Ex says I owe her half the rent deposit.

skinnycat

corbyboy wrote: »

Did the landlord keep you whole deposit? Just for a stain on the carpet? Did you not challenge this at the time?

The landlord kept most of the deposit. The whole section of carpet needed to be replaced.

This happened last year. She tried to dispute it but they got independant assessors in and they returned a verdict of cat damage. She is still hassling me for half the loss and has said that she is seeking legal advice.

I think, she paid the money, they were her cats. My name was on the rental agreement but there is nothing saying that I have to pay half the money. I just need to know where I stand I don't think she deserves it !!

DVardysShadow

skinnycat wrote: »

The landlord kept most of the deposit. The whole section of carpet needed to be replaced.

This happened last year. She tried to dispute it but they got independant assessors in and they returned a verdict of cat damage.

It seems to me that the defence on the deposit deduction was on the wrong grounds. If it was cat pee, then there was no point trying to argue that it was not, because even if it was not, there would still have been a deduction, unless the entry inventory showed that the damage was pre existing.

The argument should have been that the full cost of replacement carpet should not have been charged - only a portion representing the unused fraction of the carpet's expected life.

skinnycat wrote: »

She is still hassling me for half the loss and has said that she is seeking legal advice.

I think, she paid the money, they were her cats. My name was on the rental agreement but there is nothing saying that I have to pay half the money. I just need to know where I stand I don't think she deserves it !!

The rental agreement is neither here nor there now, in that the Landlord has been [over]paid off. All that remains is an argument between tenants. If you had actually paid your share of the deposit, you could have been in the position for claiming off her for the loss of your deposit caused be her cats.

thegirlintheattic

If she paid the deposit, the money you got back "The landlord kept most of the deposit." goes to her - simples. You cannot benefit from the situation, so give her back whatever money you got back and explain the rest was kept due to damage.

As it was her money it doesn't matter that it was her cat that did the damage, nor does it matter you didn't challenge the inventory, that was her responsibility.

If you had paid the deposit then you might have a case.

missile

It is up to the OP and his conscience. I would feel obliged to pay half. What goes around comes around.

CapJ

Can you get your hand on the independent report saying the damage was due to cats? Proof it was her cat that caused the damage would go a long way!

JimmyTheWig

split_second wrote: »

seems odd it has taken a year to get the deposit back/not, i stick by my original assessment, she wants the money for something

Or maybe she waited until the OP was debt-free and had the ability to pay? [You could even say she was kind enough to wait until then!]

I think, certainly morally, it depends on to what extent it was the girlfriend's cat as opposed to a joint cat. E.g. who fed it, who cuddled it, whose job was it (importantly) to let it out when it needed the toilet, etc.

Is it not similar to this...
Single mum meets a new man. They move in together. Child damages the carpet. Coupld split up and move out. Is the carpet damage the mum's responsibility because it was "her" child who did it? Or is it a joint responsibility as they both, at the time, had responsibility for the child? I'd say the latter.

InkZ

Give her half the money and ask her to send you half the cat.

RabbitMad

I think you do owe your ex half of the deposit. The reason being you rented the house jointly and presumably split all bills 50/50, therefore the deposit should have been split 50/50 and the loss split 50/50.

I think arguing that it was "her cat" is a bit petty as presumably in the relationship you enjoyed the cat's company* but then I don't know what your relationship was like and why it ended so perhaps its justified.

You could offer her 1/4 of the deposit in full and final settlement - send her a letter stating you dispute liability and if she accepts you'll pay 1/4 to shut her up and avoid legal action and even though you are confidant that any legal action will fail you feel this is the price worth paying to avoid the small chance that the judge on the day decides you are liable.


*Can I be congratulated for not slipping my Sid James hat on and suggest you enjoyed stroking her !!!!! whilst you lived together.

SandC

How much exactly did you get back? I take it was just a small amount. Give her half of that amount.

If you got nothing back, then there's nothing to give.

If something was refunded though, why did it go to you and not her, as she had paid it in the first place?

BitterAndTwisted

There's no indication in any of the OP's posts to suggest that the balance of the deposit was paid to them and not the ex.

OP: as she had more than one cat, and presumably "owned" them before you moved in together then any damage they may have caused is her responsibility and not yours.

Once she's had this legal advice she claims to be getting I suspect that you will be hearing no more about this nonsense. In the meantime do not respond to her.