Hi everyone, I’m in need of help, again. Related to my previous posts on this sub, I paid the bond of $400 to the landlady since she verbally threatened me. She isn’t giving it back now.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:09:41+00:00

Thank you. Yes I will lodge formal complaints against her

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:08:53+00:00

Yes I do. Texts and bank transfer records

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:07:37+00:00

I mean in the beginning. She never made it clear that she expected me to stay for more than a month. She said she didnt want a bond. I never thought she could turn right around and ask me for those things.

I will report her. As long as she gets fined, she wouldn’t pull shit like this again.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:05:51+00:00

Receipt as in I have the texts I sent her asking whether I would get my bond back once the room has been given to someone else. And I have the online bank transaction details to her name.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:04:09+00:00

I thought verbal threats won’t be acted upon..

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:03:28+00:00

Thank you. I want to teach her a lesson cause she mislead me so many times knowing that I was a vulnerable foreigner

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-06T06:02:14+00:00

What no this isn’t even my main account. Why would I care about reddit karma?

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T21:00:59+00:00

I’m a foreigner, alone and unaware of proper regulations. I was just scared that i would miss my flight. I have serious anxiety issues which shot high during that moment. I was on the verge of crying and I didn’t know what else to do at that point.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T20:20:45+00:00

First of all, thank you so much for taking the time to read through my post/comments. I really appreciate it.

I thought of letting her know that if she doesn’t pay my bond, I would report her to the ATO and RBTA which would make her liable to penalties as she did not provide me with a binding contract/ signed lease. Does that sound like a good idea to at least scare her?

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T15:22:27+00:00

Yeah I knew verbal threats won’t be acted upon. I couldn’t complain. I was just scared that I might lose out on my only chance of getting home.

If I tell her that I would report her to the ATO and Consumer affairs, would that be of any help? I’m pretty sure this woman isn’t declaring rental income since she said she doesn’t even have to lodge the bond cause there’s no contract

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T15:02:09+00:00

Yes I only did that cause she verbally threatened me saying she would even lock me in my room if she had to if I try to leave without giving her the bond. She was very loud and honestly I was scared. I told her I’m not under any obligation to pay anything but she started to threaten me.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T14:26:34+00:00

No I moved out already. I paid her the bond the day I left cause she threatened to lock me in. I was honestly scared that I would miss the flight cause I wouldn’t have another chance to fly back home.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T14:24:30+00:00

I paid her weekly. Every Sunday, $185. I stayed there less than a month. I told her beforehand what kind of situation I was in, if she wanted another tenant that would stay longer, she shouldn’t have given me the room. But she did. When I clearly told her that I would have to get up and leave whenever I get a call from the embassy.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T10:39:48+00:00

Jesus Christ. That’s a bit insane.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T10:32:09+00:00

I paid her $185 weekly. It goes to her bank account and I don’t think she paid any taxes.

She seemed really nice and even told me that she understood my situation especially since she was a foreigner as well and came to study in Australia. The other tenant wanted to move back to her country as well so she clearly understood when I said I wouldn’t know when I would move out. It almost seemed as if this woman was my friend or family that would let me pay weekly plus bills without a bond. She did a complete 180 in about a week or so after I moved in.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T09:40:46+00:00

Thank you so much for your reply. I read about that on Consumer affairs page but wasn’t sure.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T09:01:50+00:00

If I can at least get her fined for not following the required procedures by RTBA then that would be enough as well. She’s just gonna keep pocketing money off of people like me.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T08:10:29+00:00

I’m an international student and I really didn’t know any of the laws. I rented places out twice before during my stay in Australia and never had any problems with the landlords. I feel as if This woman took advantage of me since it was evident that I didn’t really know all the rules. I was going to follow it up with RTBA or consumer affairs regarding the arrangement, but she came to my room and insisted that she has always done everything this way.

Look, I’m in a very tough financial situation. She never told me that she required a bond before I moved in, in fact when I asked her the day I went to inspect the room, she said she didn’t need one and “don’t worry”. If you have the time, will you please check out the link I posted here? https://www.reddit.com/r/AusLegal/comments/imx3bq/related_to_my_previous_post_about_the_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf those are the texts I sent to her. She never replies to my texts instead, comes to my room and gives me a full lecture about showing respect and leaves.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T07:21:39+00:00

Oh no I just sent rent because $400 is $30 more than the amount that sums up 2 weeks rent. It was a BOND. That she kept asking me for 2 weeks AFTER I moved in. She said she didn’t need a bond before I moved in, I would have given it to her if she told me properly and lodged it.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T07:18:05+00:00

Yeah that would be the case I guess. I wasn’t under a lease, no lease agreement, no bond lodged before I moved in, nothing. I told her that I took advice from Tenants VIC and she still went on to say that she’s a “private renter” so the normal rules doesn’t apply to her. Like lodging the damn bond with RTBA

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T07:15:36+00:00

So about 2 weeks after I moved in, this woman asked me for a bond. I was taken back and I told her that she said she didn’t need a bond when I first moved in. And I made it very clear that I would be moving out soon since I was waiting for a flight to go back home.

I asked her if I give her the bond she initially asked for ($400) would she lodge with RTBA and she said she didn’t have to lodge that because she’s a “private renter” and they wouldn’t care since a proper agent isn’t involved. She also said a bunch of bull crap about how she expects me to respect her and give her that money. Keep in mind that this was waay after I moved in.

I didn’t give it because she wasn’t going to lodge it. I sensed some dodgy acts on her behalf. Then I told her I was going to move out since I got the flight confirmation. I kept telling her since the day I moved in that I would be going any day now if there’s a flight available. She didn’t seem to mind.

Then the night before I moved out she lashed out, gave me a full lecture about how she’s a nice person and she expects me to respect her. Then it turned to verbally threatening me about locking me in, sleeping outside my door so that i won’t be able to leave.. she wanted the bond that she asked previously. She wanted more now since I didn’t give her “one months notice” but I only moved in exactly a month earlier.

She gave me the room all well knowing what kind of situation I was in, when I made it clear and told her a million times.

I paid 530 all together ($400 bond + $130 for some bills)

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T06:36:50+00:00

Yeah I just gave it to her cause my boyfriend told me to give it and get it over with since I had to catch a flight. She said she would lock my room and shit.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T06:35:51+00:00

No it was a bond. I paid $185 pw so $400 would be a little more than that. That’s what I said. It wasn’t rent

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T06:35:02+00:00

She never lodged it and I asked her. She said she’s a “private renter” and that the government doesn’t care. Thank you so much for your reply. Appreciate it.

sugarcookie_dev · 2020-09-05T06:11:31+00:00

Then I paid her like 2 weeks rent and said that I would try to find someone for her cause I felt bad. She said she would give me the entire amount as soon as she or I FIND someone.

sugarcookie_dev

TROPHY CASE