我需要请律师吗？suggestion needed

I have a single family house rented to a black woman and her family. She was rude to me when I visited the property. also she brougt lots of trouble to me. The following is the story.

She refused to pay rent two month ago and complained the electricity was not working well. My property manager has sent several people to fix the problem. but the tenant told us the problem is still not totally fixed. After she didn't pay the rent for two month. I asked my property manager to file the eviciton one month ago.

Now my property manager told me that after we filed the eviction, the tenant 反诉 to the court and complained the she didn't pay the rent due to the electricity problem and want us to pay $2000 back to her for her loss. My property manager told me we need to set a court day next. Also my property manager asked me to hire a lawyer to represent me in the court and I need to pay $1500 beforehead for the lawyer fee. I am not sure if I should hire a lawyer and my property manager think I should hire a lawyer to get more chance of winning . What should I do next? I have several options now.

1: Hire a lawyer, pay the $1500 lawyer fee or more lawyer fee in the future.
2, I am a remote landlord, need to fly to California and present in the court day myself.
3, could the property manager represent me in the court day? she told me she couldn't , only lawyer and myself could present in the court day.

Any ideas? Thanks.

所有跟帖： 

• Miat42, RE888, Jy101, etc., 有经验的房东们，帮我看一下出租屋的情况好吗? 回复：我需要请律师吗？su -ttt2008- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/05/2009 postreply 22:45:50

• Other Da Xia, please comment too. -RE8888- ♂ (778 bytes) () 12/05/2009 postreply 23:52:13

• RE8888 , Thanks. 回复：Other Da Xia, please comment too. -ttt2008- ♀ (389 bytes) () 12/07/2009 postreply 01:45:03

• 需要请律师 -va_landlord- ♂ (315 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 06:34:32

• what is the electrical problem? on what ground she counter sues -carroll- ♂ (81 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 07:32:17

• Va-landlord: Why can the property manager go to the court to sho -Hellofriends- ♀ (37 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 08:33:16

• It is the landlord who should sue the tenant, while -va_landlord- ♂ (96 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 09:40:14

• Probably tenant will sue you for neglect, not electricity proble -RE8888- ♂ (88 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 10:31:12

• 请个lawyer搞定.....小事一桩.. -MrsKwok- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 12:34:59

• Thank you all for the replies. 回复：请个lawyer搞定.....小事一桩.. -ttt2008- ♀ (819 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 18:42:07

• 但自己去家机票啥的不也得花钱?.专业的事还是专业人做为好. -MrsKwok- ♀ (57 bytes) () 12/06/2009 postreply 18:58:03

• Does contractor have the license? -RE8888- ♂ (420 bytes) () 12/07/2009 postreply 10:16:18

• these are bad people, evict immediately -sunskitehomes- ♂ (389 bytes) () 12/07/2009 postreply 17:38:40

• That's why I asked LZ -RE8888- ♂ (272 bytes) () 12/09/2009 postreply 09:41:21