January 13, 2024 at 9:41 am

Greedy Landlord Fakes Condo Damages To Keep Tenant’s Deposit, So He Reports Him To The IRS And Ruin His Life

by Trisha Leigh

Source: Reddit/AITA

I know the police and the mafia are like, scary. That said, for most average people the US, threatening them with the IRS is just terrifying.

You should know by now that Reddit has no love for landlords, so I imagine they’ll be more than happy to add this bit of revenge to the pile.

OP says he’s a great renter, even when he has to handle issues himself.

I found this guy on craigslist a few years ago. I like renting condos from private owners as opposed to renting apartments.

Typically by renting a condo, it’s safer, you have more caring residents, you get to have a luxury apartment style home with all the amenities and you can negotiate pricing, etc.

I am an excellent tenant and anyone who I have rented from will tell you that. I paid a $1000 deposit to move into this guy’s condo. I was on a year lease. He lives in another state but we were on the same time zone.

On month 8 of my lease, I came home to a door that wouldn’t open. I couldn’t get the door unlocked!

I had two keys on me. As much as I tried to turn them, I couldn’t.

One of the keys even broke in the lock.

This is getting frustrating…

I waited two hours. I called, texted, and emailed my landlord and he did not pick up!

I thought maybe he had someone to change the locks for some reason. I honestly didn’t know what to think and had no one to help me.

The lady who lived across from me saw me in distress as she was going into her apartment. I had never seen her but she asked me if I were okay and I explained to her that I couldn’t get into the apartment.

She told me that she’s knows of an on call locksmith. She gives me his number.

I tell her thanks and reach out to my landlord a few more times. No response.

I had no choice but to call the locksmith plus I had to go the bathroom!

The locksmith arrives and could not get the door unlocked with my key. He says he can replace the lock for like $100.

I told him I was renting a condo and couldn’t get in touch with the owner and didn’t know when would be the next time I could get in touch with him.

After he took the lock off, he told me it was faulty. So he replaced the lock.

I told the landlord this via email and text and voicemail and told him that I could send him copies of the keys if he wanted.

Needless to say… this caused problems.

Ok so fast forward to the end of my lease. I demand that he does a walk through with me. He said he wouldn’t.

I told him that if he didn’t do a walk through I would be notifying the condo office (as he did not have permission to sublease by the association). He then had a friend to serve as his “proxy” to come meet me and walk through the unit.

The place was SPOTLESS! I know how to clean. I took multiple photos and videos and showed his proxy (who is a police officer) the unit. Actually they are both police officers who used to work together.

We both literally tested ALL the appliances, faucets, checked the blinds, carpets, hardwood…EVERYTHING!

His proxy gave me the “okay” and said that everything looked great.

I give his proxy the keys and later that night left for my new city.

Then, he got an itemized list full of lies.

So fast forward to a month later, I haven’t heard from him about my deposit. He ignored all my emails and phone calls.

He finally gets back with me two months after I moved out and has all this ridiculous, made up nonense about how I damaged his unit.

  • Broken blinds
  • Scratches on the hardwood floor
  • He made it seem like I damaged his door by getting the lock replaced
  • He said there were scratches on the outside of his door
  • Rust here and there
  • Broken dishwasher
  • Broken sink
  • Oven was broke
  • Broken dryer

Just all lies! I would NEVER leave a unit in that condition!

He sent me an “itemized” list of all the “charges” that magically came out to be $1000. The same as my deposit!!

He was always planning to keep my money. He wanted that money to either ball on it or upgrade his condo.

I hated him!

So, he turned in his landlord to the IRS and watched things explode.

I decided I wasn’t going to go to court because I had moved to a different state and live alone but I thought of something…..

He rented to me under the table and likely didn’t claim my rent payments as earned income.

I had all my wire transfers on my bank statement. I had his routing and account number and a copy of his driver’s license as we agreed to swap id’s when I signed the lease to make sure I wasn’t getting scammed.

I found his out of state address online, gathered all my bank statements, gathered his bank account numbers, and made a report with the IRS!

About a few years later, I check up on things and that bastard lost his condo, and lost everything he owned in bankruptcy!

I paid for and downloaded his court records and saw proof that he lost everything including his condo and cars and had his bank accounts seized.

And he doesn’t feel badly about it at all.

I’m not sure if he has went to jail or anything but I’m so glad that bastard got his karma!

He stole money from me that I gave him to rent a condo and he ends up losing that same condo to bankruptcy.

Screw him and anyone who calls him a friend!

He can rot for all I care.

Does Reddit think he should? I bet not!

The top comment bets there was even more going on.

Source: Reddit/AITA

Cheaters never prosper!

Source: Reddit/AITA

Well, maybe it does sometimes.

Source: Reddit/AITA

They hope the revenge has gone even further.

Source: Reddit/AITA

The IRS never stops digging.

Source: Reddit/AITA

It’s a lovely thing when people’s own actions come back to bite them.

Maybe that’s not nice to say but it’s true.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.