Q: Can I fight this?
I rented an apartment May 2019 to June 2020. On May 1st my rent was due. I was not going to have the money to pay the rent till after May 7th. On May 6th I got an eviction notice stating I needed to vacate by May 11th. To avoid legal action I left May 9th. I got a final statement yesterday saying I owe over $2,000 and my reason for leaving was buying a house. Per my lease I should have gotten a late notice and a late fee added, in addition to an extra $2.00 late fee daily till it was paid in full. I have my lease and my eviction notice and the final statement. What they did went against the lease agreement and they lied on the final statement. Please let me know if there is anything I can do. I cannot afford to pay $2,331.38 nor can I afford a lawyer. The rent money I had was spent on moving out and into a new place in 3 days. It says I have 10 days before it goes to collections.
A: Yes you can fight it. If they sue you for the money, then you can file an answer to the complaint that they file, and then attend the hearing to offer the lease as your defense. Check with local legal aid, or if your local court has a clinic with volunteers to assist those without an attorney.
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