• FreeAdvice has a new Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, effective May 25, 2018.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our Terms of Service and use of cookies.

Getting deposit back after LL illegally entered home

Accident - Bankruptcy - Criminal Law / DUI - Business - Consumer - Employment - Family - Immigration - Real Estate - Tax - Traffic - Wills   Please click a topic or scroll down for more.

blimeyzawn

Junior Member
What is the name of your state? GA

I've been fighting my apparently crazy landlord for the past week. I've lived in a house that is owned by a property management company for a year and a month and my lease expired a few days ago. I've moved out now and followed the proper procedure for moving out- giving sixty days' notice, getting all my stuff out, etc. I'm now fighting with my landlord over my deposit after a very bizarre incident.

Last Friday, two days prior to the end of my lease, I came home from work to discover my landlord and his wife changing the locks on my house and taking all of my furniture. They said that the damage to the house far exceeded the deposit and so they were confiscating my furniture to cover the damages. Of course, my lease wasn't even up and so they shouldn't have been in the house and they're not allowed to just take my stuff if the lease isn't over anyway. So I called the police, who after a long and drawn out day of fighting with my LL finally got him to bring my stuff back. He became incredibly hostile, threatening me, and telling me in front of the police that he was allowed to take my stuff. It was an incredibly ugly incident and I'm still debating whether or not I should fill out the warrant to have him arrested. I'm waiting to see what he does about my deposit/move out inspection before I decide.

I've remained calm throughout this whole process and have now tried to get in touch with my LL several times about when they are doing the move out inspection, with no response. I'm expecting they will not contact me and will do the move out inspection without me there and then charge me for all kinds of things- the house is not damaged or destroyed, but there was some work on it that needed to be done when I first moved in. They didn't do a move in inspection, so I'm concerned that they might try to stick me for damages that aren't mine.

What is my recourse if they don't return my deposit or allow me to be present for the move out inspection? And what's a reasonable time to wait for all of this? Thanks for any help and advice any of you have!
 


BL

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? GA

I've been fighting my apparently crazy landlord for the past week. I've lived in a house that is owned by a property management company for a year and a month and my lease expired a few days ago. I've moved out now and followed the proper procedure for moving out- giving sixty days' notice, getting all my stuff out, etc. I'm now fighting with my landlord over my deposit after a very bizarre incident.

Last Friday, two days prior to the end of my lease, I came home from work to discover my landlord and his wife changing the locks on my house and taking all of my furniture. They said that the damage to the house far exceeded the deposit and so they were confiscating my furniture to cover the damages. Of course, my lease wasn't even up and so they shouldn't have been in the house and they're not allowed to just take my stuff if the lease isn't over anyway. So I called the police, who after a long and drawn out day of fighting with my LL finally got him to bring my stuff back. He became incredibly hostile, threatening me, and telling me in front of the police that he was allowed to take my stuff. It was an incredibly ugly incident and I'm still debating whether or not I should fill out the warrant to have him arrested. I'm waiting to see what he does about my deposit/move out inspection before I decide.

I've remained calm throughout this whole process and have now tried to get in touch with my LL several times about when they are doing the move out inspection, with no response. I'm expecting they will not contact me and will do the move out inspection without me there and then charge me for all kinds of things- the house is not damaged or destroyed, but there was some work on it that needed to be done when I first moved in. They didn't do a move in inspection, so I'm concerned that they might try to stick me for damages that aren't mine.

What is my recourse if they don't return my deposit or allow me to be present for the move out inspection? And what's a reasonable time to wait for all of this? Thanks for any help and advice any of you have!

Look here , there may be something usefull .

http://www.rentlist.net/LTsecdep.htm
 

ecmst12

Senior Member
Take lots and lots of pictures. Send him a letter with your forwarding address via certified mail. Wait the required time after moveout and when you do not receive your deposit or an accounting of what it was used for, file suit. Or if you get an accounting that you don't agree with, file suit.
 

Find the Right Lawyer for Your Legal Issue!

Fast, Free, and Confidential
data-ad-format="auto">
Top