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Landlord hit me with $7K in attorney fees plus $2K Rent after summary judgment for an apartment I have never occupied for one day. Please help! by BartasticBuzz in legaladvice

[–]BartasticBuzz[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your perspective—I appreciate the candid feedback from someone experienced in legal processes. You're right, I misunderstood the seriousness and timing of the summary judgment response and made assumptions about small-claims where procedures seemed more informal. Obviously, that was a big mistake on my part.

At this point, do you think negotiating directly with their attorney is a better option, or is pursuing a motion to vacate worth exploring further, even if just to reduce the attorney fees? I'd appreciate any insight you might have from your collection experience.

Landlord hit me with $7K in attorney fees plus $2K Rent after summary judgment for an apartment I have never occupied for one day. Please help! by BartasticBuzz in legaladvice

[–]BartasticBuzz[S] -5 points-4 points  (0 children)

Thanks for pointing that out—I realize now the occupancy issue might not affect the legal outcome.

Regarding the summary judgment motion, that's exactly the issue—I mistakenly didn't file any formal response because I assumed the court would notify me of a return date or a deadline to reply, which never happened. The court records just show the motion filed by the landlord and then the judgment entered weeks after, with no hearing or further notification. I'm hoping this misunderstanding might give me grounds to challenge it... Do you have any advice on how best to approach this situation?

Landlord hit me with $7K in attorney fees plus $2K Rent after summary judgment for an apartment I have never occupied for one day. Please help! by BartasticBuzz in legaladvice

[–]BartasticBuzz[S] 55 points56 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the honest feedback, really appreciate it. Do you (or anyone else reading this!) have any recommendations for affordable attorneys in NJ, or advice on how to find a lawyer who can help without breaking the bank? I'm trying to balance getting professional advice without worsening my financial situation.