I need a recommendation for a lawyer to get back my deposit.

[LynHuds]

We have just moved out of our apartment in anticipation for our repatriation to the UK. Our landlord is withholding a very large part of our deposit for "renovations" despite signing off at handover that everything was fine with our apartment. Everything was fine and we left it in an immaculate condition.

He is withholding S$5K of our deposit and won't return it. My friend recently left and has had to forfeit her 14k deposit due to her LL ignoring her requests of the money, my other friend lost 4K for no reason. It seems it is rampant that LL's keep as much as they can knowing you are leaving and powerless.

I need recommendations of a good solicitor who can help me get the ball rolling next week. We have already issued my LL with 2 letters and ultimatums and he has made some concessions but only from keeping 9K to 5K. There is absolutely NO reason for him to keep it and I have a whole folder of correspondence, emails and pictures that cover all the things he is trying to charge me for and these are all in my favour. I believe I am 100% fully in the right and so am not prepared to walk away from the money.

Please recommend a professional who can help me get the money they are keeping from me.

Thanks in advance.

[martincymru]

I think you can go to the Small Claims Court.
//
Deposits and the return of same are regular issues on this forum.

No real answer.

I had an issue once and I wrote a letter to his managing director. He paid me the next day. Risky yes but if you follow the normal/legal channels you probably wont get satisfaction since these ar*holes are experienced cheaters that know how to play.

Last year a landlord did same to me here in Sg. I told him IRAS, tell new tenant, report govt agencies etc. He actually threatened me but when he realised I was serious, he paid. These people are often known to the Police and other agencies, some get a morbid pleasure out of stringing you along though.

[LynHuds]

Thanks for your reply. I have done a lot of the groundwork in sending 2 very strongly worded letters and now we just need a final demand from a lawyer and then we will file at SCC at the same time. What is the IRAS and which govt. agencies can I report them to?

Quite frankly I am sick of Singapore and the greed here and can't wait to leave next week. However I want money in my back pocket when I get on the plane. I am not prepared to be at my house in England and thinking about how my LL is laughing at stupid expats and how he always gets to keep our money.

Bitter...no not me

[Beeroclock]

Sorry for your predicament. Unfortunately I don't have a lawyer to recommend, but wish you all the best getting the money back

[LynHuds]

Hi, I now have an appointment with a lawyer on Monday morning to do a final demand.

I am planning on causing the LL as much trouble as possible.

[yogaloungeforever]

Honestly speaking and from years of living in this country, your best bet is the SCT because if the LL does not turn up for the consultation / hearing and judgement is passed and LL does not conform, that goes as a black mark on his profile and will affect particularly his applications for jobs.

For a lawyer they come in real handy if you were to go to the high court otherwise a threatening letter from them to the LL is not going to help much and I believe the LL is a Singapore and so would take advantage of the legal loopholes

[LynHuds]

Do you mean the Small Claims Court? I am just online looking at their details now. I don't mind spending a bit of $ to get advice from a lawyer. I need things done speedily. I do think that we will end up going the SCC route. Thing is though I won't be around to sort it out as I am leaving in a week. I have been advised by my estate agent (who is actually very good and has tried to reason with them) that in her 25 years of experience most LL's pay up when they get a legal letter as they don't want the agro.

My LL is not a Singaporean and it is a property company that I am dealing with who own and rent out loads of apartments. I think that the problems I am facing are largely due to the people I have to deal with in the office who are clearly incompetent and unprofessional and who really do not get that if I have an email from them saying "I agree that the floors where scratched when you moved in" they then cannot go ahead and charge me for that. The really just don't understand this. I really cannot get my head around the idiocy.

[Max Headroom]

My advice is to go after your money, sure, but don't let the LL get under your skin. You may well win the case and get back (some of) your cash, but it will not be fast, nor will it be without a few bumps and grinds along the way.

Best you disconnect, let others do the work for you and leave the being miserable to the LL.

[yogaloungeforever]

[quote="LynHuds"]Do you mean the Small Claims Court? Yes I am just online looking at their details now. I don't mind spending a bit of $ to get advice from a lawyer. I need things done speedily. I do think that we will end up going the SCC route. Thing is though I won't be around to sort it out as I am leaving in a week. I have been advised by my estate agent (who is actually very good and has tried to reason with them) that in her 25 years of experience most LL's pay up when they get a legal letter as they don't want the agro.

it's even better that it's a company. why don't you approach the MD or the owner of this company. then sit down and talk to him / her and explain your situation. Sometimes things in Singapore can be resolved by speaking to the right person and you will amazed this issue can then be resolved very fast.

My LL is not a Singaporean and it is a property company that I am dealing with who own and rent out loads of apartments. I think that the problems I am facing are largely due to the people I have to deal with in the office who are clearly incompetent and unprofessional and who really do not get that if I have an email from them saying "I agree that the floors where scratched when you moved in" they then cannot go ahead and charge me for that. The really just don't understand this. I really cannot get my head around the idiocy.[/quote]

[Beeroclock]

My advice is to go after your money, sure, but don't let the LL get under your skin. You may well win the case and get back (some of) your cash, but it will not be fast, nor will it be without a few bumps and grinds along the way.

Best you disconnect, let others do the work for you and leave the being miserable to the LL.

+1.... I agree if it goes legal it will end up in SCT and you can't use lawyers there anyway, but also a good strategy to send a legal demand letter to show the LL you're serious. It is going to be a challenge as you're leaving. And also agree it's better having a company as LL, they cannot so easily run away/ignore when you need to enforce the SCT order.

[macaroonie]

Is there a database of these crazy landlords? It might help to decrease the occurrence of such behaviour in future! Some landlords & agents are just super crazy people! Good luck to you!

[x9200]

Honestly speaking and from years of living in this country, your best bet is the SCT because if the LL does not turn up for the consultation / hearing and judgement is passed and LL does not conform, that goes as a black mark on his profile and will affect particularly his applications for jobs.

What a complete BS. Of course you can prove me wrong quoting some reliable references.

[x9200]

Is there a database of these crazy landlords? It might help to decrease the occurrence of such behaviour in future! Some landlords & agents are just super crazy people! Good luck to you!

Unfortunately the risk of defamation suit would be too high in this defamation suit obsessed country for anybody to take the risk of maintaining such database.

[yogaloungeforever]

I don't have to! I speak from experience.

And frankly as moderator you should watch your language. You are no better than a racist. You certainly give a bad impression to visiting forumers.

Anyhow, since that threat you made at me in another thread I don't have respect for peeps like you hence I will stop here. Even if you are going to set off another response I will just read it and shrug it as, 'huh, what ever'!

Honestly speaking and from years of living in this country, your best bet is the SCT because if the LL does not turn up for the consultation / hearing and judgement is passed and LL does not conform, that goes as a black mark on his profile and will affect particularly his applications for jobs.

What a complete BS. Of course you can prove me wrong quoting some reliable references.

[Tanuki]

I don't have to! I speak from experience.

I'm not on anybody's side of the little debate here, but really, you can't cite personal experience as proof of anything. In order to sustain a properly worded point of view, outside references are indeed necessary. I'll quote from the following site: http://thewritedirection.net/CitationHe ... urpose.htm

Citations allow you to demonstrate that your position or argument is thoroughly researched and that you have referenced, or addressed, the critical authorities relevant to the issues.

And frankly as moderator you should watch your language. You are no better than a racist. You certainly give a bad impression to visiting forumers.

Please explain more how saying BS makes the person on a level with racists. I don't follow that logic...

Enjoy your Saturday folks!