Isn't this a crime? Our old landlord added verbiage concerning the condition of the house upon move-in later.

Question

Isn't this a crime? Our old landlord later added verbiage concerning the condition of the house upon move-in. For example, he wrote "new" next to items (like the carpet and appliances) that were not new and added that he gave us keys to the community facilities... How is that legal? These areas were blank when we signed on it and upon move-in SOMEHOW they are no longer blank. He is a stupid jerk --- we have a copy of our walk thru from when we moved in so we know exactly what he did. He even put "new" for carpets he had to have cleaned right after we moved in due to existing stains! And, he put "new" for a water heater that he had to replace while we lived there that was rusted and leaking... People like him give landlords a bad name... He then said that we damaged the carpets, etc and took our entire deposit! He did not even give us receipts or any paperwork...

Answer 1

Your walk through "check in condition" form is a legal document that would hold up on court.  You would have received the carbon copy.  If he has made changes after the fact and this has affected the amount of refund  you are entitled to I would report him to the appropriate authorities for falsifying a legal document.  Your police department will either deal with him or direct you to proper authority.

Answer 2

Ofcourse not if you still have a copy show it to an attorney, and if you have pictures of the carpet or witnesses (pictures are always best).

I'm sorry you had a problem with your landlord but as a former landlord - I could tell you horror stories too.

Some people are just jerks, and /or just don't care.  

If you still have the keys don't give them back until you get a receipt.

LOL

Answer 3

Always documentatie events by saving answering machine messages, taking pictures, and saving recites

Answer 4

Rule #1

Never sign a contract with ANY blanks.  It is legally acceptable to draw a line through them.

Rule #2

Never sign a contract unless you walk out IMMEDIATELY with a copy of the contract.  None of this, "We'll give you a copy later" or "Our copier is broken."

It is legally acceptable to sign TWO originals, as long as they are signed at the same time and both bear original signatures.

I think b/c you have the documents from the walk-through and they were not marked "new" then, you have grounds to sue.

Sue for what he wants to charge you.

He is required by law to provide a list of damages and charges, but he isn't required to show proof he fixed the items.

Answer 5

Well, it's not a crime.  It probably is a violation of the Housing Code, though.

If you're really angry, you should sue the jerk.  He'd probably rather pay you back the security deposit he owes you than go through the hassle of litigation.  And it'd teach him a good lesson not to s***w people over in the future.  Depending on what state you are in, your local court system might have a "Pro Se Center" or "Self-Help Center" which could guide you through a Housing Court action to help you get your deposit back.

Answer 6

If you took pictures before you moved in of the quality of the place, then when you moved out, you could take him to court and sue for your money back...

Answer 7

See what I wrote about secutity deposits here:

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

If you can prove that he altered the agreement, you would have an excellent chance of recovering much of your deposit if you take him to small claims court.

Edit to Add:  Doubtfull that it is a crime, and certainly not one that would ever be prosecuted. But - if he testifies under oath in court that the document was legitimate, and the Court finds that he altered it, he will have committed perjury, but it is also doubtfull that you could ever get a prosecutor to file a charge against him, but you could try.

Answer 8

I would get the revised contract from your landlord and get the original and revised copy of the contract and consult a lawyer and take him to court to get back your deposit money and any other money he may have stolen.oh yeah take some other evidence like pictures  when you moved in and when you moved out.

Good Luck I hope you are treated fair one way or another