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my old landlord is suing me for using too much toilet paper and causing the toilet to over-flow, is this legal



My toilet overflowed because the stem broke, and it couldn’t shut off. It flooded for 30 minutes before I noticed and it soaked all of the carpets and the downstairs ceiling. I had had problems with two out of three toilets, only one was working at the time of the flood. The landlord was not willing to put me up in a hotel and she left me to stay in the flooded house for 2 days before even coming to look at the place. It had a stench like mildew and I was concerend about the welfare of my two children. I opted to move out with an agreement that she would not keep my security deposit, well guess what ,she did and some. So I sued her for my deposit and now, 7 days before the court date she is counter-suing me for all repairs and a dang screen for the window—


17 Responses to “my old landlord is suing me for using too much toilet paper and causing the toilet to over-flow, is this legal”

  • Nelson_DeVon says:

    I wish I were the judge, hopefully she will have to pay.

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  • Puerto Rico's Devil says:

    i don’t think that’s legal well maybe you keep messing up the toiletand then she has to pay to get it fixed i guess it is leagal

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  • mightymite1957 says:

    I think you need an attorney.

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  • Reba K says:

    He did not provide you with a good toilet. If you warned him at least once that it was broken and he didn’t fix it, it’s his fault.

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  • avn says:

    The story is horrifying , yet I believe you should better settle it out of court.

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  • owllady says:

    It sounds like it was time to pump the septic tank and someone was waiting for it to overflow so he or she could put the blame on some unsuspecting tenant. Don’t take crap from your landlord. (SORRY?)

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  • steve_dave_83 says:

    you can sue some 1 for anything, and i do mean anything, whether u win or not is another story,, about 2 years ago my brother in-law got in 2 a wreck where a woman hit him, and she sued him for embarassment, she didnt win of course, but my brother in-law did have 2 go 2 court

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  • Pussycat says:

    she won’t win.

    ¤ 42-42. Landlord to provide fit premises.
    (a)The landlord shall:
    (1) Comply with the current applicable building and
    housing codes, whether enacted before or after
    October 1, 1977, to the extent required by the
    operation of such codes; no new requirement is
    imposed by this subdivision (a)(1) if a structure
    is exempt from a current building code.
    (2) Make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to
    put and keep the premises in a fit and habitable
    condition.
    (3) Keep all common areas of the premises in safe
    condition.
    (4) Maintain in good and safe working order and
    promptly repair all electrical, plumbing, sanitary,
    heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and other
    facilities and appliances supplied or required to
    be supplied by the landlord provided that
    notification of needed repairs is made to the
    landlord in writing by the tenant, except in
    emergency situations.
    (5) Provide operable smoke detectors, either
    battery-operated or electrical, having an
    Underwriters’ Laboratories, Inc., listing or other
    equivalent national testing laboratory approval,
    and install the smoke detectors in accordance with
    either the standards of the National Fire
    Protection Association or the minimum protection
    designated in the manufacturer’s instructions,
    which the landlord shall retain or provide as proof
    of compliance. The landlord shall replace or repair
    the smoke detectors within 15 days of receipt of
    notification if the landlord is notified of needed
    replacement or repairs in writing by the tenant.
    The landlord shall ensure that a smoke detector is
    operable and in good repair at the beginning of
    each tenancy. Unless the landlord and the tenant
    have a written agreement to the contrary, the
    landlord shall place new batteries in a
    battery-operated smoke detector at the beginning of
    a tenancy and the tenant shall replace the
    batteries as needed during the tenancy. Failure of
    the tenant to replace the batteries as needed shall
    not be considered as negligence on the part of the
    tenant or the landlord.
    (b) The landlord is not released of his obligations under any
    part of this section by the tenant’s explicit or implicit
    acceptance of the landlord’s failure to provide premises
    complying with this section, whether done before the lease was
    made, when it was made, or after it was made, unless a
    governmental subdivision imposes an impediment to repair for a
    specific period of time not to exceed six months.
    Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, the landlord
    and tenant are not prohibited from making a subsequent written
    contract wherein the tenant agrees to perform specified work on
    the premises, provided that said contract is supported by
    adequate consideration other than the letting of the premises
    and is not made with the purpose or effect of evading the
    landlord’s obligations under this Article. (1977, c. 770, s. 1;
    1995, c. 111, s. 2; 1998-212, s. 17.16(i).)

    ¤ 42-43. Tenant to maintain dwelling unit.
    (a)The tenant shall:
    (1) Keep that part of the premises that the tenant
    occupies and uses as clean and safe as the
    conditions of the premises permit and cause no
    unsafe or unsanitary conditions in the common areas
    and remainder of the premises that the tenant uses.
    (2) Dispose of all ashes, rubbish, garbage, and other
    waste in a clean and safe manner.
    (3) Keep all plumbing fixtures in the dwelling unit or
    used by the tenant as clean as their condition
    permits.
    (4) Not deliberately or negligently destroy, deface,
    damage, or remove any part of the premises, nor
    render inoperable the smoke detector provided by
    the landlord, or knowingly permit any person to do
    so.
    (5) Comply with any and all obligations imposed upon
    the tenant by current applicable building and
    housing codes.
    (6) Be responsible for all damage, defacement, or
    removal of any property inside a dwelling unit in
    the tenant’s exclusive control unless the damage,
    defacement or removal was due to ordinary wear and
    tear, acts of the landlord or the landlord’s agent,
    defective products supplied or repairs authorized
    by the landlord, acts of third parties not invitees
    of the tenant, or natural forces.
    (7) Notify the landlord, in writing, of the need for
    replacement of or repairs to a smoke detector. The
    landlord shall ensure that a smoke detector is
    operable and in good repair at the beginning of
    each tenancy. Unless the landlord and the tenant
    have a written agreement to the contrary, the
    landlord shall place new batteries in a
    battery-operated smoke detector at the beginning of
    a tenancy and the tenant shall replace the
    batteries as needed during the tenancy. Failure of
    the tenant to replace the batteries as needed shall
    not be considered as negligence on the part of the
    tenant or the landlord.
    (b) The landlord shall notify the tenant in writing of any
    breaches of the tenant’s obligations under this section except
    in emergency situations. (1977, c. 770, s. 1; 1995, c. 111, s.
    3; 1998-212, s. 17.16(j).)

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  • cooleokellogg2006 says:

    it is legal but most likely she wont win just tell the judge that your kid took a dump and ever scince then the toilet didnt work and that your kid was very sick with a stomic virus and that yall even had trouble with it before that and that it wasnt your falt that it wouldn’t shut off or that he waited so long to come up that you had reported it the day it happened and you wont win if you didnt git it on a contract

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  • Minnesota Gurl says:

    She obviously doesn’t have children and is just looking to find a way out of this without having to pay you anything. She just doesn’t want them to find out that they weren’t keeping the house up to code.

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  • michael m says:

    anyone can sue anybody for anything,repair cost can be one reason, the court will determine if the case has any merit

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  • Ice says:

    First and foremost, if you are not in small claims court, you should have an attorney. If the overflow was due to a broken toilet, and you did not break the toilet, you probably shouldn’t have to pay for the entire flood damage amount. Unless your landlord sat in the bathroom and watched your toilet paper consumption, they really have no way to prove that you used excessive amounts. The history of toilet problems (if you have proof) would point a pretty accusing finger at the landlord. Since you didn’t notice the water issue for, by your own admission, about 30 minutes, then, in my opinion, some of the fault lies with you. The fact that the landlord wouldn’t put you up in a motel isn’t going to be a strong point because you didn’t leave. If it was as bad as you make it out to be, you should have left, paid for your own motel, then sued for recompense. As it was, you remained in the residence, placing you and your children in a harmful situation, then tried to blame it on the landlord’s unwillingness to pay for a motel.. If I had to resolve this, I would recommend that you be responsible for half of the cleanup, but not more than the amount of the security deposit, which I don’t think you’re entitled to get back, regardless of the verbal contract you claim. Anything above the security deposit that the landlord still has (assuming you didn’t break the lease), should be returned to you.

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  • kim_banning84 says:

    tell that bitch ass of a landlord what your made of in court and dont forget to point out everything in court best of luck to ya and if things dont work out flood her car of teepee it lol

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  • 75160 says:

    You can be sued for anything. That does not mean they will win

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  • chew says:

    no she cant because its her responsibilty to fix it..not yours dont even worry about it if the judge actually gives it to her..dispute that cause landlords are suppose to fix stuff that is broken…dont sweat it…

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  • Charlie B says:

    your landlord is out of his mind , and if the toilet was working good you wouldn’t have this problem.

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  • jazzzame says:

    There are legal aid offices in every major city that would be happy to help you out, free if you are low income. Check with them, but I would think any Judge will see the unjust actions of this slumlord!

    Good thing you weren’t out shopping…..;-)

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