NWR: Legal question re: rent (long, sorry!)
I know we have some lawyers out there on this board, so I figured I would ask you ladies (or your FH's) this question...
We live in a Fairfield apt complex. As most of you know, they are everywhere. Anyway - for the past 9 months or so, they have been undercharging us by $900 ($100 each month). Basically, we pay $100 for our garage and they have been applying some kind of credit each month to our bill so we've just been paying what they told us to pay. They are the ones that messed this up... However, this month they finally got it right and charged us the full amount.
Yesterday we get this letter saying we owe them $900 that's past due and we need to give them the money in 3 business days or else they are changing the locks on our garage and confiscating what's inside (um, our cars).
So, here's my question - are we obligated to pay this amount even though we've been paying what they tell us to pay each month? We thought they were applying a credit to our account so didn't question it - we paid our garage security twice (because they messed up) so I thought they figured out we did that and were applying the credit to our account. And in 3 days?! Um, this is their error... we shouldn't have to fork up that kind of cash when THEY are the ones that messed up. Plus, they give all these incentives to people when they move in there (free garage for a year, reduced rent, etc.), so how were we supposed to know they weren't giving us some kind of credit??
Anyway, any legal advice is really helpful... thanks so much ladies!!!!!!!
We live in a Fairfield apt complex. As most of you know, they are everywhere. Anyway - for the past 9 months or so, they have been undercharging us by $900 ($100 each month). Basically, we pay $100 for our garage and they have been applying some kind of credit each month to our bill so we've just been paying what they told us to pay. They are the ones that messed this up... However, this month they finally got it right and charged us the full amount.
Yesterday we get this letter saying we owe them $900 that's past due and we need to give them the money in 3 business days or else they are changing the locks on our garage and confiscating what's inside (um, our cars).
So, here's my question - are we obligated to pay this amount even though we've been paying what they tell us to pay each month? We thought they were applying a credit to our account so didn't question it - we paid our garage security twice (because they messed up) so I thought they figured out we did that and were applying the credit to our account. And in 3 days?! Um, this is their error... we shouldn't have to fork up that kind of cash when THEY are the ones that messed up. Plus, they give all these incentives to people when they move in there (free garage for a year, reduced rent, etc.), so how were we supposed to know they weren't giving us some kind of credit??
Anyway, any legal advice is really helpful... thanks so much ladies!!!!!!!
