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JohnniT · Jun 30, 2006, 08:04 PM

I recently moved into an apartment with some friends or who I thought where friends at the time. When I moved in I brought my dog with me, and yes I paid a deposit of $175 plus $20 dollars a month extra for the deposit. Well about a month ago we found a house and moved. Now the old apartment is saying that my dog urinated all over the Livingroom area and my Bedroom area. She never did I kow this cause someone was always home with her and the one time she did go in the house it was on the Kitchen floor lenolium. Unfortunetly my Roommates are putting 100% of the blame on me even though they let there guini pigs run freely in the apartment.

Anyhow they are trying to charge me $1700.00 to replace the carpets in the entire apartment but admit to the pet damage being in the Living & bedroom area only.

Questions:
1) Can they charge me for all the carpet even the areas she was never in and they admitted to NOT having damage?
2) Also the carpet was 5 years old so my tenets say when they moved in making it 6 years old when we moved, is it true they have to prorate it since it was about to be replaced anyhow? (I was told by several Apartment complexs and Carpet people the law states after 7 years it has to be replaced)
3) If you know any good legal aids that can assist me with this in Washington please let me know

CaptainForest · Jun 30, 2006, 08:25 PM

Did you take pictures when you moved out?

To show that perhaps there were no pee stains there?

JohnniT · Jun 30, 2006, 08:28 PM

Unfortunetly no. There where no stains in the carpet when we moved that were plainly visible or of unknow origin. There where several stains that they (roommates) say where there before they moved in. Unfortunetly I can not prove this since I moved in 8 months after they did.

ScottGem · Jul 1, 2006, 04:06 AM

What they can do is take you to small claims court for the cost of replacing the carpet. They would have to prove that the carpet was damaged and the damaged was caused by your dog. Seems to me, that's not going to be easy to do.

I would try to get testimony from a dog trainer that your dog is fully housebroken. I would also take picutres of your current home to show there is no damage.

But the burden of proof should be on them.

I would suspect, if you call their bluff and tell them to sue you, they will back down.

JohnniT · Jul 2, 2006, 11:37 PM

Thanks Scott, Yes I am looking into small claims court now. I have also been researching RCW Codes and speaking to Lawyers. I found out that Washington has a average life span on carpets in apartment complexes of 7 years. If the carpet needed rplaced cause only say 20% of its life was left than they can only charge me 20% of the amount owed. Also since they are charging me for the ENTIRE apartment but freely admitted to only having damage in 2 rooms that I can not be charged for regular wear and tear on the rest of the carpet just the part they say was stained by my dog.

excon · Jul 3, 2006, 06:16 AM

Hello John:

They can't charge you WEAR & TEAR on anything. That's a landlord expense. They can charge you for damage only, and they'll have to prove it. If they win, they'll win the depreciated value of their carpet only, which according to you, should be bupkus.

King County is very partial to renters. You should kick butt.

excon

JohnniT · Jul 3, 2006, 11:03 AM

Cool Excon thanks for the info, definitely helps take some of this weight off my shoulders. I have been told that buy a couple people now 4 actually so you all can't be wrong, :)