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Old 09-03-2009, 05:40 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,839,661 times
Reputation: 30715

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You already have proof because he gave you estimates instead of receipts and the contractors have told you that they have not performed the work. I'm no lawyer, but I certainly wouldn't hire a lawyer or wait for a pro-bono lawyer to take on a sleezy landlord. JoeLeaphorn gave you good advice on how to start. Send the certified letter.
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Old 09-03-2009, 06:37 PM
 
Location: Westmoreland County, PA
133 posts, read 391,061 times
Reputation: 37
A lot of the cleaners people use are from Craigslist, not the yellow pages. I'm actually a landlord (very small time - 2 units) and that's where we found almost all the people who have done work for us. Some are great (and fully licensed, etc..) and others are a bit shady to begin with.
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Old 09-03-2009, 06:37 PM
 
12 posts, read 33,536 times
Reputation: 15
Thanks Hopes! I will definitely update you soon. Really appreciate all your support, help and advice.
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Old 09-03-2009, 07:40 PM
 
12 posts, read 33,536 times
Reputation: 15
Hi pic-chic! That was what I was expecting that he gets someone from craigslist. But the prices were outrageous and he provided name of companies. So I assumed that these are listed in yellow pages.
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Old 09-03-2009, 07:44 PM
 
15,633 posts, read 26,186,341 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by waldorfmom View Post
Hi pic-chic! That was what I was expecting that he gets someone from craigslist. But the prices were outrageous and he provided name of companies. So I assumed that these are listed in yellow pages.
Not always -- and it doesn't mean they are shady. We are a small excellent janitorial company and we do well enough with word of mouth that we've never needed to spend the dough on Yellow Pages. I've always felt that just a listing in the Yellow Pages doesn't work, you need an ad... which costs lots.
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Old 09-03-2009, 08:30 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,839,661 times
Reputation: 30715
They don't need to be listed in the yellow pages to be legit.

Here's the Pennsylvania state website page to search Pennsylvania businesses/corporations.

https://www.corporations.state.pa.us...kb/csearch.asp

I believe it also includes DBA's and fictitious names for people who don't incorporate but the company name is other than their real name.

(If it's not in that database, I can find it because I've searched ficticious names before.)

Forgive me if I'm not making sense. I'm not feeling well.

Just search them on the link I provided. You might be surprised what you find.

There's another website where you can search professional licenses. If you need that one, I'll find it for you.
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Old 09-03-2009, 09:17 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA
1,304 posts, read 3,028,574 times
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I have been a landlord in the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years. Before a tenant moves into one of my rental units, I take pictures and/or videotape the entire unit. I do the same thing when a tenant moves out. I have never had a tenant win a case against me when disputing a security deposit deduction. The odds are very much against you, unless you have taken pictures, as well, of recovering any portion of your claim. To be honest, tenants will never acknowledge when they destroy property, and most judges know this. You might be able to dispute the projected cost of the repairs, but it is rarely hard for the landlord to justify his anticipated repair costs. Did you request a final walk-through before you left?

This may be tough to swallow, but you will probably lose in court without evidence to contradict the landlord's assertions. You will need to figure the value of your time, costs to file, costs of sending certified letters, possible constable costs if he/she does not accept the certified letter. All this time, effort, and money that you will lose if you lose your case. .. a definitive probability.
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Old 09-04-2009, 06:56 AM
 
Location: New Kensington (Parnassus) ,Pa
2,422 posts, read 2,272,097 times
Reputation: 603
Quote:
Originally Posted by Retiredcoach View Post
I have been a landlord in the Pittsburgh area for over 20 years. Before a tenant moves into one of my rental units, I take pictures and/or videotape the entire unit. I do the same thing when a tenant moves out. I have never had a tenant win a case against me when disputing a security deposit deduction. The odds are very much against you, unless you have taken pictures, as well, of recovering any portion of your claim. To be honest, tenants will never acknowledge when they destroy property, and most judges know this. You might be able to dispute the projected cost of the repairs, but it is rarely hard for the landlord to justify his anticipated repair costs. Did you request a final walk-through before you left?

This may be tough to swallow, but you will probably lose in court without evidence to contradict the landlord's assertions. You will need to figure the value of your time, costs to file, costs of sending certified letters, possible constable costs if he/she does not accept the certified letter. All this time, effort, and money that you will lose if you lose your case. .. a definitive probability.
Not necessarily if he/she can prove the landlord is lying, Judges absolutely hate liars.
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Old 09-04-2009, 08:24 AM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,839,661 times
Reputation: 30715
Quote:
Originally Posted by aveojohn View Post
Not necessarily if he/she can prove the landlord is lying, Judges absolutely hate liars.
AND a landlord might routinely win in a magistrate's office where he has connections, but those rulings can be appealed to a more unbiased court.
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Old 09-04-2009, 09:45 AM
 
Location: New Kensington (Parnassus) ,Pa
2,422 posts, read 2,272,097 times
Reputation: 603
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hopes View Post
AND a landlord might routinely win in a magistrate's office where he has connections, but those rulings can be appealed to a more unbiased court.
Unfortunately this takes time.
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