Q: My landlord has been reading my water meter wrong on purpose in order to Bill me 3to4 times what it actualy should be.
The land lord has been doing this for 4to5 years. I finally have Rock solid proof, by way of their own monthly bills. What type of lawyer do I need?
A: Assuming your rental dwelling is in Oregon, it sounds as if your landlord may have been paying water/sewer directly to the provider and then re-billing part or all of the expense to you. IF that is accurate, there is a whole series of requirements for the landlord to include a copy of HIS bill from the provider when he bills "your share" to you or to at least include a written notice that you can go into the office and review the master bill. Your written lease is supposed to tell you how he will determine what your share of the total bill is, etc., etc. And there are monetary penalties to the landlord if he does not do so - but you likely can only go back 12 months from when you file in court. So if you think you have valid claims, grab your lease and all notices/communications with the landlord, and review it all with a local landlord-tenant attorney. If they agree you have a strong case, they may be willing to simply represent you on a contingency wherein you would owe them nothing for their fees (beyond an initial evaluation interview potentially) but rather they would rely upon collecting them from your landlord upon either settling or prevailing in court. Good luck.
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