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That $500 landlord lawyer saved my security deposit
Paid a real estate lawyer $500 to review my old lease after my landlord tried to keep my whole deposit for 'normal wear and tear'. Turned out they had to give me itemized receipts by law in Chicago and they didn't have any. Has anyone else had luck fighting shady deposit deductions?
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the_eric8d ago
Right, the part about needing itemized receipts in Chicago is the key. I had a similar thing happen with a landlord in Portland, same basic law exists here. But here's the thing I'm wondering - did your lawyer actually send them a formal demand letter before you went to court, or did they just threaten? Because in my case, the landlord folded the second they saw a lawyer's letterhead, didn't even need to file anything. But I've heard stories where landlords will just ignore that letter and make you actually take them to small claims, and that's where the $500 lawyer fee starts looking cheap compared to fighting it alone. What made them finally give it up - the letter or the threat of court?
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alicer538d ago
Oh man, that's a good question! I actually read somewhere that something like 80% of security deposit disputes get resolved just with a formal letter, which is wild. For me, it was totally the letter that did it. My lawyer sent this really straightforward demand letter with the Chicago code citations and a breakdown of what they owed, and the property management company caved within a week. I think @anthonynelson had a similar experience with just a letter doing the trick, so it seems pretty common. But yeah, I've heard horror stories from people where the landlord just tosses the letter in the trash and forces them to file small claims. I guess it really depends on whether the landlord knows they're in the wrong or if they're just hoping you'll give up.
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