Redding, CA asked in Landlord - Tenant for California

Q: can a landlord make claims that I owe them money after moving out 3 months prior.

I lived in a house for 6 months, and moved out march 31, 2018. A few weeks ago the land lord sent me a text saying I owe her a specific amount listing bills without reliable source information to verify them. Also the entire time living in the house I was never given access or information to bill amounts and the landlord intentionally wouldn't disclose the information until a bill was past due also not provided proof from a reliable source, just word of mouth. I am just unsure if she has the legal basis to try and sue me or try and take this money from me after not living there for so long.

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1 Lawyer Answer
Andy Chen
Andy Chen
Answered
  • Modesto, CA
  • Licensed in California

A: The landlord can always try to come after you (e.g. small claims court, etc). You can't ever stop someone from trying to do something like sue you. I would agree with your intuition -- namely, if you did indeed owe that money, why did it take almost 4 months for the landlord to come after you for it? Once the landlord explains that, you can also ask what evidence there is that those bills (e.g. a water bill) was due to your use and not, for instance, use that occurred after you moved out.

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