Apartment Review for Jlb Investment Properties Llc

I am lucky I didn't sign the lease. I looked at the apartment with Meredith back in August and that day applied for the apartment and put down a holding fee (one months rent - $495). A month later, when I was ready to meet with Meredith and sign, I ran into the previous tenant because she had to sign something with Meredith on her way out. Before Meredith arrived, this tenant told me she had the worst experience with this landlord and warned me against living there. <P>
When Meredith arrived, I looked over the lease and found that the rent listed on the lease was $595 (a hundred dollars more than agreed). She said there was a garage space for me, and when I asked to look at it she said "actually there isn't one, but you can park on the parking lot in the back for $20 a month". <P>
After hesitating to sign the lease, she turned it to the back page and pointed to the line for me to sign. I didn't. I asked to have a few hours to think it over and I'd meet up with her again later that day. <P>
After she left I went downstairs to look at the laundry room and another tenant said it hadn't been working since february. There was also an open window making it easy for a person to get right into the building. <P>
I called her back later that day and said I didn't want the apartment. Jason Cohen called me back a couple minutes later and threatened me that if I didn't take the apartment he would sue me for the amount of time it took for him to find another person to rent it out. <P>
I ended up taking him to the magistrate to get my holding fee back and I won. He argued that the holding fee does not turn into a "security deposit" until I would have signed the lease. But because he changed the rent amount halfway through the story without telling me, the magistrate got mad at him and he lost. Jasondidn't pay, but rather he appealed and we went on to common pleas court downtown. I told the story to the 3 lawyers, having copies of everything including the lease, and the lawyers agreed with me. They even caught on to the fact that he's probably making a lot of money by keeping people's holding fees and security deposits. I won again. <P>
I had never been to the magistrate before, or downtown, and I didn't have a lawyer talking for me. It would have cost me more money for the lawyer than what I was fighting for. So do not be afraid, because the system will work for you if you are on the right side, and have evidence to your argument. <P>
Jason Cohen's empire will start to crumble soon. His name is getting out there. Even though it takes time and energy, take him to the magistrate. Just have copies of your info. Don't give up!! He's taking people's money!! <P>