We took our tenants to court today for all the damage they did to our house while we were in Brazil. I mean, this was egregious--around ten thousand dollars in damages that we had to repair. Their kids wrote all over the walls, they flooded the bathtub repeatedly to the point where we had to replace the living room ceiling.
Not to mention all the "little" things--several broken locks, trash all over the front yard, the living room floor badly scratched.
And on and on.
I mean, one of their kids scrawled his name on the wall, for God's sake.Then this woman had to gall to flat-out lie on the witness stand. No, there was never any water on the bathroom floor. There were only two little marks on the wall, not bigger than a few inches. Those photographs are magnified.
Yeah, right.
Right after the plumber had testified that he repeated came in and told them there was no leak, they just needed to use a shower curtain.
Possibly the lowest moment, though, was when the defendants' slimeball lawyer said to Dan, while he was on the stand, "I'm glad my kid isn't a student at the school where you teach."
What!?!
Another highlight was when the tenant was on the stand and got so worked up about how she was angry that we made them leave when the lease was up (the nerve, right?), that their lawyer objected to her testimony to shut her up.
Anyway, it's over, most of the damage to the house has been repaired, and now it's in the judge's hands.
I'm still pretty shaken up. It's disconcerting, to say the least, to have people deface your house, lie to your face, and insult your husband in a court of law.
Their lawyer was overheard, though, coming out of the court saying to his clients, "You're going to have to pay them something. It's just a question of how much."
So here's hoping!
And, in closing, your Honor--a totally unrelated cute picture of boys hugging:
7 comments:
Ugh my stomach just twisted when I read this. My hubby and I had to rent out our cute little bungalow house since it wasn't selling. The tenants completely trashed the house. The house was over 100 years old. They put holes in the walls, had dirty diapers that were months old laying all over and they also had knives and prescription pills laying all over. Among other horrible acts of destroying the hosue. They had two small children. I was outraged. Ugh...so I feel your pain.
I am glad the repairs have been made. Sorry court was like that. Hope it all works out in your favor.
Thanks, Summer. Sorry to hear you had a similar story. Kind of lowers one's estimation of humanity, doesn't it?
That's horrible thing. There are jerks everywhere. But I can't help thinking that if It had happened in Brazil I would be reading "how Brazilians are this and that"..
Hmm. Not from me, Fabio. These tenants happen to be of a certain ethnicity, but you won't catch me implying that this is why they acted this way. There are indeed scumbags of all races and nationalities, ne?
oooh we're hoping right along with you. good to see you documented the damage.
Oh that just sucks! Glad to hear you took them to court and didn't let them get away with it! At the very least, they have attorney fees.
that is absolutely unbelievable!!!!
that is why there are lawyer jokes i guess...
so harsh that they had to leave at the end of their lease.
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