State Specific Question About: CALIFORNIA (CA)

brenda,

This is so common. We find out the true character of those we love. Never do business with family or friends.

She is cheating you. It does not take 2 weeks to produce a summary! That was a put off, common with liars

Yes, get a lawyer now and make a change. I suggest she buys you out or the house goes on the market now.

Do NOT settle for her paying you over time - she won't pay.

BRAD

Yes, get a mediator of some type NOW, so you can agree to a buy-out or an outright sale of the property. If your sister will not share records, this is your red flag. It is only going to get worse. If you fix this now, maybe you can still have a relationship with your sister, if that is important to you.

Just so everyone's on the same page...When my sister and I inherited the property we also inherited a home that had been minimally maintained. The city had sent my parents an order to clear a large sloped canyon that had 20-30 years of growth on top of growth. Brenda wanted to clear it herself with "a pair of loppers and a couple of Mexicans from Home Dept" Brenda got angry with me because I wouldn't give her the job and she therfore found incorrect negative infomation about the guy I suggested we hire. There was also a $1,000.00 fine that the city would impose if we don't have it completed by there mandatory date. I paid out-of-pocket $4,500.00 to complete the job on time and used several months of rent income to pay myself back. There was then propertu taxs that needed to be paid. Home owners insurace, tenant use water bills and city taxs for rent collected. As well as plants, bushes and tress that I, and the tenets installed to try and patially replace all the privacy the tenants had grown accustomed too. I have made many attempts to contact my sister however she refuses to talk to me. Fianlly after nine + months she seends me a "demand" email. I responded and also asked herif she could help me with a tremendous amount of weed overgrowth and of course...no responce. There is a small amount

Yeah, that sort of situation will never get better regardless of what agreement you sign. It is, unfortunately, very likely too late to salvage the relationship without a ton of work. Your best bet is to either jointly agree to sell it or have one buy the other out.

The quickest way for a parent to ruin the relationships of their kids is to will them something that can't be easily divided. :(

- John...

Wait -- wow! Do we actually have BOTH sisters on here now giving both sides? I didn't notice at first that the first post and the recent posts were from different people (Brenda and Laura).

If both are willing to talk, maybe we can help work things out a bit since we certainly understand that there is more to being a Landlord than just collecting checks (as some people looking in seem to think).

So -- can you just confirm that both Laura and Brenda are here and willing to discuss it?

- John...

I forwarded my post, and the responses to my sister. To clarify, I am sharing the fact's.

#1 I am a professional landscape design, and home improvement specialist with years of experience and references.

#2 After checking the licence # given by her landscape/goat herder, found it didnt exist, and then informed her. My suggestion to get three bids, was denied.I was told she din't care if I disagreed,or wanted to offer bid, and was hiring him, effectively killing communication. Only contact from her, was unrelated to our house, trivial, a diversion.

#4 We had plenty of time to complete weed abatement, no risk of any fine.City requirements/dates of no work during breeding season of endangered species on property, ignored.

#5 The tenants are required to maintain landscape, and have enjoyed below market rents last 5 yrs.

#6 If rents were deposited in bank as agreed to pay annual expenses, any surplus could have been available for the truely necessary improvements, not flower's,(3) $800 trees, during historic drought.

And, last but certainly not least, where's the accounting, and my money?

your problems are rooted in family issues and a landlord forum isn't going to be able to help all that is going on in your lives.

Agreed. I thought that if this was more just a matter of not understanding where the money was going (which non-LL people often do not get because, again, they think it is just collecting checks), then we might be able to help mediate this a bit. But, based on the responses, I don't see that happening.

You guys need to get some real help where you can discuss everything with a neutral third party. Maybe get a lawyer or accountant that is familiar with rentals too and sit down and work out some written agreement. Either that, or decide to just sell it and divide up any profits after handling any debts (again, probably with a CPA involved).

- John...