Kate Ackerly writes:

Subject: Is this kind of larceny legal?

O.k. we're always told to read before we sign, right? Well folks, this apartment complex banks on your being in a hurry when you're moving in from out of town, and that you're not likely to bring a lawyer to sign your lease. They'll have you sign some some about half a ream deep. Nice little goodies mixed in with all their sweet talk and marketing... like neglecting to tell you that they'll send you this invoice after you move out. We left the apartment about as clean as we got it, other than a bleach stain on the carpet. An accident in the last days of packing... my husband (a stroke victim, by the way) was helping pack and dropped a bottle of bleach on the carpet. We tried to mop it up right away, but, no deal. That awful pale beige carpet (I always hated that color) rapidly gained a blazing white spot. I immediately called the apartment manager and got this "Oh don't worry about it" patronizing stuff. So now, a month later, they've sent us an invoice for painting (isn't that supposed to be standard between rentals??? It was when I was preparing apartments...) due to smoking. What is a vapor cube, anyway? Or an ozone machine? Replace blinds due to smoke damage? But they spent $90 to clean drip pans in the oven... which were black and crusty when I moved in, by the way, and I was never able to get them clean... and all in all, above and beyond the deposit that was not refunded, they want an extra $800. I've been renting for 30 years, I've never been victimized by this kind of black mail before! I have contacted the Kansas State Attorney General, and I'll be making a lot more complaints. Beware of apartment complexes that want you to sign tomes folks... they have criminal intent.