tenant/landlord

[Jeanne310]

My son and another guy, both age 18, decided to rent an apartment together. Both are on the lease agreement.
My son decided to get out of his lease because of the problems that they were having with each other. Son said he put a letter/key in rent drop box for the landlord explaining that he is leaving. Two months later landlord says apartment has been vacant for one week. Apartment has been left unclean. Boys were charged with cleaning bill of bathroom - $50. Cleaning/Shampooing of carpets another charge. This is the part that bothers me: There was a charge of $600 for replacement of a refrigerator. Said refrigerator had to be replaced. Cause unknown.
This refrigerator was a yellow/gold. Now knowing the color we can tell it is of a make/model from years ago. If they did have to replace a refrigerator, which we cannot figure out what was wrong with it. Is it not a depreciation value of the refrigerator?
Both boys are on lease. Shouldn't the $900 bill be slit between the two of them?
The apartment place has sent this to a collection agency, they have 30 days to pay before it is sent to court.

 

[HomeGuru]

Remember these boys are just irresponsible kids. I am of the opinion that they did not clean the fridge and left all the food and crap in both the refrigerator and the freezer. They did not defrost the freezer and due to the age, had no defroster thus there was ice build-up such that the door could not even be opened. All the food in the refrigerator spoiled and there was mold and mildew growing. Do you think for a minute that I as the Landlord will clean this old appliance. Heck no, I'll buy another one and charge those 2 little brats for the cost.

You don't like it Mom? Well have your son and the other tenant sue me. I already kow I will win because I will prove that there was a lease and these 2 jerks skipped out on me and left the place in a mess. I don't care who is going to pay and it is not my job to split the bill and go after each tenant separately. If you read the lease, the tenants are on the hook jointly and severally. These boys should face there responsibilities like men, unless yours is still hiding behind your apron.

[Edited by HomeGuru on 12-10-2000 at 06:53 PM]

 

[LL]

Give it to her, HG!

 

[Jeanne310]

I've read some of your replys to peoples questions. You can be a real rude. We go for help on legal information not to get critisized or make wise remarks.
I read when 2 names are on the lease. Each are responsible for their half of rent or any other costs. If one is listed as a "subtenant", then the one listed as "tenant" is responsible for any problems occurred during the time of the lease. So go ahead and take the boys/boy to court, legally they are responsible for their half.
No my son is not hiding behind "my skirts" as you so put it. He is deep in do-do! He will be the one coming up with his part in this. But then again... it's guys like you who would also take advantage of irresponsible kids like these.
I'd like to see the receipt of the new refrigerator.
Pictures of the so called "mess" the frige was left in. (I believe 100% that they didn't clean it) But not bad enough to have to replace it. Who's to say you just didn't want to get a new frige out of the deal. Now's your chance to succer two young irresponsible boys into buying a new frige that needed to be replace before you rented the apartment to them. Where is the old frige?, in another apartment?
Two can play the devil advocate here!

Remember these boys are just irresponsible kids. I am of the opinion that they did not clean the fridge and left all the food and crap in both the refrigerator and the freezer. They did not defrost the freezer and due to the age, had no defroster thus there was ice build-up such that the door could not even be opened. All the food in the refrigerator spoiled and there was mold and mildew growing. Do you think for a minute that I as the Landlord will clean this old appliance. Heck no, I'll buy another one and charge those 2 little brats for the cost.

You don't like it Mom? Well have your son and the other tenant sue me. I already kow I will win because I will prove that there was a lease and these 2 jerks skipped out on me and left the place in a mess. I don't care who is going to pay and it is not my job to split the bill and go after each tenant separately. If you read the lease, the tenants are on the hook jointly and severally. These boys should face there responsibilities like men, unless yours is still hiding behind your apron.

[Edited by HomeGuru on 12-10-2000 at 06:53 PM]

 

[Wgoodrich]

I suspect HG's past experience of being a landlord jumped to the serface. If you ever saw the conditions of maggots, etc. or have ever smelled the shock of opening a refrigerator to the rot ect. of a refrig left full of food and the power cut off, I am sure you wouldn't have to worry about dieting for a while, your urge to eat would be curtailed by the visions of your experience.

If you were a renter wanting to rent an apartment, would you want to put your food in a refrigerator that is as I have described. Believe me, even in the winter a refrigerator without electricity and having food in it is absolutely something stuck in your mind at lunch.

I suspect you would even have an urge to sue the landlord if you moved into an apartment and unknowingly stored your food in a refrigerator that was cleaned up from the conditions that was as described as above, then fed your loved ones out of that refrigerator.

Fair is fair, the boys should pay for their having left a refrigerator without electricity and with food in it. If they did that they ruined that refricgerator. I would not rerent an apartment of mine letting the new tenant store their food in a refrig that had been in that condition. Reputation of no reputation, I just couldn't sleep at night doing that to a new renter.

As for him paying his fair share. If both boys are on the lease then either boy is liable for the full extent of the costs, lease, etc. Then you are right that the boy that paid the landlord would have a right to seek justification with the other boy by way of a civil suit against the other boy, not the landlord. The landlord will hold both liable for the entire judgement owed, and I suspect so will the judge.

Good Luck

Wg

 

[Jeanne310]

Also with this problem with the frige. My son gave the landlord a letter stating that he is moving out of the apartment 2 months after he has moved in. He put letter and keys into the rent payment box. (He put them there because the landlords are very hard to get a hold of.) This happened in May. The first week in August,I get a letter(I'm listed in case of an emergency) that the apartment was vacated on July 28th. The apartment needed a good cleaning.
Now this landlord is claiming that he received no key/letter from my son. It's his word against the kid.
I can only think that because the apartment was left as it was that it is better to try to get the money when he has both boys than he would when just one boy was left.
The boys moved in mid March. I cannot see a refrigerator frosting up that bad in just 5 months. I've had old refrigerators and I have never had one frost up that bad in a years time.
This is a very good lesson for the kid. One that I hope he learns from.
He should have copied the later of intent on moving. Kids this age seem to forget that they need proof.