do i have to pay?

[clcinwv]

i just moved out of my grandparents' house (they are passed and the house is part of the estate) and now my mother and her sisters (who are only 1/2 of the heirs) are planning to sue me for damages and leaving the house dirty. the damages include: a leaking toilet that has leaked and been "fixed" several times in the past 20 years and had damaged the ceiling below, a missing paper towel holder, a grease spot on the seal of the fridge, an under the counter radio that didn't work and i informed them of this and that i was taking it down, and some really old shower doors that i also asked if i could take down and was given permission to do so with no conditions. she is asking where the towel holder and radio are and wants me to pay for the repairs to the bathroom floor and ceiling below and to replace the shower doors (the doors are there, but are not put back up, she says the screws are stripped and the track is bent and there is a grease spot on the door). am i responsible for these?

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

You are responsible for an damages over what is considered to be "normal wear and tear". For example, if you were aware of the leaking toilet and did not notify them and by failing to do so the leak caused the ceiling damage then yes, you could be held financially accountable for this.

Gail

 

[clcinwv]

she/ they were aware of the leaking toilet. they had been in the house several times in the last 4 months.

what about the shower doors? i was given permission to take them down with no conditions (i.e. putting them back up before leaving).

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

You can refuse to replace them. If your mother and aunt want to force you to do this, then they'll likely have to sue you for their replacement cost. You would then have to show in court that the agreement was that you would not have to replace these doors once you removed them.

You mention that they are also going to sue you for leaving the place dirty. If they've taken pictures of the house (and the dirt is impressive) a judge is less likely to believe a former tenants claims that they don't owe for anything.

Just as a side note....this is your family making these repair requests. Is it worth it to have family members sue one another over such things? Replacing a shower track is not that expensive (or difficult); the most expensive part are the doors which are already there.

Gail