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VERY LONG. If you've got the time to read, let me know your thoughts.
After 3 months of living in a house with the following issues:
*Roof leaks---raining outside? Raining in the kitchen.
*3rd housemate I was NEVER informed about (took lease from distance) until I arrived in town and was moving in. Was never interested in living with 2 other people and never would have taken the lease---neither the woman I was subletting from nor the housemate I knew about mentioned his existence. He shared the kitchen, cut giant door hole in wall, never placed door and was incessantly loud but always complaining when my dog barked---while neglecting and abusing his own dog. His daddy owns the place and never did a dang thing to fix roof or put up the door.
*Said housemate was psycho nasty to me and started to abuse MY dog (which was, incidently, the breaking point)
*I am positive I was being overcharged for rent and housemates refused to furnish the original lease so I could SEE the actual rent total
*Utilities were ridiculous. $700 a month? Cable bill (I rarely even watch tv) was over $300 because of sports packages and porn. I was never allowed to see the utility bills.
*For the last 2 months, BOTH housemates had their girlfriends literally living in the home without contributing to bills or rent. They used the laundry to excess, came and went as they pleased. Additionally, the jerk housemate had a buddy on the way to jail that lived there for a month before he turned himself in.
After the psycho almost kicked my dog, I texted the other housemate and said I was done and wanted to move out. He replied "no worries" and "it would be better for (me) to go sooner than later" and "it's all good, some things just don't work out". I found a place and was out in days. We agreed my rent would be pro rated and I would get my deposit back. I expected it immediately as he did not say otherwise. 2 days later he was avoiding me. After all of the above, including knowing full well I was being boned on rent and bills, I put a stop payment on my rent check (which, PS, had not been cashed on the 11th).
He texted me today livid and threatening me. Repeatedly. He was all over the place---he never told me I could leave, never acknowledged that I requested all the bills and lease (and when finally he did, he said I asked for it 2 days ago. Yeah, actually it was 10 days ago and he never acknowledged my note), told me I paid bills late one month (totally did bc of the way I get paid, however, I offered to use my credit card to pay the total to one of the utilities, just give me the bill...he wouldn't do that so he waited).....everything he said I could prove him wrong with texts to the contrary. He says it's a small town and he will ruin me. They're going to sue me (even through he told me to leave AND the check I stopped is almost 200 less than what they owe me!). Blah blah blah.
Should I have stopped the check? Maybe not, but I had to move, I needed the money, and they OWED ME MORE. I feel that if they were not planning on screwing me out of that money, they wouldn't be so mad. Short answer? I outsmarted them and beat them at their own game. I told him if he hadn't spent 30 minutes threatening me I would have worked with him on it.
I broke the sublet lease, yes. WITH their permission. Had he said hell no, we'll sue, I would have suffered until I found a new person. Other than him talking trash about me all over town (yay grown up!), should I be worried about a lawsuit? I don't owe them a penny. In fact I offered to pay more utility (with proof I owe more than the overage they are keeping) and he kept ignoring my offer. I could have the lease, the bills, his bank account (as he paid all the bills---I wrote him the checks) subpoenaed and I would easily prove I've been getting screwed. I can prove EVERY conversation as they all happened over text. And he's in a freaking green card marriage for money...you'd think he'd be a little more careful about ticking me off more.
Thoughts? And thank you!
Last edited by notsousual; 06-13-2012 at 08:25 PM..
Walk away...well, run actually. If they do decide to sue you, they will have to produce a lease or an agreement that you signed showing the amount of rent owed. If they sue for utilities, they will have to present bills. If you were being overcharged as you suspect, likely they will never appear as they don't want you to have access to the amounts that you SHOULD have been paying.
Also, as you left immediately after the animal was abused, likely (as animal abuse is a crime) any judge would find that you had cause to break the lease.
Bouncethelight, seriously? Not only have I BEEN a tenant for 17 years (generally not one with roommates), I have a sparkling rental history and was a property manager for 6 years---dealing with a myriad of owners who loved to make comments such as that for their own enjoyment, incidentally. So not helpful in the least.
Everyone else, thanks. I guess I won't worry, as I know I am right---the threats were ridiculous and unsettling, and I suppose I will let it go. I simply do not want to have to pay to engage my lawyer over this insanity.
VERY LONG. If you've got the time to read, let me know your thoughts.
After 3 months of living in a house with the following issues:
*Roof leaks---raining outside? Raining in the kitchen.
*3rd housemate I was NEVER informed about (took lease from distance) until I arrived in town and was moving in. Was never interested in living with 2 other people and never would have taken the lease---neither the woman I was subletting from ....Thoughts? And thank you!
Why are you not doing much of this dealing with the woman you sublet from, she is the one you have the rental contract with. No? You need her permission to break the lease, not the permission of any roommate.
Thanks---you're probably right, but the woman is traveling the world for a year, and impossible to reach. I don't even know where she is right now! They won't be holding her responsible.
Honestly, the more I consider it, the more I suspect they will take their revenge in good old fashioned high school style: demeaning and defaming me to anyone in town who will listen. Even they couldn't possibly be stupid enough to think I wouldn't expose all their dirty (and sometimes illegal) dealings if they sued me. I think
Why are you not doing much of this dealing with the woman you sublet from, she is the one you have the rental contract with. No? You need her permission to break the lease, not the permission of any roommate.
The utilities, I assume, are a separate problem.
I wondered that too. With you breaking the lease, she is back on the hook again for that share of rent, so her permission is the important one. What the roommates want or agree to is irrelevant. If you don't pay your share of the utilities, she is liable for them too (assuming they weren't actually IN your name). And she is the only one who can sue you for nonperformance of the lease. The roommates would have to sue her, not you, as they had no agreement with you. I take that partly back. The roommates could TRY to sue you, since anyone can sue anyone for anything, but I can't imagine it going any further than "I was subletting from their original roommate".
Thanks---you're probably right, but the woman is traveling the world for a year, and impossible to reach. I don't even know where she is right now! They won't be holding her responsible.
Honestly, the more I consider it, the more I suspect they will take their revenge in good old fashioned high school style: demeaning and defaming me to anyone in town who will listen. Even they couldn't possibly be stupid enough to think I wouldn't expose all their dirty (and sometimes illegal) dealings if they sued me. I think
If they are as trashy as you've described, I wouldn't worry too much about their opinions of you.
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