Seeking Advice

Pay your rent and pay the $155 in loose change.

 

Don't you have some sort of city/municipality landlord-tenant department you can take this to?

Your landlord's behaviour is arbitrary and capricious.

They stole your grill and now they're trying to shake you down for $155.00?

Oh, and screw what the 25 page lease says. I'm sure a good lawyer could tear that apart in five minutes.

 

This is good advice. Don't try to give them the check in person. Send it to them registered mail-return receipt.

 

Pee on their radiator and on the carpet under the radiator... that will teach them....

 

Hey, thanks for all kinds of great advice.

This place already has a letter from the bank. My wife delivered it a week ago, and the manager told her it didn't make a bit of difference. I sort of expected them to cash the check.

And the only reason that I'm still there is that I'm waiting to buy a house. We had hoped to be ready after our 12-month lease ended, but we weren't. So, rather than moving, we signed a 7-month lease.

By the way, they hiked the rent by $150 this year. It was about a 15 percent increase after the first year. We moved in in July 2005, when the place was brand new. They hiked the rent in July. The rationale was that prices were climbing, but I can rent a brand new house with more square footage AND a two-car garage for less than I pay here.

Also, I've stayed in this place partly because I'm lazy and hate moving. If you haven't tried it in awhile, you're probably under-estimating just how terrible it can be.

 

Certified mail-return receipt will cost you about $8 plus postage.

 

This place will probably screw you on your security deposit anyway, so just move and they'll deduct the "fine" from the security deposit. And be sure to upper-deck the johns before you leave.

 

Man, don't you give these bastards a dime more than you owe them. And YOU DO NOT owe them $155. If the bank screwed up, the bank might owe them, but you don't.

Your first trip of the day needs to be to the bank, where you collect the $155. You'll need something from the assholes at the apartment complex showing the charges. And actually go to the bank. Don't call. Bank people have a tendency to be awful shady over the phone, but when you're there in front of them, shit like this tends to get handled in a hurry.

 

You complain that the landlords are 26-year old GED types and you try to lay some blame on them for being assholes. The way I read the situation is thusly:

1. You signed a 25-page legal document without apparently reading it. How stupid are you? Yeah the banks and landlords are out to get you [sarcasm off].

2. If the people running the complex are 25-year old GED types and yet they have a 25-page lease agreement - my guess is that the complex is owned by a corporation and the managers are just following the rules. If you don't pay the $155 in the manner set forth in the agreement THAT YOU SIGNED then they will just kick it up stairs and let legal deal with it. You were responsible for paying the rent on time - not the bank. The problem you had with the bank and them not cashing the check is your problem - not the landlords. That $155 will probably cost you much more in the long run and if things get worse then you will probably get an eviction notice. You say that people are moving in and out all the time - so what is one more empty apartment to the managers (especially when it means losing a problem tenant who thinks rules don't apply to him - rules like no personal property in the common areas)

Good god - what's next from you? What expiration dates on food mean? How to tip at a restaurant? Dear board - I need some advice because I bought a used car from some jerk who never told me that the oil has to be changed every few thousand miles - now the engine in the car that the jerk sold me seized up after only 25,000 miles - what should I do - this really is a problem because now I have to take the bus to work and the GED-type bus driver won't let me on unless I have exact change.

 

JR has the right idea. i don't know where you live but if it's in a big city, find out if there is a landlord-tenant or housing court. there probably isn't one if you live in a small town or even a mid-size city.

also, if it were me, i'd start messing with these people. find out who owns the company and contact someone at corporate, if there is a corporate office. don't deal with the morons in your complex office. it's unlikely the manager there is the ultimate decisionmaker.

lastly, if you have any friends who are lawyers ask them to write a threat letter. most people when they get threatened with the possibility of litigation - especially over $155 - will flee whimpering. lawyers are usually happy to help out, assuming it's a friend. when i graduate law school i'll be writing these threat letters any time a friend needs something straightened out (assuming the person is legitimately getting screwed...there's big trouble if you abuse the privilege).

 

Update: I called last night and left a message. I received a call today from the assistant manager of the place. He refused to accept anything other than the rent plus $155 delivered as a cashier's check. I told him that I refused to pay it, and he said that they'll add additional charges. Althought I made it clear that I wouldn't pay it, he continued to argue with me. Finally, I reiterated my point and hung up the phone.

 

Your local municipality likely has a board or court (depending on the size) to deal with landlord-tenant disputes.

They will allow you to pay your rent to an escrow account until the matter is resolved, thus robbing the landlord of any ability to say you were delinquent.

After that, you should be in the clear.

Then, move.