Property Damage -Ex Roommate

[whatcan1do]

Jurisdiction

Maine

Long story short I lived with a roommate for about a year just recently. While he was living in the apartment with me he caused several hundred dollars worth of damages. He moved out without returning his apartment keys or emptying out his room. He left his room filled with broken furniture and it is in total disarray I have had to hire a professional cleaner. He refuses to return my calls and will not pay me back for covering the cost of the damages. I have spent several hundreds of dollars in the past month to fix this apartment back up so I do not evicted because of a bad roommate. I would just like to know how I can get my money back. I have both pictures of the damages and the receipts for the cost of repair and replacement. I also have receipts and documentation for the cost of cleaning expenses and the cost of hauling his furniture to the dump, as well as saved email and text conversations in which he states he will be paying for the damage done and admits fault. I cannot contact him, he will not respond. What can I do? Thank you.

 

[ElleMD]

Small claims court is probably going to be your best bet.

 

[adjusterjack]

I cannot contact him, he will not respond. What can I do?

You can sue him, but you'll have to find him to serve him.

Even if your lawsuit is successful, he sounds like the kind of deadbeat that makes judgments uncollectible.

Here's the expensive life lesson from the school of hard knocks: Don't do roommates.

 

[Betty3]

You can "try" small claims court. However; even if you win, you might have a problem collecting on the judgment. The court doesn't collect for you.