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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Posts
    2

    Default Payment of Utilities

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

    I am in quite a predicament. I moved into an apartment in Oct 2008. I moved out Jan 31 and not a moment too soon. My landlord is a lawyer. Her lease was the most restrictive, and for lack of a better word, anal, thing I had ever seen. However, my husband and I really had no choice, because it was the only place we could find, so we signed that abomination and dealt with it.

    The lease said all utilities- gas, electric, heat, water, sewage- were to be paid by the tenants. However, all the utilities were in the landlord's name and I never saw a bill. A few months after I moved in, I made a PSE&G account in my name for the electric. I paid the bill twice, but the landlord got mad and told us to stop paying, that she would bill us. So, we never paid any utility bills. I knew this was going to be a problem when it was time for us to leave because we do not make much money and we are both students. Paying a year's worth of utilities was going to be difficult, but it had to be done.

    At the walkthrough, she gave us a typed, itemized list of what we owed her for the utilities. The were no bills from the companied along with it. It was just a bunch of account numbers and the charges were broken down by month. The bill that was in my name was the electric, but it was only online- I never received a paper bill in the mail. The landlord made no mention of the portion I paid. Also, the accounting of the bills that I can see on the internet, do not jive with the amount she is charging us. All in all, the utilities come to $3500 for the year. I used to live in upstate NY, on the border of Canada and I never paid that much, even for heat, but I have no proof as to what I really owe.

    So my questions are: Can I request proof of the billing in paper form from the companies? I can't bring myself to pay her that high amount, with just numbers she typed up. Do I have the right to see what the charges really are? Also, I am not the brightest when it comes to HVAC, so I am confused as to why gas, electric, and heat are separate. Is heat not either gas or electric? Furthermore, the bill that I put in my name, how is it that she has completely different charges on it than what I can see? The apartment was a 2 family house. Could this be both units' charges?

    I am sorry that this sounds confusing, it's confusing me as well! My landlord is a lawyer and has threatened us with all kinds of legal proceedings and taunted us with legal jargon, even though we didnt even say anything. I think she has been burned before, as we are living in a college town and on a street know for wild college kids (we are in our 30s and dont participate). Also, in the lease, it says if she brings us to court, we pay her legal fees. If we bring her to court, we pay her legal fees. Yes, we were in desperate need for an apartment when we signed that lease. I intend to pay what I owe, I just want to make sure that I am paying the correct amounts. I doubt she would deceive us, as she is a lawyer and know that I could easily find out what the laws are, but I am thinking she could have made an error somewhere. Any help is appreciated.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Payment of Utilities

    I have no way of explaining why "gas", "electric" and "heat" would be separate. Normally the cost of running your gas furnace would fall under your gas bill, and electric heat under your electric bill.

    You can ask that she provide you with receipts to support her claims. I don't know if she'll provide them; from what you've said so far, I expect not. If she sues you and you defend against the suit, the court will expect her to document her claims.

    You and your husband are both students, so you may have a "student legal services" organization available to advise or assist you. Check with your school.

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