WWMD: Tenant being completley unreasonable...?

**BurnHard** · 08-16-2007, 09:49 PM

LANDLORD being completely unreasonable...?

Sooo, let's try to summarize... I put my parents into a nice (shared) house in Boulder while they visited me. The house was shared because the tenants lived there, too, but the house being over 5500sq.ft., it wasn't a big deal sharing.

Right from the first week on the tenants (two real fat middle-aged new-age medical chicks) started behaving really weird towards my parents, and towards me whenever I would visit and overnight (it was part of the deal, we rented two rooms, I could come and go at my pleasing). A week later they set up a bunch of 'house' rules, i.e. clean the dishes, empty the trash, etc., all common sense stuff which we were already following (my parents are old school for fucks sake, they are cleaner than clean), but which they would NEVER follow - dirty dishes in the sink for the entire day, trash full, loud at 3am, etc.

A few days ago, just before my parents left, two items broke in the bathroom, a drawer and the sink faucet. OBVIOUSLY tear and wear, that shit was WAY old, a wonder it didn't break earlier. My parents immediately told them - they didn't do anything, didn't say anything, nor did they fix the problems - water was flowing freely from the broken faucet for days.

I come back tonight after 2 days I'm gone, the lease ends tomorrow. They're gone, but they left an 'official' "Tentant Damage Report" timely with the end of my lease asking for $250 (!!!!!!!!!) for repair.

Anyway... I was due to leave anyway, so I packed all my shit up and ran the fuck away

We didn't pay deposit upfront, so there's no problems there. THey threaten in the damage report to charge my credit card DOUBLE tomorrow if I don't leave them cash - again, no problem, I've already notified my CC company and told them to block my CC until I release it again.

ANY IDEAS? What the fuck am I supposed to do ?? ... I mean, I try to explain my way out, there's no way they're going to get reasonable on me. They might be fucked up enough to take this to court - where do I stand there? What's the proof?

Squatch · 08-16-2007, 10:06 PM

This is really confusing.

**BurnHard** · 08-16-2007, 10:10 PM

Uhm? Let's summarize:

a. Landlords wrongly charge me at end of lease for damage that was not my fault.
b. Since no deposit was paid upfront because of short term lease, they aren't getting shit from me
c. WHAT CAN THEY DO? ... Where do I stand legally?

EDIT: Big Fucking OOPS

L7 · 08-16-2007, 10:14 PM

Are you using the word tenant when you should be saying landlords. If that is switched it starts to make sense.

Squatch · 08-16-2007, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by Bernardo

Uhm? Let's summarize:

a. Tenants wrongly charge me at end of lease for damage that was not my fault.
b. Since no deposit was paid upfront because of short term lease, they aren't getting shit from me
c. WHAT CAN THEY DO? ... Where do I stand legally?

What is the rental situation, to start with? Are you subleasing from these tenants? How long was the lease? What was the arrangement to do so?

**Hutch** · 08-16-2007, 10:17 PM

What is this? Dumbass legal WWMD night?
"Tear and wear?" Who says that?
$250 bucks?
Tell your mom not to pay and see what they do.
$250 bucks?

**Alek** · 08-16-2007, 10:28 PM

Originally Posted by Pope Benedict XVI

"Tear and wear?" Who says that?

He's not a native English speaker...

**Lexi-Bell** · 08-16-2007, 10:30 PM

Let's establish some basics. Tenant=renter. Landlord=owner.

I'm assuming since you said you "ran the fuck away" from the situation you are the tenant, wanting to avoid paying $250 in damages.

Their rules and "weird behavior" with regards to rules help your cause in no way whatsoever.

Does the landlord know your name? Your ssn, driver's license #, employer, etc? If so, this will come back to haunt you. Maybe not by getting taken to court for this particular situation, you may very well avoid paying the damages you feel you don't owe.

However, consider that your future creditors, lenders, landlords, and mortgage brokers could potentially know about this. Is $250 worth risking a poor credit score?

Go talk with your former landlord, explain you feel the damages weren't your responsibility. Perhaps you can come to some agreement. Blowing it off is the last option. Did you sign a condition report when you moved in? If so, that could be a problem.

Get pictures of the damage, and deal with it.

**Hutch** · 08-16-2007, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Alek

He's not a native English speaker...

OK, I take that back... I am pretty fired up tonight, and it has nothing to do with Bernardo. Sorry man.

**Danno** · 08-16-2007, 10:42 PM

did you sign a lease? what does it say? try to create a paper trail. Have they given you an itemized list of damages? If so, send a written response.

**irul&ublo** · 08-16-2007, 11:38 PM

Tell those two fat dykes that they do not have authorization to charge your credit card and if they try, you will report them to the cops. Then fill a baloon full of paint and heave it at their car, from a position they can't see you. Then, sign them up for visits from the mormons, 7th day adventists, jehovas witnesss, nation of islam, the moonies and the scientologists. After that...well, fuck I don't know, use your imagination.

Scotch is good.

**BurnHard** · 08-16-2007, 11:49 PM

lol. I was expecting this

no, i'm not a native english speaker, but don't worry I can take some jonging!

Yes, I meant LANDLORD of course, not tenant. BIG fucking oops, that obviously confuses the shit out of everybody.

A very short & simple lease was signed. No condition report was signed. They don't have my SSN although they do have my name & employer. I'm perfectly 'clean' in every aspect of my life and have perfection relations with all my past landlords, work, and anybody I deal with professionally.

What I meant by 'ran the fuck away' is, I emptied out my shit from the house. I was due to leave tomorrow morning anyway, but moving my shit out immediately gives me the upper hand since they can't make a claim on any of my belongings. I did not mean I would run away and not FACE the situation. I'm definitely going to talk to those fucktards first thing in the morning, just wanted advice on how to deal this. I have a very strong feeling they will not be reasonable to talk to...

**BurnHard** · 08-16-2007, 11:52 PM

Originally Posted by Squatch

What is the rental situation, to start with? Are you subleasing from these tenants? How long was the lease? What was the arrangement to do so?

Subleasing, 1 month lease. It was to be a shared-home situation with the landlords living in. They just bought this house and just started doing this kind of business where they sublease half their house, "all inclusive", meaning fully furnished, utilities paid, wifi/cable/tv, etc... We were their first tenants (HAH, I used the right word!)

**Blurred** · 08-17-2007, 12:04 AM

Bernardo, they'd have to find out where you or you parents live, and have you served papers for small claims court. Knowing you'll be out of state, I don't even think that is possible. Even if you end up going to court, they'll have to prove their case to get a judgment against you. In the slim chance all of that happens, you'd pay the $250 and be done with it all. Definitely not worth worrying about. Fuck those bitches.

Good hanging out with you last night, see you in December amigo. -Brett

**StoneCold** · 08-17-2007, 07:37 AM

Don't know the specifics of your particular lease, but it is my understanding, perhaps incorrectly, that in Colorado tenants are not responsible for normal wear and tear on a property.

**snow_slider** · 08-17-2007, 07:45 AM

I fully understand the situation and have given this issue a considerable amount of thought. The only reasonable course of action I see is for you to immediately go back to the house and burn it to the ground.

L7 · 08-17-2007, 09:38 AM

As mentioned above I can't imagine anywhere would allow you to be on the hook for normal wear and tear. In fact you should demand rent back for their failure to maintain and repair the problem to keep it in a livable state.

Don't understand the visa thing. Why do they have access to your card at all? Did you sign some sort of authorization? Up here you can't preauth an open amount so they shouldn't be able to put anything through even if they have your card number.

Should mention that up here there is a caveat on rental laws saying when the landlord lives under the same roof the rules don't apply to them as normal landlords. You could have something like that there but still shouldn't be on the hook for wear and tear or your visa.

**BurnHard** · 08-17-2007, 10:04 AM

Visa because I paid the rent for the one month lease with my Visa/Debit Card. No worries there though, I've warned my bank and they will notify the authorities if the landlords try to charge my card. There's no such thing in my lease contract - the lease contract was put together hastily by them as we were moving in, so they neglected a bunch of shit in it.

Those those fat dykes acted totally against what they preach. I will in fact do exactly as you suggest, L7, I will write a letter demanding rent reimbursement for the damage that was not repaired. Sweet

Brett has it right - nothing to worry about, it's all just a huge clusterfuck.
See ya in December dude! Can't wait to make some turns with you again!

**Danno** · 08-17-2007, 10:28 AM

Originally Posted by L7

Should mention that up here there is a caveat on rental laws saying when the landlord lives under the same roof the rules don't apply to them as normal landlords. You could have something like that there but still shouldn't be on the hook for wear and tear or your visa.

Neither Colorado nor Boulder have laws exempting live in landlords from the rental laws.

**komo** · 08-17-2007, 05:31 PM

this thread is hilarious dude.

good luck with these dumbshit landlords. sounds like it shouldn't be a problem. if they keep harassing you i'm sure some of the lawyers on here can help you come up some nice threatening language to throw in a letter...

**MOHSHSIHd** · 08-18-2007, 10:57 AM

$250 sucks, but isnt that big of a deal.

Student here in boulder get rolled for thousands and the landlords pocket all the cash and don't fix a damn thing.

**grskier** · 08-18-2007, 04:34 PM

Some of the student housing I've seen in Boulder was pretty dumpy and rundown... I can only imagine what some of those guys get for security deposits

Bernardo... I wouldn't worry about it too much.

**MOHSHSIHd** · 08-19-2007, 10:50 AM

The house I just moved out of had so many broken and fucked up shit, that was NEVER fixed. Either when we lived there or now that the new people have already moved in.

For 6 bedrooms our deposit was 1200 per person, and Im guessing ill see 600 of that back at most. fucking bastards.

Squatch · 08-19-2007, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by MOHSHSIHd

The house I just moved out of had so many broken and fucked up shit, that was NEVER fixed. Either when we lived there or now that the new people have already moved in.

For 6 bedrooms our deposit was 1200 per person, and Im guessing ill see 600 of that back at most. fucking bastards.

Boulder is bad, yes, but you've been here a while...long enough to figure it out. C'mon dude. Or stop bitching.

**MOHSHSIHd** · 08-20-2007, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by Squatch

Boulder is bad, yes, but you've been here a while...long enough to figure it out. C'mon dude. Or stop bitching.

I mean I knew we were gonna get rolled from the start. I wanted to just pack my shit and leave, but my stupid roomates don't want to face the facts that we are always gonna get rolled when renting a party house on the hill from a big brokerage co. So, they still decided to spend days cleaning the house even though we got 0$ back from our last house.

The place im in now is such a deal, that im not even worried about the deposit.