Money Roomate Owes Us vs. Electricity Bill

[fealomwen]

My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Wisconsin

We have a roommate situation that has gone pretty far downhill. The roommates owe us $130 from money we loaned them a year ago that they never paid back (not to mention a lot of other money we've helped them out with over the rest of the year that did not have a clear repayment agreement). We are moving out July 1st (). We are considering telling them that we aren't going to pay our last half of the electricity bill (some $80) as fair trade for the money they owe us and obviously have no intention of ever repaying. The electricity bill is in their name; we were both on the lease for the last year. Do they have any real claim against us for the electricity bill, since they do owe us money? Who pays what on the electricity bill and the money they owe us were all verbal agreements.

Thanks in advance.

[Mr. Knowitall]

If they sue you for the unpaid bill, you can countersue for the money they owe and the judge will attempt to sort out who owes what to whom.