Landlord Did Not Pick Up Certified Letter

[momm2500]

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

i sent a certified letter and went to the post office on 9/28/11 and sent it certified, return receipt requested. 2 notices have been left for landlord to pick up certified mail and she has not. we indicated in our letter that as of 10/1/11 we are giving our 30 day notice and will vacate on 10/30/11. what do you do if landlord does not get certified letter? i guarantee she will call on 10/6/11 and state that we are late for our rent. should i tell her....did you get my certified letter? and leave it at that? i do not want to be held for another months rent let alone loose our security deposit...........what are your suggestions?

[aaron]

Who told you to send it certified? Is that what your lease requires, or what your landlord instructed you to do?

Did you send a second copy by first class mail?

[momm2500]

i sent it certified since i want a guarantee that the landlord receives it. i have for the past 4 years been told verbally by landlord that she is coming to fix things and then never does it. for example the garage roof is falling off and has a hole in it. she came over to see it in february and then said once she gets her income tax check in one month she will have it fixed. that was 7 months ago! i just want to cover my butt. should i send it regular mail too? or should i send it via email? our lease does not say how we should give our notice!

[Mr. Knowitall]

If you choose to send something certified, and don't send another copy by first class mail, you take the risk that due to circumstances that may be outside of the recipient's control (such as his being away from the house when the letter is delivered and unable to get to the post office during times when the letter isn't out for delivery) that the letter won't be received.

You can try covering yourself by sending another copy, letting your landlord know that the certified letter represents your intended notice, but as it stands your notice has not yet been received and your landlord may try to make an issue of that.

[momm2500]

well i copied and pasted the letter to the landlord in an email this morning and indicated that it was also sent certified mail. i will print a copy and mail it through the regular mail so my butt is covered all the way around. i think maybe this way she can not say she did not receive it.

[momm2500]

well landlord got the email and had the balls to ask when the rent was going to be deposited into her bank account. i told her that when we moved in 4 yrs ago, we paid first and last months rent and a secrurity deposit and even sent her a copy of the checks.