[quote=PCinSD][quote=njtosd][quote=Hatfield][quote=Balboa]it’s just as likely that a judge would tell them to suck it.[/quote]

Only one way to find out![/quote]

That is the key. Filing suit is expensive – even small claims court costs something and is time consuming. Finding out what a judge would do would probably cost more than what was deducted. The legal system is not designed to deal with issues like this and frankly shouldn’t. The cost in government resources would be way too high.[/quote]

If he doesn’t pay the “lawyer”, it’s up to the lawyer to file the small claims lawsuit. Cost is minimal.

As a lawyer, this pisses me off.[/quote]

The OP already paid the landlord though. The money came from the OP’s deposit, and what was returned to him as a fraction of the OP’s original deposit. This isn’t like he hasn’t paid the landlord rent yet and is withholding rent payment due to a maintenance issue not being taken care of…