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BritInPitt · Apr 21, 2007, 08:50 PM

I have lived in the same apartment building attached to a motel near Pittsburgh, PA for 14 years. I do not have a written lease, but I do have bank statements listing monthly payments to the motel.

Lat Monday I came home to discover that my landlord had provided full and open access to a movie crew and that my apartment was now part of a movie set. While I was at work the crew had replaced my drapes with vertical blinds and taped over the lock on my front door to prevent it fully closing.

I let the crew know that I had not provided any permission or consent to their use of my apartment and that I did not believe that the landlord had any authority to provide permission or access. Despite this, they insisted on setting up a large movie light inside my apartment (with the landord by their side). The inside of my apartment was now brighter than the surface of the sun, so I fled to my van in the parking lot, returning 15 minutes later only to be told by an cast member that I would have to leave as they needed to reshoot a scene - I was, in effect, being evicted by an actor.

When I confronted the landlord (again) and told him that he had no right to provide access to my apartment (or sublease it? He was, apparently, paid $400 by the crew) his response was, and I quote, "It's my building and I can do what I like".

I've spent the last five days trying to find out just what my rights are, what laws the landlord and crew might have broken, and what action I would be justified in taking. The only explicit advice I've received so far was to file a report with the local police. I did that this evening and the police officer told me that it seemed to be a civil rather than criminal issue.

Fr_Chuck · Apr 21, 2007, 09:01 PM

1. You should have called the police to remove the film crew. It was criminal when it was happening, ( tresspass) but now it is civil since you let them stay.

2. now you sue the landlord for violation of your rental agreement, and also sue him for the value of the use of the apartment, since it was your apartment, you are entitled to the full amount they film crew paid him.