Eviction HELP

[jenduf]

My roommate used to live in another apt within the same complex. A few months after we had all moved in to the new one they told her she owed them money for damages at the other place, even though she had put down 300 for a deposit and 300 for a pet deposit there. They asked for another nine hundred in damages and also kept the other deposits. She began paying them in installments although she had never received an itemized bill which she had asked for several times. This month comes around and we all pay our rent as usual and the next day receive an eviction notice. When we went to the office to investigate, they told us they had taken the money she put down for rent and applied it to the other apartment's charges she still owed since this month was the "deadline" for her to pay that. So now she owed them additional money for this month's rent plus late charges and they would see her in court Monday morning. HELP! What should we do?

 

[Tracey]

Defend the eviction & request costs & attorney fees from L. You & she paid the rent. It's not your fault that the landlord applied the money received to HER debt from the previous apt., rather than to YOUR rent as they were legally required to do. Getting money from her old apt is a separate issue from collecting rent for the current apt. If they want to pursue collecting the old debt, they have to sue her, have a judge determine the amount of damages, then collect the judgment.

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This is not legal advice and you are not my client. Double check everything with your own attorney and your state's laws.