Cumberland County, North Carolina.
I (plaintiff-tenant) prevailed in small claims court and magistrate ordered rental agreement void due to defendant-landlord's breach. Parties were ordered to meet in the property to do a move-out inspection and return the house keys. During the hearing we agreed to meet at 9:00 a.m. because I needed to leave town after the meeting to attend my brother's wedding.
We met as agreed, but landlord refused to do walk-thru; she just demanded house keys. I refused to give her the house keys without inspection. She said she would be back in the afternoon with a contractor to do a professional inspection. She never came and I was not able to leave town. I took pictures, vacated and locked the house, and kept the house keys. The following day in the a.m., I went to court and the magistrate told me to mail the house keys to landlord.
I left the house keys in my new apt. and left town immediately. I mailed keys 2 weeks later upon my return to town. Now, the landlord filed counter claim including 3 weeks of rent, door locks replacement, and a bunch of nonsense items.
Do I need to pay that even though she was in contempt of the court by refusing to do move-out inspection? Please, I need legal ammunitions and possible remedies to give this no-good landlord a lesson.
Thanks!!
I (plaintiff-tenant) prevailed in small claims court and magistrate ordered rental agreement void due to defendant-landlord's breach. Parties were ordered to meet in the property to do a move-out inspection and return the house keys. During the hearing we agreed to meet at 9:00 a.m. because I needed to leave town after the meeting to attend my brother's wedding.
We met as agreed, but landlord refused to do walk-thru; she just demanded house keys. I refused to give her the house keys without inspection. She said she would be back in the afternoon with a contractor to do a professional inspection. She never came and I was not able to leave town. I took pictures, vacated and locked the house, and kept the house keys. The following day in the a.m., I went to court and the magistrate told me to mail the house keys to landlord.
I left the house keys in my new apt. and left town immediately. I mailed keys 2 weeks later upon my return to town. Now, the landlord filed counter claim including 3 weeks of rent, door locks replacement, and a bunch of nonsense items.
Do I need to pay that even though she was in contempt of the court by refusing to do move-out inspection? Please, I need legal ammunitions and possible remedies to give this no-good landlord a lesson.
Thanks!!
