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Serious question, do I actually need a lawyer for a $1,200 security deposit fight, or was the guy at the Daley Center right?
I was all set to file in small claims court myself for my old landlord keeping $1,200 of my deposit on a Wicker Park apartment, and I figured a lawyer was a waste of money on a case that small. But a tenant rights volunteer at the Daley Center told me flat out that in Chicago, if the landlord misses the 30 day deadline for returning the deposit or an itemized list, I can go after double the amount plus fees under the city ordinance. I looked it up on the clerk's site that night and he was right, so I stopped treating it like a simple money grab and started building a timeline with my move out photos and texts. The other thing he said was to send a demand letter first with a 14 day deadline, because judges here actually care that you tried to settle it before filing. So now I have the letter ready to go out Monday. Anyone here gone the demand letter route before filing, and did it actually get your landlord to pay up?
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the_jake10d ago
Funny how the small stuff is where people get tripped up most. Skipping the letter feels like saving time until it costs you the whole case. Sending it first is the move.
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