What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? NJ
about 2 months ago, my downstairs neighbor left a note on my door saying there was some water forming on his bathroom ceiling, i probably have a leak. i didn't take it too seriously because in the past he has left me notes that there were mice scampering on my floor and he could hear them (there are no mice), and that i was walking too loudly. but i caulked around my bathroom, but didn't go down to talk to him. he never came up so i figured it was ok.
fast forward to a couple weeks ago. i get home from a night out and there is a note on my door saying that the leak is really bad, the ceiling is about to collapse, etc. it was 3 in the morning so i just went to bed. the next morning the management company called me saying i should go down to see the leak, etc. i told them i would go down, but i never said i would go down at that very moment. i had plans that day, so i left and didn't come back til late saturday. [later i learned the mgmt company told him i was coming right down, and he waited for me all day long...but he never came up to talk, which i know for a fact because i had a friend staying in my apt]. when i get back, there were 3 messages on my answering machine yelling at me for not taking care of the leak. so i went down to see if he was there. he wasn't, so i left a note for him to call me. the next day, i fixed the leak in my place and eventually went down to see his bathroom.
so anyway, he sent me an estimate for the damage. i offered to split it with him and he flipped out, saying it was completely my fault...that i was negligent for not fixing it in the first place and taking care of it as soon as i found out about the problem (the second note). i told him if he had notified me earlier that the leak was getting so bad we wouldnt be in this mess. now he is threatening to take me to court.
any advice would be appreciated. it's really not that much money ($300), but the guy is a real pain so i don't want to give in so easily.
about 2 months ago, my downstairs neighbor left a note on my door saying there was some water forming on his bathroom ceiling, i probably have a leak. i didn't take it too seriously because in the past he has left me notes that there were mice scampering on my floor and he could hear them (there are no mice), and that i was walking too loudly. but i caulked around my bathroom, but didn't go down to talk to him. he never came up so i figured it was ok.
fast forward to a couple weeks ago. i get home from a night out and there is a note on my door saying that the leak is really bad, the ceiling is about to collapse, etc. it was 3 in the morning so i just went to bed. the next morning the management company called me saying i should go down to see the leak, etc. i told them i would go down, but i never said i would go down at that very moment. i had plans that day, so i left and didn't come back til late saturday. [later i learned the mgmt company told him i was coming right down, and he waited for me all day long...but he never came up to talk, which i know for a fact because i had a friend staying in my apt]. when i get back, there were 3 messages on my answering machine yelling at me for not taking care of the leak. so i went down to see if he was there. he wasn't, so i left a note for him to call me. the next day, i fixed the leak in my place and eventually went down to see his bathroom.
so anyway, he sent me an estimate for the damage. i offered to split it with him and he flipped out, saying it was completely my fault...that i was negligent for not fixing it in the first place and taking care of it as soon as i found out about the problem (the second note). i told him if he had notified me earlier that the leak was getting so bad we wouldnt be in this mess. now he is threatening to take me to court.
any advice would be appreciated. it's really not that much money ($300), but the guy is a real pain so i don't want to give in so easily.