Roomate Roommate Moved Out SIX Months Early...

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RoommateProblem

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What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? PENNSYLVANIA

I live in a three-bedroom apartment with three roommates. Back in January, one of our roommates moved out without any notice. She did not say she was moving out, just left the apartment. About a month later, she returned and moved out her belongings. She took several items that belonged to both myself and my roommate. We contacted her, and she paid rent and utilities for February, and we told her that we were expecting her to honor the terms of the lease, and pay her rent through August 2008. We had a signed lease with the apartment complex through August of 2008. She never turned her key to either the apartment or the mailbox into the leasing office, myself or my roommate.

We made several attempts to contact her through e-mail, phone, and certified letter. She changed her phone number, changed her e-mail account, and ignored over 12 attempts to have certified letters delivered to her. After a few weeks of not being able to contact her, we filed a claim at the local District Court.

We went to district court, representing ourselves, seeking the six months of rent and utilities. We also were seeking the return of three of the personal items that we knew she had in her posession. For each month that we lived at the apartment from August 2005 until she had left the apartment, we had each paid exactly $700 a month. This covered the cost of rent (approximately $567), the cost of utilities, and left about $20 extra each month which went into a joint account for the summer or winter months when the utility bills were sometimes higher. We agreed that at the end of our lease, we would split three-ways whatever was left in the account. So, in total we sued for $4200, and the return of the three items, and damage done to the apartment ($405) (this roommate had put holes in two doors ($65/each), and left two rooms painted ($275) with damage due to shelves, candles, etc.

We had signed an extensive lease with the apartment complex. Each of the three of us signed and initialed each page of the lease. We had no written roommate contract between the three of us, but we had proof of a verbal contract in the form of each of the cancelled checks from 30 months of living there. We also had pictures of the damage done to the apartment, as well as a police report from February 15th, where this roommate had gone into a bedroom that was not hers and took personal items from another roomate.

When we arrived at District Court, she was represented by a lawyer. We both presented our cases. They would not allow the 30 months of cancelled checks to be entered into evidence. She denied doing any of the damage (even though he had acknowledged verbally for almost two years that she would repair the damage she had caused). She also denied taking any personal property from the apartment. The police report was not allowed into evidence as her lawyer argued that it was irrelevant. Her lawyer argued she should not have to repaint her room/bathroom because we had been living there since she left "enjoying the color". Finally, the lawyer argued that the lease should not be considered because it was between the three of us as one entity, and the leasing company...NOT between my roommate and I and the roommate we were suing. In the end we were only awarded $1,044 dollars of the $4605 that we asked for. We plan on appealling the decision, but since we have been paying her share of the utilities and rent, as well as paying for school, and for a house that was purchased in July, we are not able to afford legal counsel. If anyone has any advice as to how we can proceed with our appeal with a better outcome, it would be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Also, I recieved a letter in the mail today from her lawyer saying that we were ordered to return her personal items (a couch, small television, and some mail). It said that if we do not return these items within 10 days, they would file a motion to have us held in contempt of court, and had their lawyer fee's put against us in the amount of $1,500. We were never ordered by the court in writing to return any items. This was not part of the ruling that we recieved from the court in any documents. How should we handle this?

Thanks!
 
I am a roommate leaving a lease early and I have more than enough reasons... I was only on the lease 2 weeks and they verbally agreed to me leaving within 6 months of a 1 year lease. But now since they didnt want me to leave they are trying to get me to pay the whole year. I not once ever stood in the house or even showered there I merely visited it 4 times total. Do you feel I should have the right to leave?
 
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