ws6whiteshark
Member
What is the name of your state? MD
background
Basically, tenants breached the lease 6-months early, caused damage to the house/property, and didn't clean prior to leaving. Also, tenants did not provide in writing their intention to move, the move date or their new address (they bought a house). We tried to walk the tenants through the process to help them, but there was lack of communications on their part. We sent them several certified letters (to the old address) demanding payment with no reply. I checked the city and county land records and found their new address and proceeded to send letters there. Tenants had the electrical service shut off to the house without our knowledge and prior to the end of their lease. Kinda hard for us to show the house with no electricity or heat. Pretty much, they abandoned the property without letting us know they were leaving. We called on their cell numbers with no reply.
Filed suit in district court. Tenant's attorney responded. Sent interogatories, however, the defendants failed to answer interogatories by the due date and we motioned for sanctions.
Today
Today at court (Fist day), we requested a postponement so defendants can answer the interogatories properly. We were going through with the motion for sanctions, however, at the last minute the attorney for the defendants provided extremely vague replies to our interogatories. The replies are definately in our favor. Settlement negotiations took place after court and were some what productive. Tenant's attorney had a problem with us not notifying the tenants of the inspection date so they could be there. He kept quoting the law and we had to respond back to him that the law only affords the tenant the right to be present when the tenant notifies the LL/owners by certified mail of their intention to move, the move date and their new address... we never received this. Also, the tenant basically abandoned the property without letting us know they moved. Therefore, the right to notification of when the inspection took place is inapplicable to the tenant.
I just don't get how tenants can sit across the table and argue the fact, when they were the ones who violated the terms of the contract in many ways, damaged property and feel they shouldn't be held accountable for damages incurred by the LL/owners.
Oh well... we'll see how it goes.
background
Basically, tenants breached the lease 6-months early, caused damage to the house/property, and didn't clean prior to leaving. Also, tenants did not provide in writing their intention to move, the move date or their new address (they bought a house). We tried to walk the tenants through the process to help them, but there was lack of communications on their part. We sent them several certified letters (to the old address) demanding payment with no reply. I checked the city and county land records and found their new address and proceeded to send letters there. Tenants had the electrical service shut off to the house without our knowledge and prior to the end of their lease. Kinda hard for us to show the house with no electricity or heat. Pretty much, they abandoned the property without letting us know they were leaving. We called on their cell numbers with no reply.
Filed suit in district court. Tenant's attorney responded. Sent interogatories, however, the defendants failed to answer interogatories by the due date and we motioned for sanctions.
Today
Today at court (Fist day), we requested a postponement so defendants can answer the interogatories properly. We were going through with the motion for sanctions, however, at the last minute the attorney for the defendants provided extremely vague replies to our interogatories. The replies are definately in our favor. Settlement negotiations took place after court and were some what productive. Tenant's attorney had a problem with us not notifying the tenants of the inspection date so they could be there. He kept quoting the law and we had to respond back to him that the law only affords the tenant the right to be present when the tenant notifies the LL/owners by certified mail of their intention to move, the move date and their new address... we never received this. Also, the tenant basically abandoned the property without letting us know they moved. Therefore, the right to notification of when the inspection took place is inapplicable to the tenant.
I just don't get how tenants can sit across the table and argue the fact, when they were the ones who violated the terms of the contract in many ways, damaged property and feel they shouldn't be held accountable for damages incurred by the LL/owners.
Oh well... we'll see how it goes.
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