Spring Break
Tensions run high between local landlords and students
Joel Pavelski
Issue date: 10/29/09 Section: News
Disagreements over security deposits and noise problems have pushed some students out of their apartments and pulled others into court.
Three students who lived at 224 West St. last year are attempting to recover in small claims court the security deposit that their landlord, Matt Hoyt, retained for alleged damages to their off-campus house.
Hoyt claimed the tenants threw some "massive parties" and destroyed property.
He said that they broke handles off the refrigerator, put holes in the wall, smoked in the house, built campfires in the backyard on a cement pad and ripped up the front yard with their trucks.
One of the renters, senior Chandler Galt, said that he cleared the backyard fire pit with the Hoyt's daughter Kayla, also a tenant at the house. He said two female tenants' boyfriends were the ones who ripped up the front lawn with their trucks, and that many of the damages listed by Hoyt were non-existent or overcharged. He cited the blackened concrete slab as an example - it was listed on the sheet of damages for $200.00.
The tenants moved out in May, and Hoyt came to inspect the house in early June. He sent the tenants a list of damages soon after. Both parties claim that they have compromised
Galt said he's done research on Michigan law and found that a list of damages must be delivered to the tenants within the month that the lease ends. The lease ended in May, and the list of damages was delivered in June, Galt said. He said he believes his security deposit will be returned to him by the court.
Neither Hoyt nor Galt would say how much the security deposit is worth.
"We took a much closer look at our landlord this year and made sure everything was on paper," Galt said.
Another renter, senior Paul Smith, said the former tenants have filed with small claims court and are waiting for Hoyt to sign for the legal documents or answer the summons and appear in court.
"The year before, the tenants had some parties but they cleaned up everything and if anything was damaged they fixed it," Hoyt said. "They were upfront with me about everything, and at the end of the year, there were a couple of things but you expect that and they got their entire security deposit back."
Three students who lived at 224 West St. last year are attempting to recover in small claims court the security deposit that their landlord, Matt Hoyt, retained for alleged damages to their off-campus house.
Hoyt claimed the tenants threw some "massive parties" and destroyed property.
He said that they broke handles off the refrigerator, put holes in the wall, smoked in the house, built campfires in the backyard on a cement pad and ripped up the front yard with their trucks.
One of the renters, senior Chandler Galt, said that he cleared the backyard fire pit with the Hoyt's daughter Kayla, also a tenant at the house. He said two female tenants' boyfriends were the ones who ripped up the front lawn with their trucks, and that many of the damages listed by Hoyt were non-existent or overcharged. He cited the blackened concrete slab as an example - it was listed on the sheet of damages for $200.00.
The tenants moved out in May, and Hoyt came to inspect the house in early June. He sent the tenants a list of damages soon after. Both parties claim that they have compromised
Galt said he's done research on Michigan law and found that a list of damages must be delivered to the tenants within the month that the lease ends. The lease ended in May, and the list of damages was delivered in June, Galt said. He said he believes his security deposit will be returned to him by the court.
Neither Hoyt nor Galt would say how much the security deposit is worth.
"We took a much closer look at our landlord this year and made sure everything was on paper," Galt said.
Another renter, senior Paul Smith, said the former tenants have filed with small claims court and are waiting for Hoyt to sign for the legal documents or answer the summons and appear in court.
"The year before, the tenants had some parties but they cleaned up everything and if anything was damaged they fixed it," Hoyt said. "They were upfront with me about everything, and at the end of the year, there were a couple of things but you expect that and they got their entire security deposit back."
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 3
Char (PSI Tutor)
Char(Tutor:Mentor)
posted 10/29/09 @ 11:13 PM EST
As many students may be spending their first time away independently from home I think this article is great to give them the heads up on;
1) How some landlords will stereotype them
2) Their responsibility as members of a community that lives in an area
3) The kind of household/community they want to live within
4) Knowing their rights as a tenant
There are enough stresses when studying without having one's sanctuary become a locus for drama. (Continued…)
Joy Pavelski
posted 10/30/09 @ 2:13 PM EST
First off, lovely lede.
All other things I have to say (mostly shock and consternation over KR's woes) are for private conversation. What a set of stories. (Continued…)
Matt
posted 11/04/09 @ 8:54 AM EST
Every student should be aware of Michigan's tenant/landlord guide. It summarizes the laws in an easily readable form.
http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/publications/tenantlandlord. (Continued…)
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