Money Grubbin Leaches (collectors). What Should I Do?
Q: Yesterday, I received a call from a collector claiming that the apartment
complex I stayed in about two years ago was requiring me to pay $458 for
damages.
What should I do? Who should I believe? The apartment complex had agreed
upon better terms than the leach, so all else being equal, I'd rather pay
them than the blood sucker.
Also, isn't there a way to prevent collectors from calling you? Don't
you say something like "All further correspondance will be done by mail?"
A:My advice is to immediately call your state's government office that
deals with landlord/tenant or consumer affairs. I did so in my state
(Maryland) due to a situation that was going in the same direction as
yours and found out that landlords in Maryland must provide written
notice within 30 days after the lease is up if any portion of a security
deposit is to be withheld; otherwise, they forfeit the right to keep *any*
of the deposit. Furthermore, if they do keep a portion of the deposit
without notification, the tenant may be entitled to triple damages (you
have to go to court for this -- it's not automatic).
Your problem is different in that you didn't have a security deposit
withheld, but if your state has a time limit on notification of damages,
it might apply to this situation as well. The MD government people I
talked to were very helpful in explaining the law. You might want to
give it a shot.