I'm a newcomer to the board, looking for whatever help you can give me.
I moved into and out of an apartment on a verbal month-to-month lease this summer where I had paid an $800 deposit on behalf of myself and my roommates. The landlord is refusing to return the deposit for reasons that aren't relevant to my question here.
However, at least under Michigan law, the landlord is required to give me several things in writing or else he legally forfeits his right to keep the deposit. For instance, the law requires that landlords notify tenants in writing within 14 days of move-in what their name and address is, and which bank they will be keeping the security deposit in and inform the tenant of a few legal obligations. The landlord is required to give the tenant the move-in checklist and then, upon move-out, the landlord is required to give the tenant a list of claimed damages and is required to sue the defendant within 45 days if they intend to keep any of the deposit. The landlord didn't fulfill any of those obligations, so he legally has no right to the deposit.
Here's my question: I'm filing a court case to recover my deposit, so the burden of proof is on me. My argument is that I was never given any of the documents the landlord was required to give me and the landlord never sued me within those 45 days, as he was required. How can I go about proving in court that I didn't get a document?
Thanks so much for whatever help you can provide.

