Thread: Any property managers here?

My family owns a retail property that is part of a larger shopping center to which we are responsible for managing the common area. This particular property has been closed due to COVID for the past month (the other retailers are open).

A month ago I was on was on site getting an abandoned vehicle towed and whilst I was there, I noticed a man sitting in his car. I didn't think much of it at the time but made a mental note as the parking lot for our retail tenant is virtually empty.

Fast forward to yesterday and my landscaper gives me a call telling me there is a man sitting in his car harassing his workers. I drove to the property this morning and it's the same car as I saw before.

I approached him and he was very hostile and refused to tell me why he was there. I told him that this is private property and that the establishment is currently closed. He said he used to be a lawyer and that he knew his rights and that legally he was allowed to park his car here and sit. I told him he has no right to harass the landscaping crew. After about 10 mins, he told me he was monitoring the shopping center as well as the surrounding area and that there are individuals and entities that knew he was there. He had a computer and a hand held radio. It was not a government car or plate.

I called the police when I got back to my office and they sent a patrol car but the man wasn't there. Stupidly, I didn't get his plate number before I left More stupidly I gave him my company name when he asked and I also parked in the parking lot so he probably saw my license plate. I am now concerned this guy has enough information on me to at least know where I live and work. It's a crazy world out there, you never know what people might do.

There are sweepers there every day and my landscapers are there at least 3 times a week so I put them on alert. This man did not look like he was living out of this vehicle. He was more or less put together, the car was clean, and from where I can see, empty. I've been managing properties for many years yet never experienced something like this.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I'm in the same business but of course in another country.
Is the car park covered by CCTV ? these areas usually are. If so you may be able to obtain the car reg number from there.

We go a little further we have number plate recognition cameras on all car park entrances and exits.

Originally Posted by easyace

I'm in the same business but of course in another country.
Is the car park covered by CCTV ? these areas usually are. If so you may be able to obtain the car reg number from there.

We go a little further we have number plate recognition cameras on all car park entrances and exits.

I'd have to check with the property developer if cameras are installed in that area of the parking lot. It's a bit of a distance from any of the buildings so I'm not sure if there are cameras. We do have no trespassing signs up throughout the parking lot and at the entrances.

The sweeping company is there every day and the landscapers are there a few times a week. I told them to get the plate number and notify me if the car shows up again but I still can't believe I didn't get it myself, unacceptable mistake on my part.

It's gonna depend on whether you own the parking lot area and what the lease agreements you have with the shopping center manager. it boils down to who controls the area.

If it's you he has no right to sit there. it isn't a public area. Of course having him removed is another issue. It could get messy.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

It's gonna depend on whether you own the parking lot area and what the lease agreements you have with the shopping center manager. it boils down to who controls the area.

If it's you he has no right to sit there. it isn't a public area. Of course having him removed is another issue. It could get messy.

We (my family) own the building and the parking lot area he was in and I am the shopping center manager. There are "No Trespassing" signs within the parking lot, throughout the shopping center, and at all the entrances/exits. I've dealt with abandoned vehicles in the past but never something like this.

Sounds like the problem was resolved, he’s gone. He may have had something to do with the abandoned car, and as long as no-one challenged him, he was free to camp there. The radio and laptop were props, why would one need a laptop for surveillance?

Once you confronted him, he had to move. If he was legitimately there, he would have identified himself, and if in a surveillance operation, he would never draw attention to himself. The key to surveillance is to go unseen, if you suspect you have been made, you move. The last thing you need is to engage in confrontation, where someone calls the police and a marked police car shows up alerting the entire neighborhood to your presents and activity.

Either way, problem solved. Do be careful, folks that camp out are usually a bit unstable, paranoid and armed. It’s what you pay the police for, call them and let them deal with it quickly and safely.

I suspect he might return, or perhaps he's gone to another area of the shopping center. He'd be harder to spot as the other parking lots have other cars.

I don't think he had anything to do with the abandoned car from a month ago as that was in a parking lot behind one of the buildings, almost separate.

What you're saying about surveillance makes sense. At this point numerous individuals know he is there.

I will most certainly be careful next time, I didn't handle this accordingly. He is unstable given his harassment of the landscapers. If this guy is crazy enough to sit in a parking lot for a month with radio and laptop props, he's crazy enough to track me down I suppose.

Update: The individual returned later this morning. Unfortunately I was made aware of it a few hours ago so I couldn't take any action. But I now have an accurate make/model and license plate. Will call the police tomorrow morning, I'm assuming he will return once again.

Yeah I have to disagree with most of that. People that are unstable are not predicably predicable. If it's someone who's deranged they're not necessarily going to follow what is logical or predictable. If it's surveillance it depends on who or what he's surveiling and who he is. Some of those people that do those jobs have control and dominance issues. Soldier of Fortune readers who have dreams of being a a bad ass. Don't count on them to make sense either. Fortunately for us Florida has a castle law and laws that permit concealed carry. People usually know better than to show up at someone's house here and if they don't you at least have much more of a presumption of innocence for the innocent if you have to defend your home.
I would certainly still not confront someone like that directly though. At least not here. An armed populace is a very polite populace. That not withstanding always remember that desperados have no compulsion to follow reason.
I would fully expect him to come back and I would proceed very cautiously and try to give yourself that 5° of separation. I will definitely agree that it's best to let the cops handle that. stay removed from dealing with him personally as much as you possibly can but be ready that he may show back up.

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Very simply, this guy is probably a nut job. Let the police handle this.