Unwanted Lease Renewal - Maryland

[bbs8896]

I'm currently residing in an apartment managed by Hendersen-Webb in Timonium, Maryland (baltimore county). I signed up for a one year least last september. In my original lease there was a section stating that in 90 days of the end of my lease, a letter will be mailed to me requesting that i verify whether or not i wish to renew my lease. If the tenant (me) hasn't responded to this letter within 30 days, their lease will automatically be renewed for another year. I DID initial this on the original lease. However, I never recieved that letter. I have been told that documents of this nature MUST be certified mail, and must either be recieved with a witness present or a signature is required. So now it's september of 2004 (one year later) and i have already found another place to live out of state which is closer to my job, and my current leasing office is telling me that im bound to a 1 year lease with them simply because i never responded to a letter that was SUPPOSEDLY mailed to me three months ago. Im 20 years old, i moved in when i was 19 and this entire experience is new to me so im chalking it up as a learning experience. However, my ignorance to this issue leaves me in a bind because i find it absolutely senseless to be forced to buy out of a lease i never intended to renew in the first place, and i'm not sure what i can do about it. The options they have given me are:
A) Find someone else to rent the apartment "as is", and continue the lease for one year
B) Pay my current month's rent, plus two more months, to break the lease.
C) Turn in my keys and hope they get rid of the apartment ASAP because i will be financially responsible for the apartment untill it has been rented to another tenant.

I'm not comfortable with ANY of these choices and i feel that something just isn't right about the whole "if you don't respond to this letter, you're automatically signed up for another year" deal. Any help would be greatly appreciated and i aplogize if i sound ignorant due to a lack of knowledge on the subject.

Thanks.

 

[You Are Guilty]

And when you asked for proof of mailing of the renewal letter (i.e. RRR receipt), what did they tell you?

 

[JETX]

I have been told that documents of this nature MUST be certified mail, and must either be recieved with a witness present or a signature is required.

And exactly WHO told you that and under what basis did they make that statement??? Simply, it is not true.... unless your lease stipulates it as required.

my current leasing office is telling me that im bound to a 1 year lease with them simply because i never responded to a letter that was SUPPOSEDLY mailed to me three months ago.

Okay, and what happened when you went to the office asking for the letter when you hadn't received it by the 89th day from the end of your lease???
After all, you admit to having known this was a requirement..... so what EXACTLY did you do when you didn't get the notice???

I'm not comfortable with ANY of these choices and i feel that something just isn't right about the whole "if you don't respond to this letter, you're automatically signed up for another year" deal.

And do you feel 'better' when it is pointed out that you had an obligation to ask "Hey, where is my letter??" when you didn't get it within 90 days of termination???

i find it absolutely senseless to be forced to buy out of a lease i never intended to renew in the first place, and i'm not sure what i can do about it. The options they have given me are:
A) Find someone else to rent the apartment "as is", and continue the lease for one year
B) Pay my current month's rent, plus two more months, to break the lease.
C) Turn in my keys and hope they get rid of the apartment ASAP because i will be financially responsible for the apartment untill it has been rented to another tenant.

What are the apartments like?? Is there a steady backlog of tenants wanting to move in??? If so, take option 'C'.... as your obligation to the landlord ends the minute that a new tenant moves in. And not just to YOUR specific apartment, but to ANY apartment with the same amenities as yours (rooms, baths, etc.).