Security Deposit (Michigan)

[mimi]

What is the name of your state? Michigan

I moved out of my apartment last weekend without giving notice. On the lease it says you must give 30 days notice. I did not give notice because I needed to get out of the situation immedietly. For the six months I lived in the apartment, there were constant repairs needed (leaking pipes, chunks of the ceiling failing, appliances breaking, you name it) that the management ignored. Then members of the management staff started harrassing me and my guests. Then I realized that someone was entering my apartment with a key when I wasn't home. Then I learned that, in addition to there being several quieter break-ins and break-in attempts in my building, one man who had been able to get into the building broke down several doors and caused a lot of destruction to people's things. The management did not notify me of this and did not take any steps whatsoever to prevent such a thing from happening again. I am a single woman living alone, isn't it within my rights to be notified of that danger?

I moved out and I did not feel safe staying there, where I not only have to worry about strangers breaking in but also worry about the management doing who-knows-what in my apartment while I'm not home and harrassing me while I am home. I asked for my security deposit back, and I feel that, since they did not live up to their obligations as a management company, I deserve to have it back.

A sidenote to this is that I learned that the building is illegally zoned when I called the power company to transfer the electricity to my name. They said that they didn't have my apartment on record, so they would need the meter number. There was a meter in the basement for every other apartment except mine.

I put everything in writing and gave specific details and dates, and submitted it to the management office. The property manager first threatened to take me to court for this months rent. When I pointed out that on the lease it states that I am responsible for paying the rent until the apartment is re-rented, not exceeding one month's rent, and they've already got my security deposit, he proposed that we split the difference, and I get back half of my security deposit.

My question is this: Is that the best deal I can get, or should I pursue it further? I know that I can file a complaint through the State of Michigan website, are there any other venues I can go through in addition? And as far as the zoning issue goes, I suspect that that is a more serious offense than breaking a lease, is there anything you can tell me about that?

Thank you so much for reading all of this, and for your input.