Wanted: Advice
Hey guys! So, I have a question.
When the COG and I split two years ago, I moved into an apartment with a friend of mine. The security deposit for said place was $2000. Utilities would be paid in full by us, and then 40% of each bill would be taken off of our monthly rent. For example, if we had a $100 gas bill, we'd pay $40 less in rent that month and include a copy of the utility bill in with the rent check. This was all well and good. Expensive as crap, but well and good.
My friend and I went our seperate ways in January of '08 and we vacated the apartment on 1-31-08. I recieved the final gas and electric bills in February and paid them off, keeping reciepts for everything. 40% of these bills ammounted to $224.89
In May of 2008 I recieved a note from the landlord with a check for $1700. He couldn't find proof of my initial $300 deposit, but he agreed to send me that and reimburse me for the utility bills as long as I supplied proof of payment to him. I faxed him copies of the bills, as well as copies of the checks I wrote for the deposit.
I've called repeatedly, and several times he's said he would send me the money he owes me. The last I heard from him was in October of 2008, saying the check was in the mail. Since then I've been calling adn leaving messages on his cell phone every two weeks with no response.
Question. Is it worth getting into a legal battle for $525? Morally it's infuriating, but I don't have a desperate need for the money. Yes, it would definitely help, but it would be more a "principle of the thing" altercation than anything.
I've asked several of the attorneys here, but I can't seem to find any legal information on tenants rights that would concern my case. IL tenant laws only seem to hold up if there are at least 5 units in the building, and I rented a duplex.
Help? Advice please??
When the COG and I split two years ago, I moved into an apartment with a friend of mine. The security deposit for said place was $2000. Utilities would be paid in full by us, and then 40% of each bill would be taken off of our monthly rent. For example, if we had a $100 gas bill, we'd pay $40 less in rent that month and include a copy of the utility bill in with the rent check. This was all well and good. Expensive as crap, but well and good.
My friend and I went our seperate ways in January of '08 and we vacated the apartment on 1-31-08. I recieved the final gas and electric bills in February and paid them off, keeping reciepts for everything. 40% of these bills ammounted to $224.89
In May of 2008 I recieved a note from the landlord with a check for $1700. He couldn't find proof of my initial $300 deposit, but he agreed to send me that and reimburse me for the utility bills as long as I supplied proof of payment to him. I faxed him copies of the bills, as well as copies of the checks I wrote for the deposit.
I've called repeatedly, and several times he's said he would send me the money he owes me. The last I heard from him was in October of 2008, saying the check was in the mail. Since then I've been calling adn leaving messages on his cell phone every two weeks with no response.
Question. Is it worth getting into a legal battle for $525? Morally it's infuriating, but I don't have a desperate need for the money. Yes, it would definitely help, but it would be more a "principle of the thing" altercation than anything.
I've asked several of the attorneys here, but I can't seem to find any legal information on tenants rights that would concern my case. IL tenant laws only seem to hold up if there are at least 5 units in the building, and I rented a duplex.
Help? Advice please??