Rent stolen, apartment harassing me for money..what do i do?

Question

Rent stolen, apartment harassing me for money..what do I do?

My last month of rent was due May 1st. I handed the apartment agent a money order for my rent. She in turn put it in a deposit box linked to access outside without my knowledge. Over that weekend, the box was broken into and everything stolen. They then demanded, that the renters find another means of paying the rent. I contacted the money service with written request to refund my money order, they contacted me recently and will not refund the money order because it had been cashed (thanks robbers). I told the apartment this the day I moved out and returned my keys. They said they understood and there was no longer a problem and to not worry about it. NOW, though, I keep receiving messages (2) on my cell asking for may rent payment. What do I do? It's not my fault their office got broken into and my money stolen! And i thought this had been dealt with....Any suggestions and input would be helpful....

Answer 1

YOU paid the rent.  It was stolen from them, not you.  You did get a receipt since you were paying with a money order and not a personal check, right?

Answer 2

Your rental complex does NOT have a leg to stand on !!

The fact that you had given them a money order and it was stolen while in THEIR custody is THEIR Fault ; NOT Yours ....

I would go monday morning to an attorney if even legal aid and talk to them about this ....

Also; go to your local newspaper and talk to a reporter  .... Call a local TV station and see if they are interested ....

You might stir up more heat than the complex wants .....

The fact that the money order was CASHED is NOT your fault ..... whoever cashed it , did so without ID evidently ... so you also need to speak to the Local Prosecuting Attorney .

Answer 3

Hi,

I am sorry to hear of your recent financial loss. I sympathize with you. Personally, if I was your landlord and you paid me, I would not require you to pay again if my office was broken into.

I don't mean to sound offensive, but this is really quite simple. Do you have a receipt from the apartment manager for May's rent. If you do, then yes, you have an argument. If you didn't get a receipt from management, you'll be hard pressed to argue your case.

Always insist on receipt at the time of payment.

I hope this clears it up for you a little. Best of luck in the future.

Answer 4

That landlord's loss is insured. All they had to do was file a police report about the lockbox, then go file a claim with their agent.

If they do not file a claim, they can still deduct the loss on their taxes.

These are standard business methods for dealing with loss. They have nothing to do with you, other than the apartment manager fears losing his job and thinks he can squeeze his loss out of you. Stand up for your rights!

Your Money Order receipt and the acknowledgment by the landlord's agent that you handed that MO to her, means your rent has been paid in full for the month. Next time, though, be sure to make that apartment manager give you a written receipt!

And, call your local tenant rights organization for some guidance on stopping the harassment.

Answer 5

They messed up and they are scrambling to see if you will help them make it right.  You will do better in the future. For the rest of your life, you will get a receipt for any rent payment. Any piece of paper with Paid In Full signed by the person who takes it out of my hand.  If they refuse to sign, i must pay by check.  Must.

Go to www.judgejudy.com and ask to be on the show.  She will roast the apartment managers.   You also get $15,000.  More importantly, the owners of the apartment will freeze when they think about going on tv.  And maybe they will do the right thing and stop bothering you.

Answer 6

Once you gave the money order to THEIR agent, it is not your responsibility. THEY lost the money not you. If you go to court you will win on this argument.

Tell them that if they report you to the credit agency you will SUE them for a huge amount of damages as their report is FALSE. It is called "Libel" in legal terms.