valnyc
Jan 18, 2011, 12:59 AM
From Astoria, NY
Hello,
Sorry, this is a little long but I have to explain.
My roommate is the only person on the lease (hereby defined as "she"). Two of us moved in later and she lived with her friend in a newly rented apt when we found out she is, beyond any doubt, seriously overcharging us for rent. She and her friendo do not have to pay anything or pay a very small amount. Because her name is on the lease, she pays the rent, I/we give the money to her. I asked her how much the rent is on numerous occasions but she refuses to tell me. So I ask the landlord/owner of the property and he tells me she asked him not to tell any of the roommates what the rent was (obvious scam intention there). But the landlord give me an idea of what it is not by telling me how much the rent is but of what "would be right" to pay per person/per room, dividing fairly. In that case the rent would be around 1.600/1.700 tops. I know, for a fact, that in December the collected rent was of 2.050 with neither one of them (the 2 scammers) having paid a penny. According to them, they should have paid 1.500 combined (2 rooms) and I donñt even know what that means. I´m lost in the middle of a huge scam. Or is this a criminal fraud? I know we paid, they are knowingly and willfully overcharging us, and paying their rent with our money and keeping the change – some several hundred dollars, at that, perhaps $450 or $350! Bottom line, I´m not talking about a small sum, a 10% rental management fee. There is a huge difference there. This is being robbed.
A couple of weeks ago, after I asked many times about the rent, the lease and after she told me she was going to sublet the rooms again each for $800(!) she told me it would be best for me to leave. Yeah, right.
Given all this, me and my also ripped off roommate want the 2 tramps out of here. I have spoken to the landlord and he says he can´t officially tell me how much the rent is or show me the lease, as she asked him not to. In fact, he says he actually hasn´t signed the lease as there were last minutes changes made and that he didn´t sign it (but that´s an old trick in NY – if he needs the lease, if he wants to kick a lease holder out, he pulls a signed one out; if the lease holder needs to exercise her/his rights he/she doesn´t have a signed copy).
My question is: 1) what should we do? We, the two roommates who have been ripped off, want to stay and want the other two tramps to go. 2) Is what the roommate and leaseholder done illegal? (I can only think so!) 3) Could I pursue reimbursements in court? 4) Don´t I, as a tenant, have the legal right to know how much the lease is or see a copy of the lease? 5) Does the landlord have the legal right not to tell me, a tenant, how much the rent is? 6) What are my options?
The landlord likes me but, understandably, he doesn´t want any trouble. He just wants his rent paid on time but knows someone has to go. In all honesty, I don´t think he cares who although he is not happy with all the subletting. Subletting was not allowed in the lease (then again, he didn´t sign it!)
Me and my roommate have copies of the checks we gave for rent pymt and deposit and other proof that she charged for more people who stayed here, so we feel pretty covered. Initially, we haven´t thought about a confrontation as far as asking to be reimbursed but would consider it. What we really want is for both of them to leave! Ah, I forgot: they are Brazilian. One of them has a Green card (married/divorced some US citizen) and the other is illegal here. I don´t want to argue. I would like to send her a swift, extremely precise and straight to the point email, after becoming well informed and well documented, hopefully, telling her she and her partner in crime are the ones who have to leave!
Urgent help is much appreciated!
Thank you,
Ripped Off New Yorker
Hello,
Sorry, this is a little long but I have to explain.
My roommate is the only person on the lease (hereby defined as "she"). Two of us moved in later and she lived with her friend in a newly rented apt when we found out she is, beyond any doubt, seriously overcharging us for rent. She and her friendo do not have to pay anything or pay a very small amount. Because her name is on the lease, she pays the rent, I/we give the money to her. I asked her how much the rent is on numerous occasions but she refuses to tell me. So I ask the landlord/owner of the property and he tells me she asked him not to tell any of the roommates what the rent was (obvious scam intention there). But the landlord give me an idea of what it is not by telling me how much the rent is but of what "would be right" to pay per person/per room, dividing fairly. In that case the rent would be around 1.600/1.700 tops. I know, for a fact, that in December the collected rent was of 2.050 with neither one of them (the 2 scammers) having paid a penny. According to them, they should have paid 1.500 combined (2 rooms) and I donñt even know what that means. I´m lost in the middle of a huge scam. Or is this a criminal fraud? I know we paid, they are knowingly and willfully overcharging us, and paying their rent with our money and keeping the change – some several hundred dollars, at that, perhaps $450 or $350! Bottom line, I´m not talking about a small sum, a 10% rental management fee. There is a huge difference there. This is being robbed.
A couple of weeks ago, after I asked many times about the rent, the lease and after she told me she was going to sublet the rooms again each for $800(!) she told me it would be best for me to leave. Yeah, right.
Given all this, me and my also ripped off roommate want the 2 tramps out of here. I have spoken to the landlord and he says he can´t officially tell me how much the rent is or show me the lease, as she asked him not to. In fact, he says he actually hasn´t signed the lease as there were last minutes changes made and that he didn´t sign it (but that´s an old trick in NY – if he needs the lease, if he wants to kick a lease holder out, he pulls a signed one out; if the lease holder needs to exercise her/his rights he/she doesn´t have a signed copy).
My question is: 1) what should we do? We, the two roommates who have been ripped off, want to stay and want the other two tramps to go. 2) Is what the roommate and leaseholder done illegal? (I can only think so!) 3) Could I pursue reimbursements in court? 4) Don´t I, as a tenant, have the legal right to know how much the lease is or see a copy of the lease? 5) Does the landlord have the legal right not to tell me, a tenant, how much the rent is? 6) What are my options?
The landlord likes me but, understandably, he doesn´t want any trouble. He just wants his rent paid on time but knows someone has to go. In all honesty, I don´t think he cares who although he is not happy with all the subletting. Subletting was not allowed in the lease (then again, he didn´t sign it!)
Me and my roommate have copies of the checks we gave for rent pymt and deposit and other proof that she charged for more people who stayed here, so we feel pretty covered. Initially, we haven´t thought about a confrontation as far as asking to be reimbursed but would consider it. What we really want is for both of them to leave! Ah, I forgot: they are Brazilian. One of them has a Green card (married/divorced some US citizen) and the other is illegal here. I don´t want to argue. I would like to send her a swift, extremely precise and straight to the point email, after becoming well informed and well documented, hopefully, telling her she and her partner in crime are the ones who have to leave!
Urgent help is much appreciated!
Thank you,
Ripped Off New Yorker