I am sure a few recall back to the problems I was having with the landlord corporation and housemates. I stayed for a month (moved out the night before the one month mark). During this time I learned that those housemates are actually the worst people I know. Be it urinating on our patio or running over old women with their cars (only one did, and he remarked 'bitch cracked my light'). They also changed our agreement, our contract, again without my consent. One day an additional hundred dollars was demanded of me, while I was with a geust no less. Steroid using meathead demanded the money right now 'or else' closing the distance and raising up his arms, classic tough guy pose type action. Three days later made a midnight move basically.
The new landlord is a person, awesome elderly sort, rather than a souless corporation. I've really hit it off with him and the neighbors. Its nice to have a place of your own.
I figured that no dammages and a month's notice would be enough, surrendering my security deposit to compensate for the lease breach. The admissions office of my law school helped me find the new place (the listing never even got published, was directly handed off to me). When I went to the first place's property manager, informing him I had moved out and I think it for just cause (repeated contract breach amongst housemates and physical threat that was actually witnessed). At first he was understanding, told me not to worry about it, he would call me in a few days and that he was currently of a mind of to evict them (they caused trouble during the initial move in as well).
No such luck on things working out easy. Old housemate handed me a bill (hand written) for 10k demanding it by Sept. 1st. This is after a phone message last night saying that if I paid 1/3 the existing bill we would avoid having any problem and we would be able to get on with life (I called and left a message saying that to close the matter I thought that reasonable and would cut a check immediatly upon verifying that worked with the landlord company). Well, got that absurd bill, went to the property manager who now takes the position he isn't going to attempt to discovery any facts (he had his head of security standing over my left shoulder during this meeting) and that as far as he is concerned I have to work things out with the housemates or he will take us all to court and make us pay for the full year and he will win. He also said the housemates are doing everything they can to find a replacement for me but my lack of notice put them in the lurch. I played the phone message and he said to him it sounds like the guy is only talking about the current bill rather than the situation as a whole (kind of a twisty way of hearing it). He took down times and dates for my assertions, and asked where I am now. He was apparently told I was living with another tenant of his.
It took just about all my self control not to tell him off.
Soooo, old housemates are muddying the waters (asserting I'm staying with another tenant rather than someplace new). Making all sorts of allegations which are frankly absurd on face value.
I've been good about only dealing with the housemates with witnesses and taking notes on all interactions. I've done everything I can to mitigate dammages and avoid excalation. Mediation won't work as there are two of them and they are known liars. Time to lawyer up. I had been willing to pay some additional money, in addition to the security, to make the problem go away and have all leave reasonably happy. But if they want to be that way....
I know for a fact that the housemates and the landlord have not, with this week of knowing me to be gone, put up any listing of the room to rent. Housemates have gone about bragging about how they will make me pay for the entire year and they will have a free room. Property manager says they (the housemates) are doing everything in their power to find a replacement housemate. I can show they haven't by their boasts, the lack of general listing, and that they never informed the admissions office to be added to the law school housing listing.
I've tried to be the good guy, has only caused me more trouble.
Stay tuned to see if truth and justice triumph in our modern system.
Golly I wish dueling were still legal.
