What to do if I overcharged or illegally charged for “damages” and not notified but the co-signer was billed?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if I overcharged or illegally charged for “damages” and not notified but the co-signer was billed?
I was a first-time renter with my roommate and my grandfather the co-signer. We recently ended our 1 year lease agreement (last month) and I conducted the walk-through evaluation of our apartment. Other than carpet tearing at one door’s seam and a quarter inch hole in one window screen, there was no physical damage to the apartment. I awaited notification from the apartment but received no call, however my grandfather received a bill for $500 in “damages” (a total surpassing our already $300 security deposit) listed as $500 for “carpet replacement,” $100 for “new paint” $200 for “general cleaning.”
Asked on June 20, 2012 under Real Estate Law, Oregon
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
If you disagree with the assessed charges that the landord sent the co-signer of your lease after move out, I would write the former landlord asking for all back up information for such charges such as photographs and receipts.
If you receive such documentation, pay what you deem is warranted and contest the balance. Note, unless your presumed written lease says otherwise, "new paint" and "general cleaning" are costs normally incurred by the landlord as the cost of renting.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.