LANDLORD

[KRISTALIN]

I WAS WONDERING ABOUT A LANDLORD SITUATION....IT WAS HARRASSMENT FROM DAY 2 OF MOVING IN. HE TRIED TO THREATEN ME EVERY MONTH WITH EVICTION LETTERS IF I WOULD NOT SIGN THEM. THEY STATED THINGS THAT WERE NOT TRUE AND I WAS HARD BALLED TO SIGNING, HE KNEW BEING A SINGLE MOTHER I COULD NOT AFFORD TO MOVE AND HAD TO SIGN TO STAY. IN THE MIDDLE OF THE LEASE HE TRIED TO RAISE MY RENT. WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT WAS ILLEGAL AND REFUSED THE HARRASSMENT STARTED EVEN MORE. HIS OTHER TENANTS WHICH WERE HIS DAUGHTERS, BROKE MY PATIO SET THAT WAS IN THE BACKYARD. THE HALLWAY CEILING LEADING INTO THE APARTMENTS WAS FALLING DOWN BEFORE I MOVED IN. MY LAST MONTHS RENT I PAID TO HIS DAUGHTER CASH AND SHE IS CLAIMING SHE NEVER GOT IT. I STUPIDLY NEVER GOT A RECEIPT. SO ITS MY WORD AGAINST HERS. THEN I WAS ABLE TO BORROW MONEY TO GET OUT OF THERE AND HE IS NOW SUEING ME. CLAIMING I DIDNT PAY MY LAST MONTHS RENT, I DAMAGED THE HALLWAY WHEN MOVING OUT AND THAT I CAUSED A LEAK IN A DOWNSTAIRS APARTMENT BY TURNING THE KNOBS ON THE HEATING VENT. I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THE STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE THAT IS THE LANDLORDS COST NOT THE TENANT. WHEN TURNING THE VALVE, THE HOUSE BEING OLD, A PIPE LEAKED DOWNSTAIRS, SO HE KEPT MY SECURITY. HOW DO I PROVE MY CASE ABOUT THE DAMAGES NOT CAUSED BY ME, OTHER THAN EYE WITNESS? ARE WITNESSES USED IN SMALL CLAIMS?
I ALSO COUNTER SUED FOR LOST MONIES AND PROPERTY DUE TO MOVING INTO THAT APARTMENT, INCLUDING MY SECURITY. I HAD LEFT BEHIND SOME ITEMS AND WHEN I WENT BACK TO GET THEM THE LOCKS HAD ALREADY BEEN CHANGED. I HAD MOVED OUT BEFORE THE MONTH WAS OVER, HE KEPT THAT REMAINING MONEY ALSO. DO YOU HAVE ANY ADVISE ON THIS. I LIVE IN NEW YORK ON LONG ISALND, SUFFOLK COUTNY.