Yes, reciepts, depositions, witnesses, pictures, videos, alternate bids, business license copies, etc,. And reasons explained how and why you are legally entitled to what you want.

When you go to court you have to present your case in such a manner that the judge has NO CHOICE under the law but to award you what you want.

Quote the Codes, with copies, etc.

Need receipts for proof of payment and pictures for proof of repairs were needed.

NO. we purchase in bulk and its left on the work truck or in the warehouse. So we may buy 200 light bulbs and 10 toilet seats 45.00 ea. at a time. Stove trays at 45.00 ea set, holes in walls by the 1x1 or 2x2. anything with freon will have a dump fee and freon fee or 45.00 and 45.00.

If you use the minimum charges and fees schedule-- it lists everything along with price that you can imagine. its part of the lease pages and is signed by tenant and manager. Here in this state I do a walk through and list all the damages and take pictures. Notice I didn't say prices because tenant already knows what the price is from the MC&Fee they signed.

Here's the kicker-- when you send them the list they can now dispute the list. (we encourage that) Maybe 1 in 10 will dispute and we give back generously cause they can't dispute it all. So we knock off a few things and still the price is up there. We have not lost 1 case using this. AND WE HAVE MANY cases.

this is another reason to hire out the apartment damage and clean up. Judge does not view your time as having value, but w/ pictures and paid contractors you have a leg to stand on.

Melinda,

We’re good at the court stuff but I still teach that it's a crabshoot. No way to perfectly know what the res will do/say/have photos/receipts/witnesses or a free atty to eat your lunch.

OR

The judge is sick and a substitute is judging,

OR

The judge is in a lousy mood

OR

The judge thinks all LLs are crooks.

For these reasons I work to settle OUTSIDE of court, even in the hall before the hearing. I’m willing to knock off a few bucks to settle with the judge and arguing. I recently removed $50 for mowing to gain agreement on a $6000 claim.

Also, I don’t go to win. I go to ANNIHILATE! Before photos, after photos, each labeled and priced, charges listed in the lease, EVERYTHING and ANYTHING that supports my claim. There is no second chance so it is all in one packet handed to the judge. So much EVIDENCE the judge must rule in my favor.

Plus court is not the time to give discounts or “go easy on them” - the people who tore up my house AND forced me to use court to get my house back.

My lease is clear: a full page, 2 columns STANDARD CLEANING AND REPAIR COSTS agreed and signed by the resident before we give them the keys. $50 per hour, $275 per room to repaint...

Based on your description I think you got a lousy judge.

Of your court is like mine the judge does not allow any new evidence in an appeal. He says “Show me where I was wrong.”

Understand your appeal makes your judge look bad so don’t expect any cooperation.

Learn the process for your court. Hiring an atty might help.

Best of luck!

Yes, some judges can be very tenant friendly.

Best I have ever seen was one I had recently in one city we have. And a new judge.

Does not even ask for a copy or look at the lease or pay or quit.

Never ever had one this easy.

But your case. Our Judges consider it normal to re paint after ever tenant.

And sounds like you could prove your damages. But you could not prove what the damages cost you. That is done with cancelled checks and paid receipts.

So you are asking the Judge to guess at what he thinks it is worth. And he did.

We dont use it. But I see the value in what others are doing with a list of repair charges. It is another way.

So the Judge does not get to guess at the actual cost of damages.

I take the receipt or invoice and copy it onto letter paper with the before and after photos that go with it. I write a short description of the damage under the before photo and the work that was completed under the after. At the bottom right of the page I put the $ amount deducted (off of the receipt). Canceled checks get copied on one or two pages at the back. The first page is a list, each line an item deducted and the dollar amount with the total at the bottom.

That packet allows the judge to see the summary first, then flip through details on each deduction and then if they choose they can see that it has been paid.

Generally, the Judge will spend a couple of minutes on the summary page and the first couple of detail pages but once they realize it is well documented they don't go through the whole thing.

I was in Kangaroo Court, Los Angeles, California. A tenant only got back part of their security deposit and was suing the landlord for triple damages. I was their contractor.

No matter what the landlord said, It made no difference. The big bad mean rich landlord was taking advantage of the poor tenant.

Then I got a chance to state my case. I had the receipts I gave to my client for the work I performed plus a copy of their payment check, that I scan and attached to the now paid invoice.

I also brought proof. Cat pee carpet, padding and the replaced hard wood flooring. Pictures, lots of them. I was also there for the tenants move-out inspection and had an audio recording of it where the tenant admits she had 2 cats and had the carpet shampooed.

The judge said, "this did not matter because we took TOO LONG to Start and Complete the Project and didn't account within the proper time frame. I told off the Judge, I started the same day as soon as the tenant and owner left. The replacement of the damaged hardwood and the matching staining took extra time, 4 days. Then the unit needed to be painted. All this got done within 15 days and within the 21 day period we provided an accounting of the excess damage. The deposit only covered 1/3 of the damages and now that the tenant is suing the owner, they filed a counter claim for the balance due.

The saw all of the proof. Time line. Evidence of when we sent out the final accounting. I have the payment checks, invoice and pictures. The judge couldn't play games, we won the case.