My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Illinois
I moved in to an apartment in June of 2010. Since I did not have a social security number at the time, I was asked to put down 2 months rent as a deposit, totallying $4,800. The landlord listed the property in June of this year. He emphasised that it was important he sold it to finance a new block of apartments that he had tried to build years ago, before the housing downtown scuppered it. My lease expired at the end of May, and since then I have gone month to month (no contract). I agreed to move out at the end of August.
On June 15 some potential buyers came to look at the apartment. They expressed immediate interest in buying it. Negotiations, I presume, continued for a while.
On July 25, the apartment underwent a home inspection.
On Aug 6th both the the seller and the buyer contacted me stating that contracts were being exchanged on August 8th at 9 a.m and requesting to meet me at my apartment on the night of August 7th. I declined, since I was busy and stressed. They replied saying 'it will only be a few minutes!' (exact quote). The tone of their comments was extremely casual. I agreed to meet.
At the meeting they asked that I confirm I would pay for the entire floor of the apartment to be sanded and refinished at a cost of $2,650. This was due to the 'damage' I had 'caused' here: http://www.expertlaw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177977. They also asked that I confirm I would pay for $1,300 of repairs that had already taken place to the fridge/freezer and oven in my apartment. This damage included items such as, cracked remove perspex guards in the fridge shelves, a replacement sets of knobs for the oven, a couple of small cracks in the frame of the fridge/freezer (that were caused by my dropping a couple of items), and labor.
Prior to this my I had been given no indication that they wanted to hold me liable for ~$4,000 in 'repairs'. All 4 people (2 couples) insisted that I was totally liable and these costs were totally standard. They said they wanted me to agree to pay and to send an email as formalities. I have not been in good health and could not imagine that 4 people would come in to my apartment to essentially scam me, I was desperately stressed, had not wanted this meeting, and wanted them out of my apartment as soon as possible. I agreed to pay.
Last weekend I had someone round to see whether it really was necessary to sand and refinish the entire apartment to remove the damage for the chair. He said that it was, but that the damage consisted of normal wear and tear. I have since contacted multiple people, and it seems clear to me that almost the entire amount that they got me to 'agree' to pay for consists of normal wear and tear, and that their insistence that I was responsible for it was outrageous.
In the email I sent, I confirmed that I agreed to pay for the floor and for the appliances. I did not state anything more explicit than that. In the meeting at my apartment they did present me with a quote for $2,650, as well as an itemised bill for the G.E parts for the fridge/freezer and oven that had been 'replaced'.
What are my legal options here? I am confident that almost the entire amount that they want me to pay for would count as normal wear and tear. I think a judge would laugh at about $3k of the costs, dismiss another $500 of the costs, and *maybe*, and I mean *maybe*, hold me liable for another $500 of the costs. However, they do have alleged consent from me to pay these things.
I would note that *zero* work has been carried out that I 'consented' to, after my consent. The floor has not been sanded and refinished, and the repair to the appliances occurred before the little summit at my apartment.
I am very stressed about this situation and would appreciate any and all advice. Thanks!!

