Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Indiana

First off we live in Gibson county Indiana, specifically Princeton, In.

So here's the deal November 6 2015 my family and I moved into an old business turned into an apartment. The apartment shares a water supply from the city with another tenant (Micheal) and the water bill is in his name. We discussed in the beginning that we would pay half even thought there are three adults that live in their apartment and we only have two. The first month (towards the end of November) we were asked for our contribution and we paid it in a timely fashion and come to find out the bill was for the month prior to us even moving in. By the way it took forever to get a copy of the bill even after we paid. The next month He told me the amount our half was and I kept asking for a copy of the bill and he kept telling me he would get it to me and I was dumb enough to go ahead and pay him. The next month I refused to pay till we got our copy and it took almost two weeks after the due date to get it. The day he brought it to me I paid it. In February I lost my job and Told him that I would get him the money as soon as I could, And told him that it may take me awhile but that as soon as I could I would make it up to him for covering for us and he said that it wasn't a problem. I also went and told my landlord that we were going to be unable to make the rent payment in February but I would make all other rent payments on time and as soon as we got our tax check I would pay the back rent. We agreed that would be fine and since then I have actually been early on on the rent payments. But unfortunately it took me a couple months to get everything back in somewhat of an order and wasn't able to pay the water bill till April. Around the time that the water bill was due in April I had to go to the water department and find out how much it was due to the Micheal not giving us our copy, once I found out how much it was I paid it in full (i.e. my half and their half of the water bill for the month of April and I paid it about 3 days early) to show that I am making an effort to get everything caught up and gave a copy of the receipt to the other tenant and told him that next month (May) I would do the same thing that way I don't owe him any more money and he gets a couple of months without having to pay the water bill. Well he was very upset that I didn't just give him the cash and let him take care of it, even though he wouldn't give me the copy of the bill. Any way he contacted the landlord before I paid the water bill and complained which I understand but at the same time I don't because we had an agreement. I went to the landlords office and told him that I was trying to make things right and explained the agreement that the Micheal and I originally had. All was well from his stand point. Then last Friday I went to the landlords office and told him due to my issues finding new full time employment that we had filed for section 8 and would be receiving the assistance soon, and asked if there would be a possibility that they would accept section 8 vouchers for this apartment. He informed me that the Micheal had made a few complaints on us and that due to the circumstances that they would not and that he didn't think that section 8 would approve the apartment anyway due to its age. I asked what complaints had been made and he said there was a noise complaint, a trash complaint and the water bill complaint. I asked him for more specifics on these complaints and he wasn't for sure on when the noise was a problem, I informed him that for the first two months that we lived there that we constantly asked the other tenants if they could hear us and they said that they could not. Plus Micheal is constantly playing his guitar and his drums which we can hear but never complained about. I then asked about the trash issue and he said the Micheal ) had said we had trash piled up behind the building, I then asked him if he had drove by there to see that that was not true in the least and I also stated the the only trash that was back there which I actually hauled of myself was old boxes that Micheal's drum set came in, (noise complaint my a$$). I then informed the landlord the effort I made as far as the water bill and he said that, that was fine. He also told me to try and patch things up with Micheal and I said that I would due my best. Then Saturday we receive a letter stating that we have to be out by the 6th of May if an agreement can not be made and the water bill taken care of. The letter got mailed out Thursday but he didn't inform me of this Friday when I was there. After numerous attempts of contacting Micheal to try and hash things out I finally catch him Sunday night and he is very rude the entire time. I asked him that if we were being noisy why didn't he just say something to us, he said he didn't have to. I asked him when was this happening and he said that it was when my mother-in-law (we do not get along with her at all) had stopped by and was beating on the door and was yelling. I let him know that, that was not us being load and we did not invite her over. When that had happened I called the police and had her removed from the property he said he didn't care and slammed the door in my face. Then Monday morning we receive a notice to vacate the property by Tuesday at 5 pm or they will file for eviction. I went back up to the landlords office and paid another months rent on May 1st, and he was able to talk the owner of the property to giving us till next monday to vacate but I still don't have anywhere to take my family. We were never informed tof any of the issues to be able to correct any problems.


Asked on 5/04/16, 4:36 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Kenneth Wilk Rubino Ruman Crosmer & Polen

You're out of luck.

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Answered on 5/04/16, 8:25 pm


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