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Some of you may be aware of my apartment problem that I wrote about a few months ago. If not, you can read about it here: http://forums.trenchwars.org/showthread.php?t=32950
I'm turning to the forums once again to update the story and get some more opinions about the serious mess that has unfolded.
To update from where I left off in the previous post: I refused to pay Leslie the security deposit until she repaired all the damage she did to the apartment. She wouldnt repair anything so I never paid her. She called a few months later demanding it again but I told her she was SOL. Never heard from her again.
So, my roommate Jenny decides to move out unexpectedly the first week of June. She not only left immediately, but moved to another country. She left me high and dry with her share of the rent to pay for June. Being that I cant afford another 500 bucks on my own, I asked my 2 other roommates to help me. They did not like the idea and were a bit mad at me that I had the gall to ask for them to help me. They told me they couldnt even afford to stay in the apartment til August, when they are supposed to move out. However, I convinced them that they would get their money back using the security deposit from the new roommates who would take my and Jenny's room, since I moved out June 13th.
Me and my 2 other roommates (lets call them the Asians for simplicity's sake), signed an agreement that by June 17th, my name was officially off the lease and the Asians agreed to all financial responsibility from that point forward. I offered to find them roommates for the apartment so they wouldnt have to when I left. So I find Jamie and Krystal, and they move in. Being that I never paid a security deposit, but Jenny did, I made things simple by asking for $350 from each of them (which would total to 700 for Jenny's deposit), which is a better deal due to the apartment's damages. Originally I planned to give Jenny the deposit, but due to her ditching me with no help at all with the situation and her also being one of the people to damage the apartment (and the fact she was in China and I couldnt contact her) I took it. I wasnt trying to make a profit, but simply pay the $350 back to the Asians that I borrowed from them and make up for the 170 I lost paying Jenny's part of the rent. I pocketed the 190 change, justifying it to myself because I found the roommates and bought cleaning supplies to fix the place up. I made it very clear why I was lowering the deposit for them and how they would get it back (by finding roommates like I did and getting it from them). I told them numerous times.
Ever since I left, I've had constant emails and voicemails from Jamie. "I cant get internet, I cant get the internet deal you had, how do you pay for the water bill? How do I sign the lease? The Asians arent paying their portion of the bills, can you tell them to pay?" Questions like that. To be nice, I answered them and helped them out. I even gave them an email contact of people who were interested in taking over the lease when it ended in August, so they wouldnt have to find new roommates. I explained that they could get their deposit back from these new roommates; or, if all of them moved out at the same time, the apartment complex would give them their deposits (this is what the apt. complex told me).
Fastforward to the last 2 days. Constant emails and phone calls. Ive put Jamie's number on caller id as "ignore" and "no ringtone" when she calls. However I still cant help but read her email. She is now worried about getting her deposit back. The Asians decided to ditch the apt. early (as in tomorrow). Jamie and Krystal never signed the lease (i dunno why, they claim my name was still on the lease and they couldnt sign it without me present, but I was officially removed and I have the document to prove it). She tells me that when the lease is renewed in August, the apt. complex wants a new deposit, and they wont give the original deposit to them when they move out, since theyre not on the lease. Instead, the original deposit will go to the Asians, since their names are on the lease. If Jamie and Krystal renew the lease, then they would have to pay the new deposit. Jamie asks the Asians for their half of the deposit, but the Asians say I didnt deserve to have 700 bucks, so they wont give it to them. Essentially, the Asians are taking 4 people's deposits for themselves when they only paid for 2 deposits. I tell Jamie that in the email. I had no idea that the apt. complex would even give out the original deposit when the lease was up and require a new one from whoever signs the lease.
Still with me?
I'm writing this at 4:30 am because I've gotten 2 phone calls in the past hour and 3 text messages. All from Jamie and her mom. I didnt respond to any of them, and right now I dont plan to at all. The urgency is because the Asians leave for Korea in 4 hours. I already emailed Jamie explaining this whole situation as thoroughly as possible a few hours ago and told her I couldnt help her anymore. I did listen to the voicemails and find it very...stupid (paraphrased):
"This is Jamie's mom. I'm a hard working immigrant who has respected this country. You are an American and I try hard not to think of you as the stereotype. I have worked very hard and I can not afford the money you are taking from me. You are white and I dont see how you will survive in the workforce with your morals. I thought you looked like trustworthy girl. You are a SWINDLER! A brat. You are not professional and you wont do well in the workforce. You lied to us and take our money without telling us the full situation. This goes on for about 15 minutes.
She calls again and continues with the same stuff...that's what I basically gathered, hard to understand. Jamie briefly talks too and claims she had "no idea" that she wouldnt get her deposit back from me. Her mom makes an incoherent threat, I believe she means she wants to take me to court.
Congrats if you made it this far, I tried to make it as short as possible but there are lots of twists to this story. In my last email to Jamie I gave her possible solutions to getting her money (sign the lease now, get the Asians to give half of it to her, contact the roommates I told her about, find new roommates and get deposits from them, etc). I really dont see how I have any responsibility in this manner.
I for sure didnt think all this crap would happen to them, but really is it my fault? Do you think I should respond?
I'm turning to the forums once again to update the story and get some more opinions about the serious mess that has unfolded.
To update from where I left off in the previous post: I refused to pay Leslie the security deposit until she repaired all the damage she did to the apartment. She wouldnt repair anything so I never paid her. She called a few months later demanding it again but I told her she was SOL. Never heard from her again.
So, my roommate Jenny decides to move out unexpectedly the first week of June. She not only left immediately, but moved to another country. She left me high and dry with her share of the rent to pay for June. Being that I cant afford another 500 bucks on my own, I asked my 2 other roommates to help me. They did not like the idea and were a bit mad at me that I had the gall to ask for them to help me. They told me they couldnt even afford to stay in the apartment til August, when they are supposed to move out. However, I convinced them that they would get their money back using the security deposit from the new roommates who would take my and Jenny's room, since I moved out June 13th.
Me and my 2 other roommates (lets call them the Asians for simplicity's sake), signed an agreement that by June 17th, my name was officially off the lease and the Asians agreed to all financial responsibility from that point forward. I offered to find them roommates for the apartment so they wouldnt have to when I left. So I find Jamie and Krystal, and they move in. Being that I never paid a security deposit, but Jenny did, I made things simple by asking for $350 from each of them (which would total to 700 for Jenny's deposit), which is a better deal due to the apartment's damages. Originally I planned to give Jenny the deposit, but due to her ditching me with no help at all with the situation and her also being one of the people to damage the apartment (and the fact she was in China and I couldnt contact her) I took it. I wasnt trying to make a profit, but simply pay the $350 back to the Asians that I borrowed from them and make up for the 170 I lost paying Jenny's part of the rent. I pocketed the 190 change, justifying it to myself because I found the roommates and bought cleaning supplies to fix the place up. I made it very clear why I was lowering the deposit for them and how they would get it back (by finding roommates like I did and getting it from them). I told them numerous times.
Ever since I left, I've had constant emails and voicemails from Jamie. "I cant get internet, I cant get the internet deal you had, how do you pay for the water bill? How do I sign the lease? The Asians arent paying their portion of the bills, can you tell them to pay?" Questions like that. To be nice, I answered them and helped them out. I even gave them an email contact of people who were interested in taking over the lease when it ended in August, so they wouldnt have to find new roommates. I explained that they could get their deposit back from these new roommates; or, if all of them moved out at the same time, the apartment complex would give them their deposits (this is what the apt. complex told me).
Fastforward to the last 2 days. Constant emails and phone calls. Ive put Jamie's number on caller id as "ignore" and "no ringtone" when she calls. However I still cant help but read her email. She is now worried about getting her deposit back. The Asians decided to ditch the apt. early (as in tomorrow). Jamie and Krystal never signed the lease (i dunno why, they claim my name was still on the lease and they couldnt sign it without me present, but I was officially removed and I have the document to prove it). She tells me that when the lease is renewed in August, the apt. complex wants a new deposit, and they wont give the original deposit to them when they move out, since theyre not on the lease. Instead, the original deposit will go to the Asians, since their names are on the lease. If Jamie and Krystal renew the lease, then they would have to pay the new deposit. Jamie asks the Asians for their half of the deposit, but the Asians say I didnt deserve to have 700 bucks, so they wont give it to them. Essentially, the Asians are taking 4 people's deposits for themselves when they only paid for 2 deposits. I tell Jamie that in the email. I had no idea that the apt. complex would even give out the original deposit when the lease was up and require a new one from whoever signs the lease.
Still with me?
I'm writing this at 4:30 am because I've gotten 2 phone calls in the past hour and 3 text messages. All from Jamie and her mom. I didnt respond to any of them, and right now I dont plan to at all. The urgency is because the Asians leave for Korea in 4 hours. I already emailed Jamie explaining this whole situation as thoroughly as possible a few hours ago and told her I couldnt help her anymore. I did listen to the voicemails and find it very...stupid (paraphrased):
"This is Jamie's mom. I'm a hard working immigrant who has respected this country. You are an American and I try hard not to think of you as the stereotype. I have worked very hard and I can not afford the money you are taking from me. You are white and I dont see how you will survive in the workforce with your morals. I thought you looked like trustworthy girl. You are a SWINDLER! A brat. You are not professional and you wont do well in the workforce. You lied to us and take our money without telling us the full situation. This goes on for about 15 minutes.
She calls again and continues with the same stuff...that's what I basically gathered, hard to understand. Jamie briefly talks too and claims she had "no idea" that she wouldnt get her deposit back from me. Her mom makes an incoherent threat, I believe she means she wants to take me to court.
Congrats if you made it this far, I tried to make it as short as possible but there are lots of twists to this story. In my last email to Jamie I gave her possible solutions to getting her money (sign the lease now, get the Asians to give half of it to her, contact the roommates I told her about, find new roommates and get deposits from them, etc). I really dont see how I have any responsibility in this manner.
I for sure didnt think all this crap would happen to them, but really is it my fault? Do you think I should respond?
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