reggitor

reggitor t1_iu016h9 wrote

Ok, how about this. Can you describe a situation in your professional experience with Philly real estate law where a client withheld rent and it backfired?

Not asking for you to give legal advice, more looking to understand why you vehemently oppose OP using tools and resources neatly laid out online by the state for these exact situations.

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reggitor t1_itz7n8e wrote

I too recommended free resources. I’m going to assume you’re a practicing real estate attorney because you said you’re a “qualified professional”. Here’s more details from op:

https://www.reddit.com/r/philadelphia/comments/yee8bd/are_there_any_free_or_cheap_legal_attorneys/itz5x1a/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf&context=3

Can you share any insight about what you would do here? Have any of your rental clients had similar experiences?

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reggitor t1_ityd18c wrote

When I rented, one place had a leak and another had a non functioning A/C despite it being in the lease. Landlords dragged their feet and would send out handyman’s to do band-aid repairs. Getting a lawyer cost ~$700 on both occasions, and they both did the exact same thing. Sent a certified letter and told me to put the rent in escrow. And then poof, the problems were fixed. Surely that makes me semi knowledgeable on the subject? Again, I’m making an assumption here that the “emergency situation” is something that’s illegal or clearly violates the lease. There’s also plenty of info online about how, why and when to withhold rent in Philly. If my assumption is correct, and if OP has limited resources, what would make an attorney worth $700? At the very least OP can withhold now and hire a lawyer if it escalates.

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reggitor t1_itybdkk wrote

You’re going to spend a lot of time and money on a lawyer only to have them say put your money in escrow. If you feel like your lease isn’t being honored, simply put your rent in an escrow account, send the info to your landlord, and tell them you will continue to do so until the repairs are made. (Im going to assume it’s something black & white) Do it all over email so that you have a record of everything. Don’t respond to threats or get into pissing contests about who said what or being grateful. The landlord MIGHT try to evict you, but it’s unlikely. Even at that point the landlord can’t just kick you to the curb, and it’s an expensive process in terms of time and money for them. 99/100 times, as soon as you threaten their income the problems magically get resolved quickly.

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