It happens…
A former tenant moves out and they trash the place. This happened to one of our Facebook group members who was shocked when she saw (what she thought was) a giant venn diagram on the wall of her rental.
Listen in as this story unfolds in RentPrep Court.
Special thanks to our group member Beth for agreeing to let us talk about her story.
Press The Green Play Button To Listen To The Case Of The Awkward Venn Diagram
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If you’d like to check out the original thread in our Facebook group that inspired this post you can click here.
Court Transcription
Narrator
This is the plaintiff and she’s suing her former tenant for damages of $4,783 to her rental. She said the tenant hammered holes and etched a mysterious venn diagram onto the wall.
[typewriter noise at the end of introducing plaintiff]
Narrator
This is the defendant George Hammer who claims he didn’t create any damage and that Beth is a rich landlord trying to steal from a poor renter.
[typewriter noise at the end of introducing defendant]
Narrator
This is the case of the Mysterious Venn Diagram…
Bailiff
Will all parties please raise their right hand
Narrator – What you are about to hear is only real in your imagination. The judgements are fictitious but real life lessons are waiting to unfold. Welcome to RentPrep court.
Bailiff
All rise for the honorable Judge Rudy Fortune.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Beth Cooley you are suing Mr. Hammer for damages of $4,783 dollars because you claim that the defendant purposefully damaged your rental. You said he even etched a venn diagram into the wall, is that correct?
Landlord Beth Cooley
Your honor, I was having issues with Mr. Hammer paying rent on time. So I sent him a pay or quit notice… after that he started sending me aggressive texts.This just lead me to believe I was making the right decision to proceed forward with an eviction. When I finally got the tenant out of the rental there was substantial damage done to the property.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Do you have any photos and documentation of the rental before Move-in?
Landlord Beth Cooley
Yes, your honor. I have a copy of the lease here along with photos of the rental and a signed Move-In condition form from the renter. I couldn’t believe how much damage had been done with holes punched into the wall and for some reason a weird venn diagram etched into the wall.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Mmmm….hmmmmm… I see your ducklings are all in a row here.
Mr. Hammer… what would you like to say to defend these claims?
Renter George Hammer
(chuckling) This has nothing to do with me your honor. I handed over the keys and moved out a week ago. A vandal must have broken into the rental and did these damages.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Mrs. Cooley… is this true that the damage occurred after the tenant moved out?
Landlord Beth Cooley
No your honor. That’s not true. The tenant was late on rent and according to our lease and state laws I served him a 3 day pay or quit notice on his door on the 5th of December. I could not get in touch with Mr. Hammer so a couple days later I posted a notice of entry on his door as well… 24 hours later I entered the rental and that’s when I found he had left the rental after trashing it. The photos I gave you are dated the 8th of December and all he left was the keys to the apartment.
Renter George Hammer
Your honor. I showed up to court to defend my innocence. She’s a rich landlord trying to pin her problems on me. I don’t have any money and I didn’t do any of that damage.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Mmm hmmm… your story Mr. Hammer reminds me of a time I saved up for my first car. I was so poor my friends used to say I had a tumbleweed for a pet. I was 17 years old and it took me two years of rolling up sleeves and washing dishes at Flow’s Diner to buy a used 1960 Chevy Corvair.
You see… deep in the south sushi is still called bait and back then you bought a car on a handshake. I was pretty wet behind the ears in that I bought the car without giving it a proper inspection.
I pulled up the car to my friends house all excited as I popped open the hood to show off my new prize and wouldn’t you know the engine wasn’t anywhere to be found. I was so embarrassed to find out that particule vehicle’s engine is housed in the trunk of the car. Do you understand what I’m trying to tell you Mr. Hammer.
Renter George Hammer
No I don’t have a clue what this has to do with anything. I didn’t do any of that damage.
Judge Rudy Fortune
What is it you claimed you haven’t done here Mr. Hammer?
Renter George Hammer
I didn’t pound holes or etch that penis into the wall sir.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Mr. Hammer have you ever seen pictures of the damages?
Renter George Hammer
No your honor.
Judge Rudy Fortune
Mmmmm hmmmmmm Mr. Hammer. You see I looked at that 60 Corvair and I assumed the engine would be under the hood. By all accounts Mrs. Cooley is a good landlord but a poor judge of graffiti. As you pointed out that is not a venn diagram etched into her wall but a crudely drawn depiction of the male genitals.
Landlord Beth Cooley
Oh my heavens!
Judge Rudy Fortune
Now, I’d imagine Mrs. Cooley feels like I did when I found out the engine was in the back of the car and not the front. However, I’d rather be caught embarrassed than caught in a lie. Mr. Hammer how would you have known it wasn’t a Venn Diagram on that wall without ever seeing the photos. I believe you are guilty of all these damages based on the evidence presented here today. My verdict is a payment of $4,783 dollars to be paid to the plaintiff.
[gavel sound]
Narrator:
Well.. the honorable judge sided with the landlord in this case what does Steve and Eric think about this judgement in the case of the awkward venn diagram?
