Login|Contact Us
Question and Answer

Landlord-Tenant

Ask a Landlord-Tenant Question, Get an Answer ASAP!

  • Ask A Question
  • Browse Answers
  • Meet The Experts
  • How JustAnswer Works

i moved out of my old apartment january first, i have a lease

 

Customer Question

i moved out of my old apartment january first, i have a lease that says that i get a security deposit back if within 30 days of THAT notice a detailed list of repairs hasn't been sent or given to me, here it is end of febuary and i ask my land lord for it and he says he doesn't owe me the money, he WON'T pay it and that he's going to send me a bill for damages that I didn't even make! However i sent him a formal notice that I was going to vacate along with the copy of his lease that i signed. So I told him I would see him in court. His whole argument is that I have a roomate that didnt move out till Feb 1. however he never put my roomate on the lease. I have proof that he owes me... do I owe him ANYTHING? and what forms do i have to file in order to suit for the sec deposit?

 



Already Tried:
reasoning with him via text message and now he harrassing me and won't stop texting and calling me!!

Submitted: 433 days and 1 hours ago.
Category: Landlord-Tenant
Value: $48
Status: CLOSED

Accepted Answer

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.


sojlaw :

Hi, What did he mean by a roommate not on the lease? Did you move out and that unapproved person stayed? Did you have written permission to have a roommate?

Expert TypeManaging Attorney
Category: Landlord-Tenant
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 33
Answered: 2/24/2012

Experience: 19+ years of Landlord/Tenant legal work.

Ask this Expert a Question >
Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.

What Happens Now?

Your chat has ended, but you can still work with your Expert to get an answer to your question if you have not yet received one.

Come back to this page at any time to see additional information from your Expert.  You will also receive an email when your question is updated.  If you want to send a message to your Expert, use the box below.

If you have already received a satisfactory answer to your question, click the Accept button above.  Experts are credited for each accepted answer they provide.

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.

I have moved us to Q&A since it seems you may be having trouble with the chat box. I will be back shortly with a response, OK?

Customer replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.

when i first moved in i signed the lease with someone who didnt pay his half of rent, even tho legally my land lord was the one who would have to collect the other guys half i paid it untill i got a roomate. my landlord said he would add the other person to the lease but never did, he was ust happy to be getting full rent every month.

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.

Hi again,

i moved out of my old apartment january first, Did you notify your landlord in writing that you were moving out on X day?

 

i have a lease that says that i get a security deposit back if within 30 days of THAT notice a detailed list of repairs hasn't been sent or given to me, here it is end of febuary and i ask my land lord for it and he says he doesn't owe me the money, he WON'T pay it and that he's going to send me a bill for damages that I didn't even make! Are there damages? If so, if you didn't make them, do you know who did? Also, did you by chance keep any proof of the condition of your apartment on move out day?

 

However i sent him a formal notice that I was going to vacate Excellent, did you mail it certified mail, rrr.?

 

along with the copy of his lease that i signed. So I told him I would see him in court. Good!

 

His whole argument is that I have a roomate that didnt move out till Feb 1. however he never put my roomate on the lease. I understand, did you have permission for this person and/or did your lease mention any requirement of permission if you brought in a roommate?

 

I have proof that he owes me... do I owe him ANYTHING? and what forms do i have to file in order to suit for the sec deposit?The forms would be a complaint that is suitable for your local landlord - tenant court - you need to look up those particular local rules, and/or see your local LT court who like has a form packet for pro se litigants. There is no other "form" - it is called a Complaint and Summons, typically, that attorneys draft up, according to the local rules of whichever court they happen to be in - which can vary in LT court. But again, because the courts are typically familiar with pro se litigants, they often have form packets - you can even see if they have a court website where many POST their forms.

 

I look forward to your additional answers, if you want some additional information.

Customer replied 433 days and 1 hours ago.

i sent him txt AND email confirmation when i was leaving, (and honestly i left 10 days prior to that) i have nothing certified.

i might have some pictures of the condition, the only thing i know i damaged was a small hole in the ceiling that, well honestly is a 20 dollar plaster job, and hes saying that minus the security deposit i still owe him 800 dollars... he said this AFTER i asked him for my 725.

my lease says that the other person would have had to be added to the lease or they werent allowed however the land lord never enforced this.

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days ago.

The problem with not giving yourself an entrance AND exit walk-through video (for future reference with ANY apartment) is that it is a he said/she said....

Your addition of a roommate is troublesome - and of course his lack of enforcement may be helpful, but it may still be a problem.

One more question, what state is this in?

Customer replied 433 days ago.

ohio, darn it! i swore i covered my bases because that guys pretty sneaky and angry, he lived in the unit below ours and all he did was scream and hit his girlfriend and bug us. i was happy to leave and I just want my money.

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days ago.

I understand. I don't think all is lost here.

Hopefully you have PROOF of his receipt of your digitial notice of vacating - such as his return email? His reponse, saying, OK! And, hopefully you provided him your forwarding addres - because he can't send you an itemization without it, obviously. Nor can he send you the deposit. So I presume you gave him that.

If so, while you were in breach with the roommate, that really may NOT cause an issue because that does not negate his requirement to give you your deposit back in full within 30 days if he didn't provide an itemized statement of damages. His claims for damages may be valueless to him because he failed to indicate them in writing in a timely manner. And, his failure to pay you your dep, can mean he must pay you DOUBLE in addition to losing his right to deposit.

"Within 30 days after the landlord receives this notice and the tenant moves out, the landlord must send the tenant the security deposit balance, if the amount returned is less than the full deposit, the landlord must include a written itemized statement of any deductions for damages or past due rent.

If the landlord does not return the security deposit and statement within thirty days after the tenant moves out, the tenant can sue for the return of the deposit. If the tenant has given a forwarding address in writing to the land- lord, the tenant can recover TWICE the amount the landlord should have paid, plus the tenant's attorney fees. Suits for less than $3,000 can be brought in Small Claims Courts."

 

http://www.dayton-ombudsman.org/llt.htm

 

Given the fact that he may have MORE to lose than you, and HE clearly violated the deposit law, while you did not clearly do so, I think he'd be an idiot to not settle this - however, idiots and abusers about, so I'd not wait and rely on that - I'd head down to the courthouse (LT) and make the move. You COULD try just sending him the law on notice and the DOUBLE value of what you have every reason to believe you will get, and how he lost his opportunity to claim damages - and he may say, OK, here is your deposit, let's call it a day. Worth a shot. And if he does it, try to get the double deposit perhaps.

 

Good luck! I wish you justice here.

 


I hope this helps clarify for you.

Because I help people like you here, for a living---this is not a hobby for me---I sincerely XXXXXXXXXX XXXX abiding by the honor system with regard to Accepting answers, by Clicking your ACCEPT button now. Feel free to follow up after, if you need clarification. An ACCEPT also assures that I can assist you again. A BONUS is a wonderful way to tell the expert her time and effort are appreciated. I wish you the best in your future.

Customer replied 433 days ago.

thank you SO much!

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 433 days ago.

Very welcome! Have a great day!

Customer replied 424 days and 20 hours ago.

Hey I know you already answered questonas on this however I have an update on the situation and I got the free 30day thing you sent.
So i looked at everything you sent me and I sent him a 10 day notice with the Ohio ordinance on it and the fact that I would be entitled to double. He left me a threatening voicemail saying he was ging to take ME to court. my question is this.

1.He never sent me a written statement of what was going to be taken out of the security deposit via email OR to my new mailing adress. HOWEVER the night he started harassing me he send me a text with all types of stuff (ie. "garbage removal........ 250") would that text message be admissable in court? or would he have hd to send me like a written statement with recipts etc??

2. my roomate moved out on the 1st of febuary... its been 50 days for me and 30 days for him and i STILL have nothing but that text message, so regardless of if he got smart and sent me the statement now, wouldn't he, no matter what, be out of luck?

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 424 days and 18 hours ago.

Hi again,

Hey I know you already answered questonas on this however I have an update on the situation and I got the free 30day thing you sent.
So i looked at everything you sent me and I sent him a 10 day notice with the Ohio ordinance on it and the fact that I would be entitled to double. He left me a threatening voicemail saying he was ging to take ME to court. my question is this.

1.He never sent me a written statement of what was going to be taken out of the security deposit via email OR to my new mailing adress. HOWEVER the night he started harassing me he send me a text with all types of stuff (ie. "garbage removal........ 250") Is that the only alleged charge? garbage removal? And did you leave garbage? $250 worth? would that text message be admissable in court? or would he have hd to send me like a written statement with recipts etc?? Just a list. But if you sue him, he will have to provide receipts to prove the alleged expenses. Did he text you within 30 days of your lease end? I would ARGUE that text is insufficient notice, "not written" even though it is constructive notice.

"5321.16 Procedures for security deposits.

(A) Any security deposit in excess of fifty dollars or one month’s periodic rent, whichever is greater, shall bear interest on the excess at the rate of five per cent per annum if the tenant remains in possession of the premises for six months or more, and shall be computed and paid annually by the landlord to the tenant.

(B) Upon termination of the rental agreement any property or money held by the landlord as a security deposit may be applied to the payment of past due rent and to the payment of the amount of damages that the landlord has suffered by reason of the tenant’s noncompliance with section 5321.05 of the Revised Code or the rental agreement. Any deduction from the security deposit shall be itemized and identified by the landlord in a written notice delivered to the tenant together with the amount due, within thirty days after termination of the rental agreement and delivery of possession. The tenant shall provide the landlord in writing with a forwarding address or new address to which the written notice and amount due from the landlord may be sent. If the tenant fails to provide the landlord with the forwarding or new address as required, the tenant shall not be entitled to damages or attorneys fees under division (C) of this section. (You may, however, still prove that he OWES you your deposit back if he can't prove those damages.)

(C) If the landlord fails to comply with division (B) of this section, the tenant may recover the property and money due him, together with damages in an amount equal to the amount wrongfully withheld, and reasonable attorneys fees."



2. my roomate moved out on the 1st of febuary... its been 50 days for me and 30 days for him and i STILL have nothing but that text message, My concern is that if YOUR text with your new address counted as written notice, so may his text list of deductions - or, arguably, if your text does NOT count as written notice (and I'm finding no reference to this in the laws), then he COULDN'T send you the list by mail, nor could he have sent you a deposit back...but you can still sue for it now...

so regardless of if he got smart and sent me the statement now, wouldn't he, no matter what, be out of luck?
Only if he has your forwarding address, legally speaking. Can't send it it he doesn't know it.

Customer replied 424 days and 17 hours ago.

i didnt txt him a written notice i sent him an email. if he sent me an email or mailed me an itemised list would that then negate the fact that he sent me those txts? also as listen in item (a) i never recieved any yearly reembursment from him, am i entitled to sue for that as well?

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 424 days and 16 hours ago.

Yearly reimbursement for what????

Customer replied 424 days and 16 hours ago.

Doesn't section (a) state that every year after the first six months he has to give me the security deposit amount?

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 424 days and 16 hours ago.

No, it says if your sec. dep is greater than 1 months rent, it must be placed in an interest bearing account and he must pay you that interest annually.

Customer replied 424 days and 16 hours ago.

ha-ha okay, thi is just ugly thats all okay thatnks

Picture
Expert:  AlexiaEsq. replied 424 days ago.

I hear you. Good luck with all.

 
Tweet

7 Lawyers are Online Right Now

Ask Your Question Now
Ask A Lawyer
Type Your Landlord-Tenant Question Here...
characters left:

Top Landlord-Tenant Experts

See More Lawyers

In The News

Nbc
Washington Post
New York Times
Cnn
Learn More

How It Works

  • Ask an Expert
  • Get a Professional Answer
  • Ask Followup Questions
  • 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
Learn More
close
Find Expert answers related to your question.
Sign up using email
We will never post anything without your permission.
Already have an account? Sign in

Ask a Lawyer

Get a Professional Answer. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.
201 Lawyers are Online Now
Type Your Landlord-Tenant Question Here...
characters left:

DISCLAIMER: Answers from Experts on JustAnswer are not substitutes for the advice of an attorney. JustAnswer is a public forum and questions and responses are not private or confidential or protected by the attorney-client privilege. The Expert above is not your attorney, and the response above is not legal advice. You should not read this response to propose specific action or address specific circumstances, but only to give you a sense of general principles of law that might affect the situation you describe. Application of these general principles to particular circumstances must be done by a lawyer who has spoken with you in confidence, learned all relevant information, and explored various options. Before acting on these general principles, you should hire a lawyer licensed to practice law in the jurisdiction to which your question pertains.

The responses above are from individual Experts, not JustAnswer. The site and services are provided “as is”. To view the verified credential of an Expert, click on the “Verified” symbol in the Expert’s profile. This site is not for emergency questions which should be directed immediately by telephone or in-person to qualified professionals. Please carefully read the Terms of Service (last updated February 8, 2012).

Truste
Contact Us | Terms of Service | Privacy & Security | About Us | Our Network
© 2003-2013 JustAnswer LLC
  • Pearl.com
  • JustAnswer UK
  • JustAnswer Germany
  • JustAnswer Spanish
  • JustAnswer Japan