T1B

Good luck. I will say that if you're dealing with landlords that operate a lot of buildings, you better get yourself a damn good lawyer. I have twice filed small claims in the past against landlords (once when I was at the U of Iowa, and once in Chicago) and failed both times. The Iowa City one was against a company that operates what seems to be half the crappy apartments near campus. It was over about $750. Asshole took my deposit and probably bought a bunch of hookers with it. He claimed I trashed the place. Was completely untrue. I left that place cleaner than I got it. Both my dad and my brother helped me move out and they said they saw absolutely nothing dirty in the entire apartment. I really had no argument other than "he's full of crap". What else could I say? I had called them 2 weeks after I moved out wondering why I never received my deposit back. They told me I left the place a mess. Obviously, I went off on them because that was a flat out lie. I told the lady I would "see you in court" and she goes "good luck with that". They had absolutely no proof that I left it a mess. When asked by the judge if they had any photos of it being a mess the dickhead said they had cleaned it up right away because they had a new tenant moving in. And of course I was screwed when asked if I had any photos to prove otherwise. Who the hell takes photos of their apartment when moving out?

When we walked out to the car, I saw the dude nearby and my dad called him a bunch of names. Then I said he could either give me the money he owes me or I can have a group of people show up at his house and beat the fuck out of him. He got in his car and drove off. I actually did have some friends that wanted to beat the fuck out of him because they'd been jobbed by the same company but I decided $750 wasn't worth going to jail over. I'm just glad my renting days are over because of people/companies like this.

Had a similar incident when we moved out of an apartment back in the day. MrsO had that place looking way better than when we moved in and the asshole wanted to hold the security deposit. Being a fairly threatening presence by myself (6'3" 250 then) when I confronted him, he forked over the money. To paraphrase TP and the HB's--"Don't Back Down" !

TheJON wrote: Who the hell takes photos of their apartment when moving out?

Anybody who expects to collect their security deposit should, as a matter of course.

I own one rental house - and I guess I'd be the exact opposite of what SM has had to deal with.

I've painted the place, put a new roof on this summer, and any repairs I haven't been around to do, I tell them to call for service and just send me the receipt and deduct it from their rent.

The house is our old one, and they've done a good job of taking care of it.
It may have been that it was a nicer neighborhood and good schools that we've had success with it.
They're the only tenents I've ever had and so I guess I've been pretty lucky there.

Bigger picture though, I wouldn't want another rental house to deal with - We thought about it but the average rents are dropping which is the opposite effect I thought the housing crunch would have

Screw_Michigan wrote:I almost blew my fucking head off in April when I had a little "accident" lighting a 25-year old hot water heater that he refused to replace (or even fix, at first). I remember tell him that our hot water heater was not working. He told me "I can't make it tonight and I'd have to wait until tomorrow to call a plumber. The pilot light is probably out. Why don't you just light it yourself?" Yes, because as a tenant, I love putting flame to natural gas. Smart idea. Anyway, the pilot light was out, and it could be relit, but it would keep going out, because the fucking thing is 25 years old (hot water heaters, properly maintained, should be replaced every 10 years, even I know that). So eventually what happens is I turn the gas up too high before the pilot gets lit and I almost blow my head off. You guys think I'm a huge penis on the board, you should have seen how I looked with no eyelashes and no eyebrows. Yes, I was an idiot, but it never should have come to that.

Having just gone 11 days without my water heater working (it's not a "hot" water heater... if the water was hot, it wouldn't need to be heated) I can feel your pain... and that rant made me LMMFAO.

I don't know how your heater worked, but mine has a gas valve that you turn to 'pilot' when trying to relight it. Then there's this red button you push down while hitting the igniter switch. If you don't turn the gas valve to the pilot position, you can't push the red button down, and no gas is released into the combustion chamber. I imagine this is pretty standard on most any model

Not sure what you did or how you did it, but I wish I was there when it happened. That would've been fucking hilarious. And that's not me smacking you, because I'm just as big an idiot when it comes to water heaters

The thermocouple was shot on yours, just like it was on mine, that's why the pilot wouldn't stay lit. But mine was only 3 years old and still under warranty, so Whirlpool sent me a new and "improved" manifold door assembly with said thermocouple attached, UPS next day air... the guy on the phone said it was simple to replace and came with easy to follow instructions.

That should have been my first clue that something was going to go horribly wrong, because absolutely nothing is ever simple or easy for me... the first time.

The 2nd clue was when it arrived and I started to read the installation instructions that were 2 pages long. They began:

If you lack the necessary skills to perform this task, call a professional.

Doh!

Now I've been challenged. What, me lack skills? Perish the thought, I can do this. I've got the tools, let me at this sumbitch.

To make a long story shorter, I fought that fucker tooth and nail getting the old one out and the new one in. Took me several hours of frustration but I finally got it done. Got it to light too... for a few minutes before it would shut itself off. Again and again. WTF?

Turns out I had neglected to follow the 'simple' instruction about removing the 'brass orifice' - a threaded fitting no bigger that my fingertip that regulates the gas flow - from the old assembly and installing it on the new, so it was overheating and burned itself out. It was fried.

So they had to send me another assembly and 11 fucking days after the heater had gone out, I had hot water again. 11 days of heating water on the stove to take a bath, do dishes, do laundry. 11 days of listening to my wife bitching, because I'm an idiot who lacks skills.

Hope you get your deposit back, dude.

L-R, S_M, Landlord

^^^^^^
or vice versa, only time will tell

Yeah, no shit, Mikey.
I’d like nothing more than to see SM get his deposit back x 3 and shove a prosthetic cock up the landlord’s ass, but right now, my $$$ is on the landlord.
These fucks are hard to beat, from what I understand. They probably go through this shit several times/year and know exactly what they can and can’t get away with. Their attorneys likewise.

In most any state, your LL has 45 days to submit to you a statement of deposit. If they don't, they forfeit the S.D. back to you. It's pretty cut and dry, so if what you say is 100% accurate, you'll win.

I have only rented a few times in college. I stayed in 1 apartement in college, but I had 3 internships in Dallas over a year's time where I stayed at 3 different apartments. All 4 times I rented, I followed my father's advice. That advice was to buy a polaroid camera, take pictures of the apartment before signing the lease, have the landlord sign and date all the pictures as well as a document stating that the pictures contained within were of the property you are renting. Then inform the landlord that the pictures will be used to compare to the condition of the property when you leave for the sake of the deposit.

I had one landlord in Dallas that refused to do this and I did not stay at his property. I flat out said "Why are you unwilling to sign a document that says you will do what the law tells you to do?" He had no response. probably because he was a weasal like your guy.

My dad told me when I was about 14 to keep saving my money. I was always told that when I got birthday/xmas/graduation money I should spend 25% of it and put 75% in the bank. Came in handy when I graduated college and was able to put down $5000 on a house I had saved over the years. Never rented again after my last internship.

Good luck.

I was really lucky in college in that my father had a friend who was in ROTC and on the wrestling team with at OU and he hooked me, my significant other, and our room mate with a a bargain basement deal. Less than what a shit apartment would have been for a two story abode right near campus. It was kind of an older house and had some issues but he got them fixed as quickly as possible.

Screw_Michigan wrote:

IndyFrisco wrote:put down $5000 on a house I had saved over the years.

You bought a house for $25k in metro Dallas? How'd you manage that?

I had an FHA loan. Minimum down payment was 3%.

RACK you, Screwball. $400 is still a sweet ass deal. Better than nothing anyway! It really doesn't surprise me that the waste of flesh didn't show up in court. He had no defense.