Can my Landlord charge me?
May 11th, 2011 | 
Author: Can my landlord charge me for Attorney’s fees when said Attorney did not evict me? I fulfilled my lease, and I even asked her if I owed her any more money, and she said no. Now she’s taking $250.00 out of my deposit for ‘Attorney’s Fee’s’ for things like 3-Day Pay or Vacates that she sent.
She also is charging me $75.00 for a stupid mini-blind that fell and broke the first time I tried to use it because she put one that was too small in the kitchen window. They’re only 9.99 at the hardware store I work at. (Say what??)
Washington State
Posted in Landlord Tenant Law
Take her to Small Claims Court. She is cheating you.
You can ask for receipts for her deductions. You can certainly challenge her charge for miniblind. However, be polite and businesslike–lose the attitude and name-calling.
To be liable for attorney’s fees, you need not be evicted. If she sent you 3 day notices because YOU were late paying your rent, that’s a legitimate deduction, and the minimum charge of an attorney.
Yes she can and should charge you because after all you were the one in default and not paying the rent.
Second, just because they sell mini blinds where you work does not mean that is what she uses. We do not use blinds that come from the local store,we order them from a company and they are a lot higher but better.You broke the blind and you will be charged for it.
The whole thing is you are mad because you didn’t pay your rent and your landlord refused to let you live there for free.
I hear this all the time from people who are forced to either pay rent or move out because they won’t
Yes she can…however, she has to prove that she used an attorney by providing an invoice.
Pay or quit and vacate notices…an attorney is NOT required..if she has filed an eviction notice, then those costs are reasonable.
She cannot charge you for a mini-blind that broke because it was ill-fitting.
I doubt she used an attorney for something she can do herself.
You are entitled to a copy of the attorneys bill.
She can charge you for the legal fees but he can’t make a profit on it. Same deal with the mini-blind. Sounds like small claims court. You’d get maybe $150 back if you won and you’d have to pay about $50 to get them to court.