1. ALWAYS GET A RECEIPT for cash payments that outline specifically what the payment is for. Also, for things like renting an apartment, you should include actual dates of agreed move in.
2. ALWAYS GET A COPY OF THE LEASE when you sign it. The LL should either have a second copy for you, and you need to make sure the LL signs it. Or, the LL should give you a photocopy of the actual lease immediately after signing.
Also, what do you mean "things turned bad" between the two parties? I am sure that this LL is less than professional, but does that mean he breached the contract in a severe enough manner to allow your mother to terminate the agreement? I don't know...
As it stands, "We had decided it was to much trouble and didn't want to move in with a landlord like that and wanted the money back" makes it sound like you two decided to end the contract not him. Without a good reason (as decided by a judge) to leave the agreement, you are responsible for at least 30 days rent.
I don't know what the actual situation is. I am just saying that if you choose to go to court, you will have some troubles. First, it doesn't sound like you have a record of your payment or the lease agreement. Second, it will be up to the judge to decide if the LL breached the agreement OR if you chose to break the lease agreement. The judge will make this decision based on what is presented at trial. You could very well be found to have broken the agreement and responsible for the rental payment.
Again, this is an unfortunate situation. No professional LL would conduct himself in this manner. At the same time, you don't have the standard records you should have, and a judge might rule against you on the fact of who broke the agreement.
In the end, I hope you can get your money back. I would threaten legal action against the LL. That might get him moving. But, this could very well just end up being an expensive lesson.
I hate to say it but you got screwed. without a receipt or a copy of the lease it will be very hard to take any legal action even if you had not broken the lease.
Take it as a lesson learned. NO matter what you feel about the potential landlord, no matter if they seem like your best friend....ALWAYS get a receipt & a copy of the lease! Refuse to leave the office without it if you have to.
Did you signed a contract and got a receipt for the money? Take him to small claims court.
You are not entitled to the money back.
It sounds like mom has some mental health problems, if she refused to answer the phone, even after the poor guy tried 20 times.
The guy was an old friend from school over 30 years ago that started harassing us... No she doesn't have mental health problems she was taken advantage of. You have mental health problems dumb c u n t ,
Found an apartment in the pennysaver with my mom we liked it so we decided to take it after getting sucked into a 2 hour conversation with the landlord about how he knew my mother and they went to school together when they were kids. My mom trusted him after he gave her the apartment he asked her to come back with half a months rent and a full months security in total $1700 CASH. Not having any suspicion she went back with the cash and got the key thinking she would move in right away. Things turned bad and since that night he called about 20 times a day so my mom wouldn't answer but when she did she would set a day to come over and start moving in and every time he said that day wasn't good for him. One day we called him to move in because we saw his add for the apartment we were renting in the pennysaver again and he didn't answer so we went there with our key and things were put in front of the door to keep us from getting in. We left a note to return our call and he returned the call a few days later and we met up to decide the next step to take (weather to move in or not) and what to do about it. We had decided it was to much trouble and didn't want to move in with a landlord like that and wanted the money back. He refused to give the money back or a copy of the lease and has not been answering the phone since. What to we do we don't have any money as it is my mother gets social security survivor benefits since my father passed away. PLEASE HELP?
