Please forgive me if this is the wrong forum, let me know and I'll repost it elsewhere!
Hi all,
Hoping you can help me. I will try to keep this as concise as possible. In August 2009, I moved in with a (then) friend of mine. We paid a $500 security deposit. She wrote one check to the apartment complex, and I in turn reimbursed her via check. My check to her was $500, included my $250 security deposit also included the non-refundable pet fee (for my dog).
Halfway through our lease, we basically weren't friends anymore, I won't get into the details. We weren't speaking and it was an extremely awkward living situation. I decided to move out a month early (having paid my last month's rent, etc.). The power was in my name, and although the internet was in her name, the router and modem were mine. Her boyfriend (having been added to the lease halfway through) was calmer and tried to mediate the situation. He understood that I had to take my router and said we would work something out about the power bill. He also said that when it came to the security deposit, we would work something out (ie I would be responsible for pet related damage since it was my dog). This was reasonable, and I agreed.
I gave them one week to have the power transferred to their name. I received a text message from my roommate (after having moved out), saying that it was going to cost her $120 to have the power transferred to her name (probably included deposit or something). She said that this wasn't fair since we agreed to share utilities for the length of the lease. I told her to send me a breakdown of the $120 and we could work something out. She never did.
A few weeks later, I received the final power bill, totaling over $250. I worked out what her and her boyfriend's share was, mailed them the bill, and sent a note telling her that if she sent me a copy of the $120 bill, we could work something out (definitely not going to take her word for it!). Weeks passed and I never heard anything. I sent her a text message if she received the bill - no response. I sent her an e-mail asking basically the same thing - no response.
I was extremely angry but chocked it up to experience that I wasn't going to get my money for the power bill from her and her boyfriend. After all, it was my account, so I paid the bill.
Fast forward to today. Our lease ended on July 31st, and I still hadn't heard anything about our security deposit. I called and was told that, according to the lease, the security deposit (in the amount of $465) was sent to my roommate as she was the first person on the lease. The check was made out to her only. I was told that the $35 deducted was for a flea treatment.
I sent my roommate an e-mail asking her to please send my half if I give her my address. I said I would pay for the flea treatment, making my total around $200.
I do not expect to hear from her, and am very angry as she owes me over $300. I have read online that I could send a letter through certified mail threatening to take her to small claims court, but I am wondering if the cost/trouble of small claims would even be worth it. Do I have any recourse regarding the security deposit and/or power bill?
I apologize for the length of this post and thank you in advance!
Hi all,
Hoping you can help me. I will try to keep this as concise as possible. In August 2009, I moved in with a (then) friend of mine. We paid a $500 security deposit. She wrote one check to the apartment complex, and I in turn reimbursed her via check. My check to her was $500, included my $250 security deposit also included the non-refundable pet fee (for my dog).
Halfway through our lease, we basically weren't friends anymore, I won't get into the details. We weren't speaking and it was an extremely awkward living situation. I decided to move out a month early (having paid my last month's rent, etc.). The power was in my name, and although the internet was in her name, the router and modem were mine. Her boyfriend (having been added to the lease halfway through) was calmer and tried to mediate the situation. He understood that I had to take my router and said we would work something out about the power bill. He also said that when it came to the security deposit, we would work something out (ie I would be responsible for pet related damage since it was my dog). This was reasonable, and I agreed.
I gave them one week to have the power transferred to their name. I received a text message from my roommate (after having moved out), saying that it was going to cost her $120 to have the power transferred to her name (probably included deposit or something). She said that this wasn't fair since we agreed to share utilities for the length of the lease. I told her to send me a breakdown of the $120 and we could work something out. She never did.
A few weeks later, I received the final power bill, totaling over $250. I worked out what her and her boyfriend's share was, mailed them the bill, and sent a note telling her that if she sent me a copy of the $120 bill, we could work something out (definitely not going to take her word for it!). Weeks passed and I never heard anything. I sent her a text message if she received the bill - no response. I sent her an e-mail asking basically the same thing - no response.
I was extremely angry but chocked it up to experience that I wasn't going to get my money for the power bill from her and her boyfriend. After all, it was my account, so I paid the bill.
Fast forward to today. Our lease ended on July 31st, and I still hadn't heard anything about our security deposit. I called and was told that, according to the lease, the security deposit (in the amount of $465) was sent to my roommate as she was the first person on the lease. The check was made out to her only. I was told that the $35 deducted was for a flea treatment.
I sent my roommate an e-mail asking her to please send my half if I give her my address. I said I would pay for the flea treatment, making my total around $200.
I do not expect to hear from her, and am very angry as she owes me over $300. I have read online that I could send a letter through certified mail threatening to take her to small claims court, but I am wondering if the cost/trouble of small claims would even be worth it. Do I have any recourse regarding the security deposit and/or power bill?
I apologize for the length of this post and thank you in advance!
.