<p>Dont even know where to start. ill start at the very beginning. Last May i had to move out of the place i was living before because the area(rice and larpenture) is quite unstable. So i had to really quickly find a place around campus of Hamline University.</p> <p>Through Craigslist i found a place less that a block away from the school. I went to look at it and the landlord seemed nice and the place was still occupied and pretty small. The "apartment"(really a room in a duplex) was an attic space with a very small kitchen, living room a tiny bathroom and an ok size bedroom. All of that was for 650 a month utilities included. When i went to sign the lease, (witch was a one year lease) landlord told me that the place does not have it own entrance but he is going to build one during the summer. So in the mean time i would have to walk through other peoples living room to get to my place.</p> <p>So i decided to go ahead with that place and rented it. Landlord promissed me that he will fix everthing that was wrong with the apparment asap. Things like: stains on the sealing from water going through the roof, mold in the bathroom and terrible smell of crap from the toilet( and yes i cleaned it weekly). Later i made a list of things i want to have him replaced. He promissed that he will do it, but the only thing he did was to cut out that nasty mold and leave a hole in the wall for me to look at. After like 6 month of living there my parent came to visit me from russia. They went to see where i was living and told me that i will be moving out pronto, and the are not going to give me any money if i keep living there. they really though the place was a total dump for the money i was paying for it (650 a month).</p> <p>So what i ended up doing is i just took all my stuff one weekend end left to live elsewhere and left him a note where it said that he can have my security deposit as rent for january and if he had any questions he can call my parents attorney. A month later he called him and told that he need the rest of the rent or he is going to sue me... </p> <p>So thats the story, now thats where i need your advise my fellow subbie fans. That landlord has a reputation of being a slumlord and has monopoly on Hamline campus. He is known to screw people over. The place he rented me is most likely not a legal apartment because it does not have its own entrance and only one way of escape. But when i signed the contract it was a totally separate lease from the people down stairs.</p> He does not have an office, i dont know his last name, i dont know where he lives. <p>Please give me some kind of advice here, i know i was stupid in the first place to get involved with this guy and that place, but i was desparate to move and could not have moved farther away, because at that time i was in deep $hit with MWC.</p> <p>Parents attorney said to offer him 1500 for the rest of the lease and call it a day and if he does not take it and tries to sue me we will sue him for renting me a dump and illegal place. Let me know what you guys think about this. Sorry for so much writing. </p> Thanks a lot, Taras P.S. Pics of the place are short to come.
taras, you my friend need to start thinking. A side note, if he wants to sue you for a lease on an "apartment" that doesnt exist, he can try. I'd like to see the paperwork he'd have to bring to court to explain renting a room that doesnt meet code, in a home he's probably already rented. shady shady. A good lawyer will find a way to exploit this guys reputation as a slumlord taking advantage of college aged kids.
First thing, do you have pictures of the things in the apartment? Mold, water stained ceiling... etc... and a copy of the renters agreement? Also the offer to have everything fixed asap in writing will really help you out.
Did you document the rquest to fix said problems. How many times did you ask to have things fixed. I think when you sign most leases its in a "as is" condition. When I sign a lease anything I need fixed I have written on the lease before i sign it, making it clear the things need to be fixed. Slum lord or not you signed a legal binding contract. Tell him you are part of the "Red Mafia", and Igor and Vlad will be by to visit.:eek4:
i gotta say you were foolish to sign a lease with someone under those circumstances, you should've made a legal contract describing the problems and that he would fix them by a certain time. also, you were foolish to sign without getting more info on him and the property. sorry to say, i agree with the attorney, make the offer, if he declines for whatever reason i would go ahead and play hardball and countersue.
I know, i only learn on my own mistakes. But i would have lived in that place if my parents didnt make me leave. Yeah i agree on my lease its the same address that the people downstairs have. so its technically same apartment.
http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Minnesota/handhead.html Read that. For walking out on a lease that you signed, it will probably go to court if he doesn't like your offer of$1500. You signed a lease to live there, a lease is a contract..you broke the contract sorry to say. If its a bogus lease, your fine The court would be in his favor I'm sure.
Is his rental company registered? We all could report him to the better business bureau www.bbb.org and really smear him.
I only have the lease and the picture. I dont have the copy of the fix-it stuff. He has 4 houses i the row on snelling and all the people there are my friends and they all hate him. he is weird he would come to pick the rent out at the time when girls in their pigamas(sp) or about to take shower.
thats outrages, why would it be in his favor. He is freaking ripping people off and will get away with that? Can a report him to BBB?
Being a landlord, people like this make me mad, because they make life harder for those of us doing it fairly. Being a landlord, i know that the law is very much on the landlord's side, and that he can do a lot of damage to your rental history and credit history without even having to take any legal action against you. Listen to your attorney. It sucks, but making the problem go away now will save you a lot of hassle in the future. Getting all idealistic and trying to go after him legally (if you can find a way to walk away for not too much money) will be a lot easier on you in the long run. Plus, you can probably do more damage to him by putting the same amount of effort it would take to sue him into making people aware of his corrupt business practices.
screw that post it up... make him regret trying to screw over college kids too... or atleast blackmail him for the pics of the girls :laugh:
If i knew it, does not say anything on the contract, just his name in script writing on a copped paper. His name is Frank Malengaz or somthing like that i dont even know his last name cause i cant read his crappy writing.
Agreed, he could really mess up your rental history and make it difficult if not impossible to rent in the future. I'm thinking of a way to avoid paying him, but you can definitely smear him on campus and report him to the bbb. I'd also make a couple of posts warning against him and his practices on craigslist.
http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Minnesota/hb2.html#ch13.3 "Using the Tenant's Remedies Act Under the Tenant's Remedies Act, a tenant can sue for: A health or housing code violation. Minn. Stat. §566.18, subd. (6)(a) (1992). A violation of the landlord's obligation to keep the rental unit in reasonable repair. Minn. Stat. §566.18, subd. (6)(b) (1992). A violation of an oral or written rental agreement or lease. Minn. Stat. §566.18, subd. (6)(c) (1992)." sue that piece of ****
It's too bad I don't still live in MN, I used to work at a law firm. It'd be hard to convince one of my old attny buddies to help you out especially from NV. Shytie circumstance though.
True about BBB and Craigslist. No mater what happens i will put a post on the Craigslist and on the BBB.
When I went to UMD I had a prof ( he held a JD ) who would help his students with issues they had regarding their landlords. Hamline has a law school, so there are probly about 500 students who know more than I do that you see everyday on campus. Also there might be an office on campus that would help you with this sort of issue.
i was just going to bring this up, i know MNSU has an office with an attorney on hand to help with things like this, take the time and do it right the first time, and next time have the contract looked over and do some more research before hand
I called everywhere on campus about getting help, but there is nothing like that at hamline apparently.
This same kinda thing goes on around the U of M Twin Cities, my advice would be to listen to your parents and try not to take matters into your own hands. Parents are right almost 99% of the time, I had to find that out the hard way. Just be happy they are there to help you out of this sticky situation.
My parents were completely wrong until I turned about 25, then they started to get things right. :laugh: Sorry to hear about the bad situation Taras! I would listen to Vector and get LEGAL council, not car forum council. One question that I have is that although a lease is a legal, binding document, if it was for a space that didn't meet code, would it still be legal and binding? Best of luck, keep us posted.
Seriously, that place isn't even as close to as bad as some of the college places either I or my friends lived in.
exactly. I one live in a place that was insulated with shredded newspaper, and the entire living room was being supported by a temporary post. That landlord go locked up though.
good, point!! I if he does not take 1500 i will call an inspector for sure. And if he does take it and signs that i dont owe him anything i will do everything to F U C K him up! Zak, I paid 650 for that piece of crap. Do you think it worth it?
No it's not worth it! And I know my name's not Zak. To have to walk through someone else's home is f'n rediculous! I'm pretty sure that it is also illegal to have an attic apartment without a fire escape. If your only escape route was down the stairs, through the house...it is an illegal dwelling! Also, cutting holes in walls and not properly repairing the holes in said wall is down right laziness. This guy is a sloppy piece of **** that doesn't deserve to be a property owner of any sort! Pay the remainder of your lease. If you don't and you get an Unlawful Detainer...you're screwed! Keep your rental history as clean as you can. AND PLEASE, LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES! The only thing worse than making this mistake once, would be doing it again!:biggrin:
wow that stinks..that is not worth 650.00..hell no! thats like over paying a cheap whore for bad sex that leaves you with a VD.. call the bbb and inspector and talk to your lawyer.. oh and what josh said learn from your mistakes.
^^ I know. I was just saying that I was responding to the question, even if I wasn't Zak. Lol. CITY INSPECTOR can make HIS life hell.
