Monday, September 30, 2013

Renters vs. Landlords

      Both side are always right, right? But whose side will a judge take ? In my opinion, usually the landlord. WHY ??? Because they pay taxes on the home. As we all know there is good and bad in, just about everyone, but if you're a renter going to court to get a security deposit back, beware !
      That landlord has records and they usually always keep very good records since they have to file and pay taxes on that home. SO everything is deductible. What they tell you, you can do over the phone is never good enough.

      Renters, do everything in writing and keep written records such as make a book/file specifically for your rental time. Take pictures when you move in, during and after you clean up just before leaving. I know from what I speak. I rented a long time ago, gave a deposit and everything was fine for five years, thought I had a great landlord and landlady.
      One day they hired a young man to sandblast the house to paint. It was an old lead painted two story home and the paint seeped into, through windows into dresser drawers and into my children's lungs. I had to take them to the doctor, go to a motel a few night and the doctor found they had lead poisoning . This infuriated the landlord when I put my rent into an escrow account in the same bank where his wife worked.
        You won't believe the next series of events. When this Male person found out I was not paying rent in this quiet little town, but escrowed it as the painter was also using water I was paying for, doctor bills, hotels bills , all of which I expected to be reimbursed, he and his loony wife came to see me and he had a baseball bat in his car near the seat.
        He arrived red faced and angry. I called a few older friends from church to be with me. An older man came with his son-in-law. The older man saw the bat and told me, I should just give him the rent and move fast.
        IN the next few moments the male owner told me, if you don't pay me my rent I will blow your head off with a double barrel shot-gun. I called the police who gave me a detective. This was in York county Pa. I lived outside of York in a small town. The detective told me, you should move as soon as you can, I believe this man is serious. He also told me if I pressed charges he felt the man would carry out the threat.
       In the next two months, and yes I gave him rent but when I moved I took them to court for my three hundred dollars  deposit as I gave thirty days notice.
Now they tell the district justice I broke a glass shade at the top of the stairs-true=15.00 which I offered to pay. But a big lie was about wall papering. I asked over the phone if I could wall paper and paint the bathroom, Sure you can she said. In court they lied about it and so the DJ would not order my deposit to be returned. I even paid a lawyer( cheap) to help. It was he who told me I didn't stand a Chance because I was renting. WOW! Why didn't he tell me before I paid him ?
     So I know all situations are so different, but please, while they're are many great landlords and landlady's, when it comes to MONEY, people leave their saint hood behind. Pictures, written statements and make sure to do the exact thirty day notice and have another person check out the lease.

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