if anyone can recommend a truly reliable and professional property manager -especially for out-of-state investors- I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

What was the reason for both of these PM's not filing said eviction? There's got to be more to this story if they both did the same thing.
They didn't do the same thing. The first property manager filed the eviction on the wrong grounds. Then it turned out they hadn’t even given proper 30-day notice to the tenant, so we had to wait another month just to restart the process. By that point, we were in 2 months delay, and they wanted to make me wait another month, They made so many mistakes that I completely lost trust in them, and I hired another PM who told me we wouldn’t need to wait another 30 days, and we could file after serving a 3-day notice. But even after 30 days of chasing them and practically begging for proof that the eviction had been filed, I received nothing. To this day, I have no idea if they ever filed anything at all. They just stopped responding to my emails and never provided any answers...

0 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
1y
Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Hi everyone,

I’ve worked with two property management companies in a row that seriously failed to deliver, and I’m at a loss on how to move forward.

The tenant in one of my units was supposed to be evicted starting in early April. However, neither the first property manager nor the second one actually filed the eviction, and now, several months later, the tenant is still living there, and the process hasn’t even begun.

The second company has also been completely unresponsive. I’ve followed up multiple times, waited weeks for answers, and still haven’t received basic information or confirmation that anything is being handled. I hired them to take over day-to-day management and oversee the eviction and renovation, but I’ve ended up having to micromanage everything myself and lost thousands of dollars in the process.

Has anyone here taken action against a property management company for this kind of negligence or breach of contract?
What are my options to hold them accountable or recover some of the losses?
Is small claims court the only option, or is there another path I should look into?

Also, if anyone can recommend a truly reliable and professional property manager -especially for out-of-state investors- I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

What was the reason for both of these PM's not filing said eviction? There's got to be more to this story if they both did the same thing.
They didn't do the same thing. The first property manager filed the eviction on the wrong grounds. Then it turned out they hadn’t even given proper 30-day notice to the tenant, so we had to wait another month just to restart the process. By that point, we were in 2 months delay, and they wanted to make me wait another month, They made so many mistakes that I completely lost trust in them, and I hired another PM who told me we wouldn’t need to wait another 30 days, and we could file after serving a 3-day notice. But even after 30 days of chasing them and practically begging for proof that the eviction had been filed, I received nothing. To this day, I have no idea if they ever filed anything at all. They just stopped responding to my emails and never provided any answers...

give Jims company a try watch his videos on dealing with dead beat tenants.. they are as he likes to say SAVAGE.. you are the owner though and the idea that you can hand everything over your learning is novel but does not work you stop managing the tenant and start managing the PM.. me personally I would have gone there and walked into their office and figured it out.
Podcast Guest on Show #222
JLH Capital Partners51 Review
Website View Page
0 Reply
Barbara Berta
OP
Member since 2023 · 30 posts · 28 votes
1y
Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Hi everyone,

I’ve worked with two property management companies in a row that seriously failed to deliver, and I’m at a loss on how to move forward.

The tenant in one of my units was supposed to be evicted starting in early April. However, neither the first property manager nor the second one actually filed the eviction, and now, several months later, the tenant is still living there, and the process hasn’t even begun.

The second company has also been completely unresponsive. I’ve followed up multiple times, waited weeks for answers, and still haven’t received basic information or confirmation that anything is being handled. I hired them to take over day-to-day management and oversee the eviction and renovation, but I’ve ended up having to micromanage everything myself and lost thousands of dollars in the process.

Has anyone here taken action against a property management company for this kind of negligence or breach of contract?
What are my options to hold them accountable or recover some of the losses?
Is small claims court the only option, or is there another path I should look into?

Also, if anyone can recommend a truly reliable and professional property manager -especially for out-of-state investors- I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

What was the reason for both of these PM's not filing said eviction? There's got to be more to this story if they both did the same thing.
They didn't do the same thing. The first property manager filed the eviction on the wrong grounds. Then it turned out they hadn’t even given proper 30-day notice to the tenant, so we had to wait another month just to restart the process. By that point, we were in 2 months delay, and they wanted to make me wait another month, They made so many mistakes that I completely lost trust in them, and I hired another PM who told me we wouldn’t need to wait another 30 days, and we could file after serving a 3-day notice. But even after 30 days of chasing them and practically begging for proof that the eviction had been filed, I received nothing. To this day, I have no idea if they ever filed anything at all. They just stopped responding to my emails and never provided any answers...

give Jims company a try watch his videos on dealing with dead beat tenants.. they are as he likes to say SAVAGE.. you are the owner though and the idea that you can hand everything over your learning is novel but does not work you stop managing the tenant and start managing the PM.. me personally I would have gone there and walked into their office and figured it out.
I would have gone there too but I'm thousands of miles away. Who is Jimmy you are referring to?
0 Reply
Jay HinrichsBusiness Member
Real Estate Consultant · Summerlin, NV · Member since 2014 · 45k+ posts · 66k+ votes
1y
Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Quote from @Jay Hinrichs:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Quote from @James Wise:

Quote from @Barbara Berta:

Hi everyone,

I’ve worked with two property management companies in a row that seriously failed to deliver, and I’m at a loss on how to move forward.

The tenant in one of my units was supposed to be evicted starting in early April. However, neither the first property manager nor the second one actually filed the eviction, and now, several months later, the tenant is still living there, and the process hasn’t even begun.

The second company has also been completely unresponsive. I’ve followed up multiple times, waited weeks for answers, and still haven’t received basic information or confirmation that anything is being handled. I hired them to take over day-to-day management and oversee the eviction and renovation, but I’ve ended up having to micromanage everything myself and lost thousands of dollars in the process.

Has anyone here taken action against a property management company for this kind of negligence or breach of contract?
What are my options to hold them accountable or recover some of the losses?
Is small claims court the only option, or is there another path I should look into?

Also, if anyone can recommend a truly reliable and professional property manager -especially for out-of-state investors- I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the advice and recommendations.

What was the reason for both of these PM's not filing said eviction? There's got to be more to this story if they both did the same thing.
They didn't do the same thing. The first property manager filed the eviction on the wrong grounds. Then it turned out they hadn’t even given proper 30-day notice to the tenant, so we had to wait another month just to restart the process. By that point, we were in 2 months delay, and they wanted to make me wait another month, They made so many mistakes that I completely lost trust in them, and I hired another PM who told me we wouldn’t need to wait another 30 days, and we could file after serving a 3-day notice. But even after 30 days of chasing them and practically begging for proof that the eviction had been filed, I received nothing. To this day, I have no idea if they ever filed anything at all. They just stopped responding to my emails and never provided any answers...

give Jims company a try watch his videos on dealing with dead beat tenants.. they are as he likes to say SAVAGE.. you are the owner though and the idea that you can hand everything over your learning is novel but does not work you stop managing the tenant and start managing the PM.. me personally I would have gone there and walked into their office and figured it out.
I would have gone there too but I'm thousands of miles away. Who is Jimmy you are referring to?

james wise
Podcast Guest on Show #222
JLH Capital Partners51 Review
Website View Page
0 Reply

Adam BartomeoBusiness Member

Real Estate Broker · Cape Coral, FL · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 1k+ votes

1y

Seems a little strange that an investor that has experience with property managers would allow two PM's to fail on filing an eviction. One would think that there would be an extreme emphasis on evicting the tenant immediately...

[email protected]239-339-3969

Bartomeo Property Management4.7156 Reviews

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0 Reply

Barbara Berta
OP
Member since 2023 · 30 posts · 28 votes
1y
Quote from @Adam Bartomeo:

Seems a little strange that an investor that has experience with property managers would allow two PM's to fail on filing an eviction. One would think that there would be an extreme emphasis on evicting the tenant immediately...

It definitely feels unreal. I’ve never had such a bad experience with property managers before, and honestly, I didn’t think something like this could even happen.

I didn’t "let them" get away with it, but as an out-of-state investor, it’s much easier for them to ignore me when there’s not much I can do legally from a distance.

What would you have done in my place? They kept making promises they never followed through on, lied repeatedly, and ignored every email, call, and text. I’m thousands of miles away...
0 Reply

Nathan FisherBusiness Member

Property Manager · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2020 · 317 posts · 269 votes

1y

I've been pretty vocal about my distaste for Cleveland Housing court. To play DA, it's difficult to get an eviction in Cleveland. Even when done perfectly, Monae Scott will throw a curveball at you.

If this is a low income/ rough area, it'll be tough to get reasonable Property managers to do the work.

[email protected]216-245-2901

Aligned Properties Group4.287 Reviews

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Barbara Berta
OP
Member since 2023 · 30 posts · 28 votes
1y
Quote from @Nathan Fisher:

I've been pretty vocal about my distaste for Cleveland Housing court. To play DA, it's difficult to get an eviction in Cleveland. Even when done perfectly, Monae Scott will throw a curveball at you.

If this is a low income/ rough area, it'll be tough to get reasonable Property managers to do the work.
I started investing in Cleveland because it was supposed to be a landlord friendly city, but that's not the case...even if you invest in decent areas. My properties aren't in the rough areas, they are in B-/C+ neighbourhoods.
0 Reply

Min ZhangBusiness Member

Real Estate Agent · Member since 2022 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes

1y

Hi Barbara ! Sorry you're dealing with that — I’ve had a few clients in the same boat where PMs dropped the ball on evictions and stopped responding. Small claims is an option, but sometimes a demand letter is enough to push them. If you need a solid PM who actually handles things for out-of-state owners, happy to share a few I trust.

[email protected]614-412-2912

Reafco.512 Reviews

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1 Reply

R. Elle Berry

Real Estate Broker · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2016 · 146 posts · 110 votes

1y

First, I’m truly sorry to hear about the experience you’ve had with not just one, but two property management companies. That kind of frustration, especially when you’re trusting professionals to manage your investment can be incredibly disheartening.

Regarding the eviction issue; In Ohio, it’s important to know that property managers are not legally allowed to file evictions themselves, only an attorney can do so. A good management company would work directly with one to handle the eviction process efficiently and legally. The fact that neither company moved forward with this step reflects poor oversight or a lack of proper systems.

To clarify the notice types, A 3-Day Notice is typically served for non-payment of rent. It gives the tenant three business days to pay or vacate before an eviction can be filed. A 30-Day Notice is generally used for termination of a month-to-month lease or for cause (other than non-payment) and gives the tenant a full 30 days to vacate.

As for holding the management companies accountable, review your contract with both companies to determine whether they breached any specific terms. If so, you may have grounds for legal action. Small claims court can be an option if your damages fall within Ohio’s monetary limits (currently up to $6,000 in most jurisdictions), but you may also want to consult a real estate attorney for more serious claims or contractual breaches.

Consider filing a complaint with the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing if the companies are licensed and you believe they acted unethically.

If you’re still looking for a reliable property manager, especially one who understands the unique needs of out-of-state investors I’d love to connect. I hope this information was helpful.

3 Reply

Barbara Berta
OP
Member since 2023 · 30 posts · 28 votes
1y
Quote from @R. Elle Berry:
First, I’m truly sorry to hear about the experience you’ve had with not just one, but two property management companies. That kind of frustration, especially when you’re trusting professionals to manage your investment can be incredibly disheartening.

Regarding the eviction issue; In Ohio, it’s important to know that property managers are not legally allowed to file evictions themselves, only an attorney can do so. A good management company would work directly with one to handle the eviction process efficiently and legally. The fact that neither company moved forward with this step reflects poor oversight or a lack of proper systems.

To clarify the notice types, A 3-Day Notice is typically served for non-payment of rent. It gives the tenant three business days to pay or vacate before an eviction can be filed. A 30-Day Notice is generally used for termination of a month-to-month lease or for cause (other than non-payment) and gives the tenant a full 30 days to vacate.

As for holding the management companies accountable, review your contract with both companies to determine whether they breached any specific terms. If so, you may have grounds for legal action. Small claims court can be an option if your damages fall within Ohio’s monetary limits (currently up to $6,000 in most jurisdictions), but you may also want to consult a real estate attorney for more serious claims or contractual breaches.

Consider filing a complaint with the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing if the companies are licensed and you believe they acted unethically.

If you’re still looking for a reliable property manager, especially one who understands the unique needs of out-of-state investors I’d love to connect. I hope this information was helpful.
Thank you for the valuable information Elle! Yes, we've gone through two 30-day notices with the first PM and 2x 3-day notices, yet the eviction has not been filed. First we gave the tenant 30 days to move out so we can renovate the unit, then he got another 30 day, after which he started not paying...it's been 3 months now.
Both PMs told me that they work with lawyers, however, it's not clear up to this day why they didn't file the eviction...
2 Reply
R. Elle Berry
Real Estate Broker · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2016 · 146 posts · 110 votes
1y
Quote from @Barbara Berta:
Quote from @R. Elle Berry:

First, I’m truly sorry to hear about the experience you’ve had with not just one, but two property management companies. That kind of frustration, especially when you’re trusting professionals to manage your investment can be incredibly disheartening.

Regarding the eviction issue; In Ohio, it’s important to know that property managers are not legally allowed to file evictions themselves, only an attorney can do so. A good management company would work directly with one to handle the eviction process efficiently and legally. The fact that neither company moved forward with this step reflects poor oversight or a lack of proper systems.

To clarify the notice types, A 3-Day Notice is typically served for non-payment of rent. It gives the tenant three business days to pay or vacate before an eviction can be filed. A 30-Day Notice is generally used for termination of a month-to-month lease or for cause (other than non-payment) and gives the tenant a full 30 days to vacate.

As for holding the management companies accountable, review your contract with both companies to determine whether they breached any specific terms. If so, you may have grounds for legal action. Small claims court can be an option if your damages fall within Ohio’s monetary limits (currently up to $6,000 in most jurisdictions), but you may also want to consult a real estate attorney for more serious claims or contractual breaches.

Consider filing a complaint with the Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing if the companies are licensed and you believe they acted unethically.

If you’re still looking for a reliable property manager, especially one who understands the unique needs of out-of-state investors I’d love to connect. I hope this information was helpful.
Thank you for the valuable information Elle! Yes, we've gone through two 30-day notices with the first PM and 2x 3-day notices, yet the eviction has not been filed. First we gave the tenant 30 days to move out so we can renovate the unit, then he got another 30 day, after which he started not paying...it's been 3 months now.
Both PMs told me that they work with lawyers, however, it's not clear up to this day why they didn't file the eviction...
Wow. I see, very unfortunate. I hope you’re in good hands now.
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Negligent Property Management Companies in Cleveland

Negligent Property Management Companies in Cleveland

Investor-friendly agents in Cleveland, OH

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