Landlord is Requiring a Pet Fee After Six Years of Tenancy

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

So when I moved in almost 6 yrs ago I signed a lease and let them know I had a cat etc. All these years of living here no problems all the managers were nice and other than not enough parking and the occasional kids being kids. Now we have a new manager and every week its something new like a note on the door that says remove the chairs from your patio, which I was told I paid rent for when i got this place. No big deal I remove my chairs, its winter so no need for them. Then they tell me to move my grill...... okay I dont say a word and move it behind my neighbors unit. Back in December before this all started I signed a new lease and fill out all the pet paperwork etc. The new manager asked me if I had paid my pet fee.... I respond "yes years ago but Im not sure I have that record". So the manager has her assistant look it up and she says "yep looks like you paid it". So fill out all the paperwork pet and human etc. Over a month later and all the minuscule notices; after never having one, I come home tonight to a notice that says "According to our records you have not paid your pet fee and you need to pay us 200$ by 1/31/14 to avoid legal action". By this point Im not happy. Of course Im gonna call them and discuss this in a nice manner before I take any actions of my own. On top of all this I smell Meth being produced in our building and drug activity is way up all the sudden.. Im from the midwest so i know and smell meth activity after all the people that rented our farm house and put methlabs in then the cops show up...repeat...then repeat...rental properties there are notorious for that. So I know I need to get outta here but what to do with these spontaneous fees? Fight flee or what. Thanks

Ask them about this. It appears that back in December this matter was taken care of.

In terms of fleeing...you did sign a year lease back in December, correct?

Gail

Gail in Georgia..
According to the small print in the lease drug activity is a reason to have you evicted whether you have been charged or not... It stated this property is a drug free and crime free place. This person was served a warrant and arrested for growing marijuana in his unit as well with 5 other felonies. This person being my neighbor, I am drug free and crime free. However the activity lately has pointed to the drug use and production of meth. In NC meth is considered a Weapon Of Mass Destruction and a 25 yr sentence. Meth and the chemicals used to make seep into the drywall and stay there....this is a problem to me. That is why I might choose to leave.

You either are obligated to pay a pet fee by your lease or you are not. You either paid the fee or you did not. Can you start by clarifying the facts for us?

If you think there's drug activity in your neighborhood, try reporting it to the police or a crimestoppers-type organization. If you think it's in your complex, you know where to find your landlord.

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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You either are obligated to pay a pet fee by your lease or you are not. You either paid the fee or you did not. Can you start by clarifying the facts for us?

If you think there's drug activity in your neighborhood, try reporting it to the police or a crimestoppers-type organization. If you think it's in your complex, you know where to find your landlord.

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Yes the fee was paid when I first moved in they even acknowledged that....This was six years ago and I have not retained the original documents.... And as far as the drug activitiy i will be reporting it to LLE .

When you got a copy of your lease from your landlord, what did it say about the fee? Is it, for example, an annual fee?

If the issue is that they say you did not pay a fee and you say you did, how about getting a copy of your canceled check from your bank?

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Quoting Mr. Knowitall

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When you got a copy of your lease from your landlord, what did it say about the fee? Is it, for example, an annual fee?

If the issue is that they say you did not pay a fee and you say you did, how about getting a copy of your canceled check from your bank?

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the lease says nothing about the pet fee since they agreed it had already been paid. As far as that check the bank was bought by wells fargo and i have no images of the check.

You "smelling" a meth lab is not ground for lease termination. Apparently the MJ growers were arrested and the MJ removed. That sounds like enforcement of policy to me.

You just told us that you didn't have a copy of the lease. So now you found it?

Your landlord first said you didn't pay the fee, and now says you did not - obviously it's not both. If necessary you can go to Wells Fargo to get records from your account. Banks don't discard their records when they're taken over.

You can go to your bank and ask them for statements from the month/year you say you paid this fee.