Re: Landlord Rights Minnesota - Landlord Forum thread 346934

Re: Landlord Rights Minnesota by Anonymous on July 31, 2016 @12:05

You didn't get shafted by a tenant. You lost a judgement in court. You need to examine what you did wrong and not do it again.

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Re: Landlord Rights Minnesota by Anonymous on August 5, 2016 @13:05	[ Reply ]

I know I got shafted - the thing is, I did everything right. I documented the state of the place at move in (no mold), got a signed move in move out document, had damage noted within 48 hours of move out, saw the car cover on the car every day for a year, saw it in the entryway and under the sink where the mold was found. Tenant said in an e-mail that she hung up the cover to dry in the entryway. Photos showed a mold pattern of something wet touching the drywall. Tenant changed story in court to say the cover was never wet. I couldn't get an estimate within the 21 days required by the state so I sent a note saying that once I had that info I would calculate the SD refund. 28 days after move out I had the estimate and sent an accounting and a check for the balance of the SD. She refused to cash the check and went to a lawyer that is paid for with state tax money. Judge says I had to have seen the car cover wet under the sink to prevail. How can I do that when I have to give 24 hour notice before entering? It would have been dry by the time I got in. Also, I would have had to pull the cover out to see the mold, how does that fit with "tenant has right to quiet enjoyment of the property"? I've never had water issues in this unit so had no reason to suspect mold growth. What is an out of state landlord supposed to do in a situation like this? Upshot is, I won't rent to students anymore - too much hassle, especially when they can get free legal support.