J
JohnWelsh
Guest
I recently left an apartment in Bellevue, WA. I gave notice ten days before the end of the month.
The lease says "The Tenant further agrees to give the Lessor, or his agent, twenty (20) days advance written notice prior to the end of the month of his intention to vacate the above premises, in accordance with law."
However, another document, entitled "Apartment Condition Agreement", signed at the same time as the lease, by myself & the apartment manager, says "Tennant(sic) shall provide proper written notice of twenty (20) days, prior to the end of the rental period, (end of month)."
I understood this to give me terms better than the basic lease. That is, that I had to fufill two requirements: 1) 20 days notice, 2) give notice before the end of the month.
I expected that I would be responsible for twenty days rent after the notice was given, paid on a pro-rated basis, since I paid daily pro-rated rent when I moved in.
In discussions that I had with the apartment manger prior to moving out, they never mentioned that I needed to give my notice within the first ten days of the month for it to be valid, only that I need to give twenty days notice.
The landlord has turned this matter over to a collection agency & they say that the comma separating the two clauses in the Apartment Condition Agreement does not grant me more favorable terms & that I owe an additional 30 days rent for giving illegal notice. They are threatening to "...report unpaid, valid accounts to all three major credit bureaus."
Do I have a case? Thanks.
The lease says "The Tenant further agrees to give the Lessor, or his agent, twenty (20) days advance written notice prior to the end of the month of his intention to vacate the above premises, in accordance with law."
However, another document, entitled "Apartment Condition Agreement", signed at the same time as the lease, by myself & the apartment manager, says "Tennant(sic) shall provide proper written notice of twenty (20) days, prior to the end of the rental period, (end of month)."
I understood this to give me terms better than the basic lease. That is, that I had to fufill two requirements: 1) 20 days notice, 2) give notice before the end of the month.
I expected that I would be responsible for twenty days rent after the notice was given, paid on a pro-rated basis, since I paid daily pro-rated rent when I moved in.
In discussions that I had with the apartment manger prior to moving out, they never mentioned that I needed to give my notice within the first ten days of the month for it to be valid, only that I need to give twenty days notice.
The landlord has turned this matter over to a collection agency & they say that the comma separating the two clauses in the Apartment Condition Agreement does not grant me more favorable terms & that I owe an additional 30 days rent for giving illegal notice. They are threatening to "...report unpaid, valid accounts to all three major credit bureaus."
Do I have a case? Thanks.