Do charges for a cleaning fee need to be itemized?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Do charges for a cleaning fee need to be itemized?

I moved into a senior community with my 69 year old mother 8 months ago; I am 48. She passed away 3 months ago and they allowed me to stay in the community but I did have to transfer to a 1 bedroom apartment. They charged me a $500 transfer fee which was explained to me as a cleaning fee. I just received a carpet cleaning bill for $330 and they are telling me this is not covered under the $500 “transfer” fee because the carpet cleaning is considered damages done by my cats. Is this legal? They are now telling me they cannot provide me with a itemization of what the $500 was used for because it may or may not be for cleaning. This all sounds very shady to me.

Asked on June 28, 2015 under Real Estate Law, California

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 8 years ago | Contributor

The answer is that they don't need to itemize it unless you and they end up in court. If you don't pay and they sue you or try to evict you for nonpayment, in court, they'll have to specify and provide support for the bill. Or if you pay under protest then sue to get the money back, they had to provide specifics and support to defend the case.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption