California tenant law regarding using mailing address (renters, hotel)

[sri.sachin24]

Hi guys .. I need help regarding renters rights information ..

I moved recently to LA, got a room for rent in a 4-bedroom house.
My friend used my address to send one of his mail because he moved to calif recently and stayed at a hotel first week.

I know its ethically wrong on his part to use my address even once but my landlord is trying to charge me 200$ to follow a legal procedure to say she is not related to that guy.. and 50$ for each additional letter.. My landlord says she will take that amount from my security deposit.

will it really cost that much or is she just trying to steal my money?.. is it legal for my friend to use my address?.. My landlord can just send the letter back to the sender right?.. and if this is not the right place, where can I get help regarding this kind of information.

Please help..
Regards,
Sri

[Santa's Neighbor]

Is there something about this "mail" you're not telling us? If someone writes to them at someone else's address, unless California law is very unique (I am not a California landlord, but am elsewhere), then no, your landlord can't take your money because someone else used your address to receive mail. If it's actually her address (like, if you're just renting a room and don't have a private unit address) you can't really force her to pass the mail on to you since he doesn't live there, but she can't charge you for it. It would be her responsibility to return to sender.

However, if the mail was address to "His Name, c/o Sri Lastname" then I think she probably would be obligated under law to pass it on to you. It's not even unethical unless he's using your address to misrepresent his own status in some way.

If you are new to the country or have iffy status of some sort, the landlord might be using that to try to take advantage of you.

[sri.sachin24]

It is my friends paystub (not pay CHEQUE) that he mailed me for first 2 weeks as he was in a hotel for first 2 weeks. Mail came with his name only to this address. I moved to california recently but my status is legal. This is a 4 bedroom house out of which 3 bedrooms are rented out and owner stays in master bedroom.

She says its illegal for someone else to use her address without her permission. I dont have a seperate unit, but its just one bedroom in her house.. she gives me receipt for paying rent every month.

[Santa's Neighbor]

She's a control freak and she's bullying you. Good luck with it- some landlords will try to take advantage of people like this, especially if they are foreign and/or young. She might even think she is in the right, some people think some bizarre things, but you haven't done anything wrong. If he uses your address again, see if he can put "c/o your name" on the envelope. Sheesh, it's just a piece of mail. I'm living in my house that was rented out for a while and get mail all the time for people I've never heard of and didn't rent to, it's no biggie. The lady next door gets some too, she strolled over to see if I had heard of any of her mail recipients, but it wasn't to try to get them in trouble, it was just to see if I had contact with them to pass the mail along to them (our addresses are strange and close so we regularly get each other's mail).

[sri.sachin24]

hmm.. I am feeling very helpless and completely in her hands without my mistake.. Wish I had a way out.. TO add to my woes, she was a paralegal and she knows the loopholes of the legal system.

[antarez]

That sounds ridiculous.

Just tell her it's a dead issue and have your friend rent a PO Box at the Post Office or the countless other othe mail/shipping businesses around town.

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by sri.sachin24

It is my friends paystub (not pay CHEQUE) that he mailed me for first 2 weeks as he was in a hotel for first 2 weeks. Mail came with his name only to this address. I moved to california recently but my status is legal. This is a 4 bedroom house out of which 3 bedrooms are rented out and owner stays in master bedroom.

She says its illegal for someone else to use her address without her permission. I dont have a seperate unit, but its just one bedroom in her house.. she gives me receipt for paying rent every month.

If this was illegal any judge would tell her the only person she can collect from is your friend. You are not legally or financially responsible for other adults actions.

Offer to call the police for her.

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by ferretkona

If this was illegal any judge would tell her the only person she can collect from is your friend. You are not legally or financially responsible for other adults actions.

Offer to call the police for her.

Exactly!

Don't let her bully you.

Just have your friend fill out a change of address card at the post office, to forward any other letters that come to your house, to his new address. And then forget about it!

[sri.sachin24]

my friend already got a p.o.box .. the issue is about the 2 mails he already sent before getting p.o.box .. so you think I can call police right away regarding this issue? .. or go to court after she refuses to return my security deposit? ..

I am quite new to US and I am not sure if I should go to small claims court or which court.. If I go thru lawyer,lawyer fee would exceed my security deposit of 500$. so I am just thinking if its worth all the hassle of going thru courts ..

Thanks guys for moral support

[Santa's Neighbor]

Don't call the police, they won't get involved with this. If she actually withholds the money (she'll probably get over it by then, and was probably just trying to intimidate you), then you take her to small claims court. You won't need a lawyer to go to small claims.