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Karma
is no "Dick"
TIM DUNBAR
dunbar@mscd.edu
Life is full of small triumphs. Last week I had one Iím especially
proud of because I was able to help my best friend and right a grievous wrong
at the same time.
My
friend, Vikki and her two daughters, Shannon and Meggie came
to Colorado from Texas two years ago to start a new life.
It was a brave move and they have adjusted well to their
new home. After spending the summer at a mutual friendís
house, they found their own apartment a few blocks away.
The place was nothing fancy, but it was theirs and they took
good care of it.
Through
a bizarre twist of fateóand because karma works the way it
doesóthey were able to afford their own house where the girls
could have their own rooms, have a yard and a garden if they
wanted, and a garage in which to park the car.
When
it came time to move out of the apartment, Vikki received
a letter from the landlord containing a list of things she
needed to do in order to get her $750 deposit back. The list
included shampooing the carpet, washing and waxing the floors
and cleaning out the cupboards with (and he was very specific
about this) Murphyís Oil Soap.
She
rented the carpet shampooer, did the floors and took care
of the cupboards. The place was immaculate, in better shape,
really, than when she moved in.
In
Colorado, landlords have 30 days to return a security deposit,
unless otherwise statedóand agreed toóin the lease. Vikkiís
lease gave the landlord (who, just for fun, weíll call "Dick")
60 days. When the 60 days were up, "Dick" called
Vikki and told her heíd have the deposit to her "sometime
before the end of next month." Because "Dick" had
been kind to her when she needed kindness, and because she
also believes in karma, Vikki agreed to let the 60-day limit
slide.
A
few days before the end of Februaryóalmost 90-days after
she moved out of the apartmentó"Dick" stopped by
with his version of the return of Vikkiís security deposit
and a letter stating the reasons he was returning only $340
of her $750 deposit. The letter claimed he had to have the
kitchen floor professionally cleaned because she had used
the wrong kind of wax, that he was charging her to replace
light bulbs, and that the carpeting needed partial repair.
Thatís
when I stepped in. If thereís one thing that gets under my
skin itís when people try to take advantage of other people
because they think theyíre either too stupid or too lazy
to do anything about it. Vikki is neither, but she is a kind
soul who doesnít like conflict. I donít, either, but when
I read the blatant lies he had so carefully laid out in that
letter, I went ballistic.
"Dick," I
told him, "You canít deduct a dime for any of that stuff.
It all falls under Normal Wear and Tear. All of it." I
didnít go into the argument unarmed; Iíve rented a few dozen
places myself over the years (and have gotten back every
cent of every deposit Iíve ever had to lay down) and I know
the law.
Long
story short: "Dick" called the next day to say
he had "reconsidered." The day after that, a check
for $410 arrived in the mail. |
