Q: Who responsible for crime scene clean when estranged husband kills himself in his rented home? Landlord or wife?
He also committed a crime: he murdered the nine-year-old daughter. The husband and wife were in the middle of divorce proceedings and a judge had ruled they could not share a residence. The landlord’s property management company hired a cleaning company, had the house cleaned, and rented it to a new tenant, all without the wife’s knowledge. They then sent her a bill for over $34,000. Both renter’s and property owner’s insurance are claiming they are not responsible because it was a cleanup of “pollution” by the tenant.
A: Retain an attorney who practices in the area of landlord/tenant disputes and/or consumer law. This is not a frequent occurrence, so the issue does not arise often. She can also contact the local crime victims association to help with costs.
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