What is the name of your state? Massachusetts
But the state where the apt. is located is NJ. I moved out of an apartment Aug.30. I broke the lease but placed an ad and found a person to take the apartment. Two months after I had moved out I still had not received my security deposit back. I called and left a message asking where it was and got no response. I had written my forwarding address to the landlord in two separate letters and left it in the phone message. I filed a claim in small claims court to get it back. NJ law says that if the landlord doesn’t return it in 30 days I’m entitled to double the amount of the deposit, so I sued for double the amount. Now I hear from the landlord’s lawyer that they are saying they sent it. I don’t believe it but he was trying to make me settle for the original deposit amount. I read a lot about this and as far as I can tell, I'm entitled to double the deposit plus interest, and if they made any deductions they have to itemize those, and one deduction they're claiming I know is not right (heard this from their lawyer), that's a $275 fee for finding someone to take the apartment but they can't charge that because I placed an ad and found the person who lives there now. What are my options? What can I do if they say they sent it? The reason I doubt it is that this landlord was shady and I have mountains of evidence about other shady behavior on their part. They're just trying to get out of paying the double. I told that lawyer I would speak to legal counsel and get back to him, because I wasn’t ready to settle for the original deposit amount. He said I needed to give him the name of my lawyer. I told him I’d have someone call him. Do I need a lawyer for small claims? What can I do?
But the state where the apt. is located is NJ. I moved out of an apartment Aug.30. I broke the lease but placed an ad and found a person to take the apartment. Two months after I had moved out I still had not received my security deposit back. I called and left a message asking where it was and got no response. I had written my forwarding address to the landlord in two separate letters and left it in the phone message. I filed a claim in small claims court to get it back. NJ law says that if the landlord doesn’t return it in 30 days I’m entitled to double the amount of the deposit, so I sued for double the amount. Now I hear from the landlord’s lawyer that they are saying they sent it. I don’t believe it but he was trying to make me settle for the original deposit amount. I read a lot about this and as far as I can tell, I'm entitled to double the deposit plus interest, and if they made any deductions they have to itemize those, and one deduction they're claiming I know is not right (heard this from their lawyer), that's a $275 fee for finding someone to take the apartment but they can't charge that because I placed an ad and found the person who lives there now. What are my options? What can I do if they say they sent it? The reason I doubt it is that this landlord was shady and I have mountains of evidence about other shady behavior on their part. They're just trying to get out of paying the double. I told that lawyer I would speak to legal counsel and get back to him, because I wasn’t ready to settle for the original deposit amount. He said I needed to give him the name of my lawyer. I told him I’d have someone call him. Do I need a lawyer for small claims? What can I do?