landlord seeking payment of rent because they lost record.

[hlemay]

I live in Washington state. I was the co signer on a 12 month lease. I moved out, but remained on the lease for the last few months. Management changed, contacted my roommate saying the computer system crashed and records of rent payment were lost. They asked us to prove we had payed rent for the whole year. We did not keep our money order receipts to prove it. They are now seeking payment for the months they 'don't have record of'.
I feel like they are scamming us. If we hadn't payed rent any month we would have been evicted, per our lease. We were not evicted, which proves we payed rent, correct?
Are they allowed to do this our should I take legal action?

 

[BL]

I live in Washington state. I was the co signer on a 12 month lease. I moved out, but remained on the lease for the last few months. Management changed, contacted my roommate saying the computer system crashed and records of rent payment were lost. They asked us to prove we had payed rent for the whole year. We did not keep our money order receipts to prove it. They are now seeking payment for the months they 'don't have record of'.
I feel like they are scamming us. If we hadn't payed rent any month we would have been evicted, per our lease. We were not evicted, which proves we payed rent, correct?
Are they allowed to do this our should I take legal action?

Too bad they lost their records.

While you should keep all your receipts/documentation for up to 7 years on all kinds of payment,etc., they have nothing to compair theirs with yours.

Since you told them you " lost " some of yours ,remind them they " lost " ALL OF THEIRS.

Tough cookies,and no they can-not make you pay them months.

You have a vaid point about that if you did not pay ALL or ANY of those months ,action would have taken place by them a lot sooner.

Don't let them come up with made up documents to say they noticed you of non rent payment(s) , as they could fudge them.

Tell them you are more than willing to see what a Judge has to say about their " Lost " rent payment records.

They have nothing to compair with yours and just because you do not have all the receipts does not " prove " you did not pay.

Edit:

BTW ,tell management/owner to hire a well know good computer shop-specialist to try and recover their " lost " records.

If you end up in court ,that would be a good question and point to bring out , if they never attempted to restore those lost files/data.

 

[STEPHAN]

In future throw all receipts in a box for that year. Keep the box for 7 years. You never know what you have to sort out later.

(Do the same for ALL credit card receipts etc.)

 

[xylene]

Tell them to go to double hockey sticks.