Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in Missouri

i had put a 1200$ deposit down on a house to rent,its section 8 housing , and when the inspector came it didnt pass house inspection..and my lease was already up where i was currently living. and i was suppose to be able to move in but i couldnt cause i didnt pass inspection, so i had to resign my lease. and the owner of the house where i was suppose to move in took the 1200$ and put it into the house where i cant move in now b/c i resigned my lease and he wont give my money back and i called repeatedly and then i recieved a letter from his lawyer saying to basically stop calling b/c they think they may have reason to file a suit against me, and it left me dumbfounded. what should i do?


Asked on 11/13/09, 11:21 am

2 Answers from Attorneys
Anthony Smith LawSmith

Your damages are large enough to warrant consulting directly with an attorney in your area. You may end having to sue that person holding your money. In order to give you specific advice on your particular case, an attorney needs to have access to the potential Section 8 agreement, and the other documents you had with the person holding your deposit. They also need to be able to ask you follow-up questions. Many attorneys offer free or inexpensive initial consultation.

Good luck

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Answered on 11/18/09, 1:09 pm
Sean Santoro Santoro Law Office

In Missouri, a landlord cannot wrongfully withhold a security deposit and is subject to damages if they do so. You mention the landlord says they may have a claim against you. Any idea what it could be for? Feel free to email me if you want to pursue this.

Sean Santoro/ Licensed in KS and MO/ [email protected]

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Answered on 11/19/09, 3:54 pm


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