Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Illinois

Landlord Stealing Electricity

After a fuse blew recently, I discovered my landlord is stealing my electricity in a 3 flat. The halls (front & back), outside lights (front & back), basement light, washer & dryer, furnace & garage are on my meter. There are 3 meters in the building. There is no common area meter. I lived here for 5 years & will be moving at the end of next month. I want to sue the landlord for years of stealing. How do I go about this? Should I get the building inspected before I move then sue after I move? Who do I contact? I'm also worried about my security deposit. Can he not return my deposit because of a suit? Please help.


Asked on 4/27/07, 3:52 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Noelle Ansley Noelle Ansley

Re: Landlord Stealing Electricity

He cannot withhold your deposit because of a suit. Should you choose to pursue this, you might want to wait until he sends your deposit back before you file anything. I would not recommend trying to pursue this without a lawyer, as you are going to need experts to determine how much electricity was taken and you damages. You do not indicate what county/city you are in, so you might want to check your yellow pages or call your local bar association to find someone that can help you with this situation, which is rather unusual.

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Answered on 4/27/07, 11:21 am


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