DailyBlog: First Time Being Harassed By A Creditor

A few months ago, I was assaulted in my apartment complex. The issue was compounded because they had provided tenants with a prior written notice that they hired a security company that would be at both doors 24/7, due to them being aware that the building had become a security risk. (The once quaint and historic neighborhood that I was living in had gone downhill fast in the four years that I lived there.) When I was assaulted, the security guard was no where to be found.

I filed an official police report regarding the incident, but past that, all I requested from my landlord was an immediate release from my lease. (Which turns out wasn’t even needed because I was on a month-to-month lease as is.) I didn’t even demand the rest of the month’s money be prorated back to me as I just wanted to leave my unsafe living environment and put it behind me.

Fast forward two and a half months later. Today, I get a phone call to my direct line at work — and it is a “creditor” claiming that I owe my previous residence $150 for “standard cleaning fees.” I very firmly stated that no, I did not owe them a cent, if anything they owe ME money as not only did I not ask for my prorated rent to be returned to me, but I also never received my deposit back, AND I left the apartment in good condition (I have timestamped photos to prove it). Truth be told, I forgot about the deposit entirely because it was only $200 rather than the often-charged month’s rent, or first and last, etc. I was just focused on getting settled into my new, safer, nicer place.

It amazes me how “creditors” seem to assume (or at least hope) that the general public is willfully uneducated about their own rights and the most basic of laws.

1. I was on a month-to-month lease, so really, I didn’t even have to break my lease. (They claimed that I did break my lease so my desposit was forfeit. Nope. Incorrect information all around. Even if I was on a year-lease that I had broken, I was assaulted on their property by one of their tenants, and I wouldv’e had a legal right to immediately vacate without repercussions. Under a month-to-month lease, all that I would have NORMALLY been obligated to do with them was give them a 20-day notice of my intent to vacate. However, since AGAIN, I was assaulted, on their property, but one of their tenants, my safety was an immediate concern and I had filed an official police report to that regard so I legally had a right to immediately vacate. I was being KIND when I didn’t demand that my rent be prorated, as I would have had a legal right to do so.
2. I could have sued the management company for negligence.  Prior to being assaulted, they provided all of their tenants, IN WRITING, a notice that due to the security risk that our apartment building had become, they had hired a security firm, and a security guard would be posted at each entrance 24/7. When I was assaulted, there was no security guard at the front door. The following day when I confronted the security guard who was present, he claimed that this crazed woman (who assaulted me) had already assaulted someone else in the building and they were on another floor searching for her at that very moment which meant that they intentionally left the main lobby unprotected. I could have SUED them, and chose not to, because to me, it wasn’t worth the hassle. All I wanted was to get out. I even ate all of the moving costs because I simply didn’t want to deal with the hassle of taking people to court. (But I’m also not a moron, I saved all communications, etc.)I state all of these facts very firmly (as I was already informed that this call was being recorded… GOOD, record away! That way you can’t claim that you were never informed of these details that clearly my former landlord did not mention) and again I stated that this is my direct work line, I am at work, and as this is a personal call, they are never to call this phone number again. Then, the guy starts verbally harassing me.

I don’t get it! Ignore for a minute all of the ways in which this is an incredibly stupid move from my former landlord: as a CREDITOR, whose job depends on you gathering money from people, why in the world would you think that verbally harassing someone is going to convince a person to whip out their checkbook for you?? Even if the laughable charges you’re claiming that you’re trying to collect were even remotely legit, I wouldn’t pay a red cent to the go-between who was verbally harassing me. Do people do this? Does it work this way for others? How? Why??

Then I have to move on to how incredibly moronic this move is from my former landlords who are trying to scare me out of $150 when I could have, and still could, sue them for thousands. I could demand my security deposit back, prorated rent, AND all of my moving expenses, plus compensation for being assaulted on their property. THEIR SECURITY FIRM FAILED TO PROTECT ME by not being at their assigned post. THEY WEREN’T SCREENING TENANTS. (Discovered that when I left.) All of that is gross negligence. I hate drama. REALLY HATE IT. I avoid it at all costs which is why I didn’t pitch a fit, I just did what needed to legally be done, and I left.

I will avoid drama … but I will also take no shit. I walked away from a situation that I could have made BIG stink over, and THEY want to rock this boat?!

So… do I now sue? Do I go through the hassle of taking this ass wipe to court? I really didn’t want to. Frankly, I don’t have the time, and drama tends to stress me out and make me feel sick. I just want to save animals, hang out with my horses, chill with my friends, and write my novels. Give me the simple life!

UGH.