Mr Khan vs his ex-landlord

[Mr Khan]

noname2200 said:

Mr Khan said:

noname2200 said:
Let me tell you what I tell about 50% of my clients:

Let it go, dude.

Ehh, i know that's the "right" thing to do, but at the same time, if nobody stands up to people like him, they'll just keep getting away with it down the line. A huge pain in the ass (and the loss of even more than the $25 in having to pay my filing fee) would be a lesson he'd remember for the rest of his life.

However, as of the latest e-mail, he's trying to compel me to return my key early on the chance that he gets a new tenant before my lease is up (Aug 15th), and then he'll prorate the rent i've given him.

Presumably this means he's accepted my position (though my counteroffer was that he explicitly agree to return of my full security deposit before i surrender early keys).

We can only hope, as I don't hate the guy, just feel like this is insanely ridiculous and should not be allowed to stand.

Plus i'm already letting a fair bit slide. He locked me out last Saturday, after he had the front lock changed suddenly (without telling me and without giving me a new key), then locked the deadbolt on the back door (i had a key only for the doorknob lock, not the deadbolt), and he owes me $8 for a new plunger, after the old one broke in the course of normal usage (not like i was abusing it or anything). I'm letting enough go already.

If you insist on going down the road, then you're looking at it from the wrong angle. Don't ask for $25 from a deposit which hasn't been returned yet, make it a demand for constructive eviction (the lockout) AND an unreturned deposit if he chooses to wrongfully deduct. You'll need to look up your state's laws, but in California each of those carry additional statutory penalties (albeit not big ones).

I still don't think it's worth the time and effort, and be forewarned the commisioner/pro tem/whoever hears small claims cases is going to roll his eyes at this one, but at least this way you're going for more than the price of a AAA game a month after release.

Oh yeah, if i go down that road, i wouldn't file until he gave me back a diminished deposit, and even then i would ask my lawyer cousin to draft a Letter of Intent first to see if that doesn't scare him into action (she does minor stuff for family members pro bono, wrote my parents a Letter of Intent for this lawn care company that pulled the same trick my landlord is trying, assuming non-refusal as an agreement to purchase a service). I looked up the Pennsylvania Bar website about small claims, as well as some other legal tipsites, this isn't something i would choose to do for a while (a few weeks until the deposit, then a few more weeks to write the letter and await his response)

Given the kind of stuff that ends up in small claims, i do agree the magistrate might roll their eyes, but it also can't possibly be the worst thing they've seen if they've spent any time on the bench.