Signs of a Cracking Foundation?
Question:Me and my husband are about to buy our first house, but I think we're going to have a major issue with the landlord with a 2 ft long crack that has appeared in between the windows on the front of the house and the front door in the drywall. He says that there wasn't a crack before we moved in and it is due to our dogs hitting the wall (huh?). I say the foundation is cracking and here is why: there is now a crack in the foundation about midway on the front door, there is a vertical crack in the dry wall above the door (sorry, the dogs cannot jump that high), there are no impression marks of the dogs hitting the wall, water pools between the slab of concrete for the front door and the front windows during a rain, AND about a month ago, we came home and the cherry tree in our front yard (about 3-4 yards from the front door) had FALLEN OVER because the ground was so soft after a storm. No lightning, no nothing. Any idea how we could prove this if he tries to rip us off on our deposit?
Answers:
First thing you need to do is take pictures and document the damage to help prove your case if you ever end up in court.
If you think the land lord is going to hold your security deposit, just don't pay the last months rent and tell him to use your security deposit towards the rent.
Let him go through the hassle of dragging you into court if he wants to try to prove you damaged the property. Its alot better then him keeping your money and having to take him to court and then try to collect.
For him to win in court he would have to prove you caused the damage, anything normal wear and tear on the house is on the land lord.
Worse case scenario, if you don't pay your rent it will take him between 4-6 months for him to evict you, which if your planning on moving in 30 days its a non issue.
People use security deposit to pay their last months rent all the time, but when its all said and done there is nouthing that can be done to stop it (Maybe a late fee)
Hope this helps
cracks in walls can be caused from the house shifting due to settling. i have never seen a wall crack bc of the foundation but i guess it might be if the crack is big and is wide.
More Related Questions & Answers...