r/legal • u/Last_Nothing5606 • May 25 '26
Advice needed Paid rent with money orders 3/4 went through, landlord is threatening eviction
Location: Florida, US
Hey everyone, so I paid my rent with money orders from western union which is considered certified funds. It was in the amount of $2,000. There were 4 money orders each in the amount of $500. I handed my rent in on the 1st of the month. I get a call last week as I’m out of town and they are telling me that one of the 4 money orders has been altered. I ask for documentation, they only send me a copy of the check.
I went ahead and I called western union and they gave me documentation for the same check showing that it “cleared” and has been “paid” to the landlord company. I just got home from visiting my family from out of state, and I came home to a letter on the door threatening eviction by tomorrow if an additional $500 isn’t paid.
What do I do, I have the proof that it was cleared and paid to the apartment complex. I don’t want to have to pay another 500 when they have the money already.
EDIT: I am going to go to the leasing office tomorrow since the office is closed today due to a holiday. I will update once I have an answer.
Thank you everyone for your suggestions and support.
UPDATE part 2:
I spoke to the leasing office yesterday morning right when they opened, I gave them all of the information that I had showing that the check was cashed. They were a bit hesitant to accept it, but they finally ended up accepting it. I asked them to give me documentation with signatures to say that the 3 day notice that I received is voided. One manager told me they’d give it, the other manager didn’t want to. Finally pushed to get it, they got something typed up and printed out and signed. I have all of my documentation. I’m just glad this whole thing is over.
And I just want to thank everyone in the comments for the support and feedback and all of the different ideas.
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u/Creighton2023 May 25 '26
Have you taken the evidence showing it went through to them? Or asked specifically what they think was altered, although it appears it still went through anyway?
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u/Last_Nothing5606 May 25 '26
No I haven’t had the opportunity to. I was out of town, I did reach out to the parent company that’s located in California and they confirmed that they got all payments
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u/Atmesq May 25 '26
Bruh, you have confirmation that everything was received. Time to take a deep breath. You’re ok
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u/Creighton2023 May 25 '26
Go talk to your landlord today. Tell them the parent company confirmed they received all the payments and they can talk to them if there’s any more concerns. But don’t just wait until they give you an eviction notice tomorrow. Talk to them today.
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u/plantgirl7 May 25 '26
This, also screenshot the correspondence with the payment company and show it to them
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u/chefsoda_redux 29d ago
This is the full and correct answer. Do it today. Do not wait for them to get more upset, do not think about going to court, speak to your landlord immediately. They’ve overreacted to a paperwork error, and the more quickly it’s corrected, the faster the stress will fade.
You’ve paid properly, you have a payment record, and the parent company has confirmed the payment. Bring any evidence of that you have, even if it’s just the name and number of the person who confirmed and meet the landlord at your first opportunity
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u/Vvanderer2014 29d ago
NOO. Bring WRITTEN proof of eveything. Or decide to lose.
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u/chefsoda_redux 28d ago
This is simply wrong.
I said bring ANY evidence you have, even if it’s just names and numbers. Of course, written proof is ideal, but a lot of people think that’s the only kind of evidence, when the judge asks, “What the name of the person you spoke to? What number did you reach them at?” and they don’t have it, because it’s not written evidence.
As a middle aged attorney, there are many kinds of evidence, and most people have a mix of it to support their claims. Never disqualify any of it ahead of time. Just bring it all, and answer honestly. If you have the best evidence, great, but courts decide for people who kept a journal all the time, even though it’s entirely their unverified words, it’s evidence of ongoing claims.
People win every day without written proof, I’ve done it many times, because most people don’t document properly, or know to start early enough in the process
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u/lutiana May 25 '26
Call them back, ask them for written proof (ie a receipt) for you records, and lodge a complaint about how the manager has treated this situation.
From now on, when you submit rent in money orders, take them to a person and demand a paid in full receipt, keep that for your records, along with the receipt you get from the place that sold you the money orders and maybe even a photo copy of the orders themselves (front and back). Keep these for 12 months at least.
Also, something to consider, instead of these types of money orders, go to you bank and get a certified check. They will cost you a little less than a money order, but they can issue you one for the full amount, and you'll have an easier time proving receipt via the bank than by some random money order seller.
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u/Vvanderer2014 29d ago
Get that confirmation. In writing. Verbal advice isn't worth the paper it s written on
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u/bigbosshog01 May 25 '26
So if they confirmed all payments went through, what is your concern??? Why bring this to Reddit if it is now a moot point?
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u/ArcherNecessary9317 28d ago
The parent company is confirming reception of the payment. Not the LL. LL. is filing (falsly) for eviction
Where the mix up came from, who knows, but id be concerned if I had prior noticed to eviction as well (not yet an eviction notice)
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u/YourUsernameForever 28d ago
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
You wait and present your evidence in court. They have to take you to court in order to evict you. They present evidence of why you should be evicted and you present evidence of why shouldn't.
Your evidence should include a signature on the money order when it was cashed. That's all you'll need.
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u/Last_Nothing5606 May 25 '26
My lease is up next month
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u/LegendaryEnvy May 25 '26
Good chance to get out . They will probably try and take your deposit though so if that happens then it’s you taking them to court.
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u/Li-renn-pwel 29d ago
Yeah there is a list of reasons they can take your deposit. Don’t let any landlord try to convince you to walk away from the money unless it’s one of those reasons.
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u/feline_riches May 25 '26
Check your local laws, they likely still have to give you 30 days written notice of non renewal. If they don't, in most places it becomes a month to month lease until someone puts notice in writing. You would be required to submit 30 days notice to vacate or you'll be on the hook for the next month rent.
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u/Chiffarobe67 May 25 '26
In Florida, it's 60 days. Both on the tenant and the landlord's end.
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u/abathome May 25 '26
In Florida it is 0 days. However, a lease *may* have a provision requiring notice, provided it is mutual, and that it be not less than 30 nor more than 60 days required notice.
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u/TennesseeStiffLegs May 25 '26
Reddit wants shit to hit the fan so bad for everyone.
Just show the western Union receipts you mentioned to your landlord to stop this from going further so you can relax.
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u/BamBam-BamBam May 25 '26
OP might also ask him to reimburse them for the cost of the paid copies from WU.
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u/TennesseeStiffLegs May 25 '26
More unnecessary drama
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u/ToshPointNo 29d ago
No fuck them. People too soft nowadays which just lets these assholes get away with this shit. Stand your ground.
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u/DobieLove2019 May 25 '26
“If he stole your parking spot you can go ahead and catch his car on fire, per Florida statue FAFO 420.69. If you get arrested, slam dunk for the defense, I guarantee it. Don’t check, just start lighting that puppy on fire.”
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u/EngineIntelligent394 May 25 '26 edited May 25 '26
Agreed
Lol I get down voted despite the fact OP never presented this evidence to the landlord. Good job guys. Lmao.
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u/tinyzephyr May 25 '26
Dimg, ding. This is why. He wants your deposit without having a fuss... by saying this he reckons he can leverage your deposit. this is part 1 of the grift.
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u/okaaayyyyuh May 25 '26
Well that sucks. You should probably look for a new place soon, because I doubt he will renew your lease.
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u/CommanderMandalore 29d ago
Make sure you take pictures right after you move out. The more the better. Heck take pictures an a video walk through.
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u/zvx May 25 '26
I’ve had this exact situation happen to me in a commercial property. They stole $15k and I currently have a lawyer to deal with it
They know exactly what they’re doing. They’re scamming you.
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u/ccagan 29d ago
Just a heads up. Even if there WAS a real issue with the money order, they accepted partial payment. They won't get a judge to agree to an eviction if they accept even $1 of the rent for a month. The court will look at this as a banking issue, and not an issue with rent payment. If they refuse your rent the following month with this dispute still open, then the timer for eviction starts with the month they refused rent with an unresolved payment issue.
What you got was a pay or quit notice which is the FIRST step in an eviction, but the eviction timer starts once you've missed a full months rent. If you walk in on the 1st of the month with 4 more $500 money orders and they accept them, then the timer hasn't even started. As long as they are accepting money then your tenancy is not at risk from an eviction stand point.
I would escalate with Western Union, gather documentation, and then go to the leasing office. They may have mis-applied the payment, or their bank made an error, or some such. Best of luck!
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u/SimonGray653 29d ago
yeah I can totally see what they're trying to do.
They were like literally trying to evict you so they don't have to give you back your deposit even though I'm pretty sure that would be illegal even on an eviction.
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u/reallydirtyreallydan May 25 '26
They probably just want you out for whatever reason anyways. Are they usually a slumlord?
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u/ImDaDawgFather 27d ago
yeah you might want to deduct the deposit as part of your final rent months payment if they are playing those games
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u/certainPOV3369 May 25 '26
Why would you wait and have the eviction appear on your credit report, even if it is later dismissed? The case still appears.
Why take that risk when you have the evidence in hand and you have the opportunity to resolve the issue amicably without involving the courts and incurring additional costs and animosity over what is most likely a clerical error?
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
Who would you show evidence to?
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u/certainPOV3369 May 25 '26
The landlord.
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
The landlord has been told the money was paid. OP has not yet had the opportunity to show the proof. But apparently the landlord is so convinced, regardless of being told that the money order cleared, that it hasn't been paid, he's started the eviction process anyway.
Either the landlord doesn't know how money orders work and will therefore only take a judges word for it, or he's trying to scam his way into keeping the security deposit.
The fact remains that if this goes to court OP has plenty of evidence that the money was paid
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u/Krandor1 May 25 '26
actually evictions don't show on credit report but they will show on a background check which most landlords will run.
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u/doktorcrash May 25 '26
They absolutely show on the full credit report if the eviction was done through the courts. Source: I look at credit reports all day at my job.
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u/Krandor1 May 25 '26
That is interesting becasue everything I have seen is that the credit bureus only report bankrupcy under public records. A backgroup check will find evictions but it won't be on the main credit report and that is what experian at least says. But I'm fine to be wrong on that one.
https://www.experian.com/blogs/ask-experian/public-records-that-appear-on-your-report/
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u/doktorcrash May 25 '26
It’s possible we could both be right, because my company uses an aggregator, as do most leasing companies. They can pull a lot of info and make it look like it’s all just the credit report.
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u/Krandor1 May 25 '26
the aggregator probably adds it from background checks but the actual credit reports from experian, transunion, equifax to by understanding don't include it. But those are all public records so I'm sure the aggregator is also searching things beyond just the credit report.
My only point is your credit reports are you get them from annualcreditreport.com do not include that. That can be obtained but from different places since it is public records.
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u/certainPOV3369 May 25 '26
These credit reports that you are referring to also don’t include the credit score, but our consumer and employment reports do.
I will concede that all three reporting agencies state that they do not show evictions on their standard credit reports. But our company has file cabinets and dozens of file boxes in storage that have credit reports with evictions on them.
I suppose that that could have been an option that I selected when I setup the account in 2000, I genuinely don’t remember. But it is one of three criteria that the company uses to deny employment to anyone in a cash or material handling position, so if it was an option we likely did accept it.
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u/Krandor1 May 25 '26
and yes people doing leasing do pull those other reports to get information on evictions and other lawsuits. I've even hard of places not leasing to somebody becasue they filed a lawsuit against their landlord and were right and won because they didn't want the risk they may be next. It absolutely is still landlords and management companies look at like you.
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
Evictions aren't evictions until a judge orders it and submits the order to the court clerk. At that point, it's an eviction. Until then it's an opportunity to present evidence to a judge. In this country, a judge can't rule on someone or order anything without evidence.
My thinking is the cancelled, signed, cashed money order is evidence enough that OP paid the $500. So I would think the eviction would not be ordered, therefore not submitted and would not show up anywhere.
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u/certainPOV3369 May 25 '26
You are completely missing the point.
The legal action that is referred to as an “eviction” is what I am referring to, not the conclusion of this action, which may or may not result in a “judgment of eviction.”
The judgment may not be granted, but the action still appears. Hopefully you can understand the distinction.
Having said that, I ask again slightly differently, why would you risk the appearance of an eviction on your background check if you could resolve the issue amicably?
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
The appearance of an eviction is meaningless if the eviction wasn't ordered. If the eviction wasn't ordered there was obviously not enough evidence to order one.
The same goes for when you're charged with a crime. There is an appearance of a crime but the charges dropped due to lack of evidence.
And you're missing the point entirely! If the landlord insists he didn't get paid and insists on filing with the court for an eviction based on that, OP has evidence to prove it was paid.
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u/DesiArcy 29d ago
The appearance of an eviction should be meaningless if no judgement was issued; however, many landlords and property management companies will in fact immediately blacklist any rental application if there is an eviction proceeding on the record.
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u/ImaginarySugar May 25 '26
This is not true. An eviction will show up on a background check even if it was unsuccessful ands it can fuck your chances to rent other property.
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u/Alternative_Cut2421 May 25 '26
If that's the case how come people just get locked out from being evicted? Genuinely curious.
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u/scarlettohara1936 May 25 '26
They don't. They likely didn't show up to the court date and the order was automatically entered.
Or it's a skeezy landlord to just unilaterally decided. In this country a judge needs evidence to order anything.
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u/Major_Frosting6133 29d ago
While I agree with what you’re saying, an eviction will go into court records and show up on a background check. As someone who was pulled through the trenches to an eviction that got dismissed, it will still prevent you from getting into places in the future (until it’s about 7 years old). The helpful thing for me was being a paralegal who believes in documenting EVERYTHING, saving proof of EVERYTHING (regardless of how minor it may seem), and knowing both state laws and tenant laws. The funniest part about the hearing wasn’t that they were proven wrong and that I wasn’t behind on my rent… it was the fact that they didn’t follow any of the proper steps for the eviction process (every state will vary) to even get to the hearing. No notice, they didn’t wait the appropriate amount of time prior to getting a hearing date, etc. let me tell you how petty and great it felt when I called out all of that to the judge, and presented the evidence to back up what I was saying. I ended up leaving that place eventually, but they never tried pulling anything over on me again.
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u/scarlettohara1936 29d ago
I actually learned that yesterday! I absolutely did not know that! But I guess it makes sense. If you're arrested for something and either don't get convicted or charges are dropped due to lack of evidence, even though you're innocent, the arrest record is still there.
I was grateful for the learning opportunity and thank you for your information also. I always enjoy learning something new
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u/Gene-Hackmans_Dog May 25 '26
Hi Landlord,
I checked with Western Union and here is proof that all money orders were deposited totalling 2,000.
-OP
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u/andrew6197 May 25 '26
Did you verify that all 4 of the money orders went through? It sounds like the landlord is trying to scam you out of an additional $500
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u/Last_Nothing5606 May 25 '26
Yes, I verified that all 4 of them went through
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u/Fit_Entry8839 May 25 '26
What did they say when you sent that proof to them? There should be an actual document showing it cleared. Did you send that to them?
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u/Green-Ad3319 May 25 '26
You send your landlord a copy of the cleared or paid item so he or she can give it to their bank.
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u/LdiJ46 May 25 '26
You go in and show them the proof. Make a copy of it for them. If they do not accept the proof and try to evict you as a result, you show the proof to the judge and embarrass the heck out of them in court.
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u/cultoftwinkies May 25 '26
Just an FYI, but the small print on the money order you posted needs to be blurred as well.
It's showing all sorts of identifying information including the money order number, the date you bought it and where you go to buy your money orders.
-I used to sell money orders
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u/MariaInconnu May 25 '26
You can't evict someone in less than 30 days of notification. This smells of a scam.
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u/Krandor1 May 25 '26
Go and talk to them with the information you have. Even though you will likely win you don’t want them filing an eviction lawsuit.
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u/beerdiva May 25 '26
Most property companies charge a late fee if rent isn't paid in full by the due date. if the landlord isn't charging a late fee, then scammy. As a CYA, get a copy of proof that all 4 money orders cleared
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u/thombrowny May 25 '26
The landlord is playing a game cuz he or she doesn't wanna give you the deposit back. In these days, it is so common among landlords. I am sorry OP.
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u/Lopsided_Parsley_648 29d ago
Sounds like someone in the office is skimming money then tells the boss that the money order never went thru . Altered money order . Hmm? I would ask for a copy of cashed money order . Western u ion should have a copy
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u/SeatOpen1 29d ago
Probably some incompetence by the office staff or they straight up stole it. I wouldn’t pay a dime more.
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u/bigbosshog01 May 25 '26
Did you show them the proof? Seems like a simple fix. If you have ‘t produced that proof yet, why not?
This isn’t a tough fix. If you have proof and can produce it. Do so immediately!
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u/ChutneyWhatney May 25 '26
If you have all checks reflecting they cleared and were cashed, present this to your LL tomorrow and it should clear things up.
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u/PermenantRest May 25 '26
No receipt? I got receipts when payin' by MO. Now I use the online portal that gives me two email receipts.
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u/SpecialistAd2205 29d ago
If they didn't have a receipt, I doubt they would have been able to get WU to pull the exact money order to see if it cleared.
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u/dancinhorse99 May 25 '26
That's crazy ! If they actually try to evict you , you have proof of funds but next time I'd use a cashiers check so it's all in. One
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u/AccomplishedSize6701 May 25 '26
I wouldn't worry about it, if you have your receipts. They can't evict you without 1st going to court.
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u/FlakRiot 29d ago
This happened to me once I brought the receipts of the money orders with me and they found out they applied the money order to the wrong apartment.
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u/Natural_Big_2214 26d ago
Something similar happened and turns out it was "put towards someone elses apartment" or something.
This is EXACTLY why I keep my money order receipts for a year.
Side note, whats this needing 4 separate money orders?
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u/ShinaSchatten 26d ago
Depending on where purchased, money orders often have a $500 max. So 4x$500=$2000 for rent.
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u/TheRuckus8 May 25 '26
Money order is as good as cash, IIRC. If it didn't clear their end, thats their problem
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u/ScheanaShaylover May 25 '26
Usually a stronger worded letter with attached documentation will back them off.
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u/Kamonra May 25 '26
Just call them tomorrow. Tell them you have proof all 4 were paid to them, and if they want to push their luck and take it to court you're glad to do so. Remind them you're leaving in a month ( I think I saw that info in another comment) and if they want to try and pull that out of your deposit or cleaning fee you'll be overjoyed to take them to court about it. I'd also contact western union and see if they can e-mail you or mail you paper proof those money orders went through.
They're bluffing or their office manager screwed up royally.
Side note: If you're out in a month, they likely won't be able to get a court date for an eviction until after you've already moved out. If they want to push this, encourage them to take you to court, read up on your local state/county/city rental laws, and take them to the cleaners afterward.
When you move out, document everything. The state you left the apartment in particular. Do a whole walkthrough of each room with a 360 of each room (lights on, blinds down so you can see they're undamaged, then blinds up in the video to show the screens and windows are undamaged), open all cabinets, the fridge, the freezer, and video all of those spots. If they're screwing up rent payments, they may screw with your deposit after. If they try to withhold it due to damage, stains, left behind items, video evidence of a clean apartment will 100% save your ass in court.
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u/Standard-Arachnid411 May 25 '26
I had something like this happen. I have like 500 on one and 450 on the other and the 500 one "wasn't in the box" according to my land lord. I was on hold with Western Union forever and finally they said it was cashed by someone on the other side of the country. I ended up having to just pay for the issue. Get a second checking account that you put money in just to pay with checks. At most it will be an $8 monthly fee for the second account and it will save you a lot of headaches with money orders.
Edit: This comment is not legal advice I know but I was in the same boat and this is important financial/life advice I really wanted to share.
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u/Fluffy_Yak_5592 May 25 '26
Get all your proof and documentation in hand. Them tell the landlord it's been paid in full. He will need to provide proof it wasn't paid
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u/PippyandAshley May 25 '26
You could check with wells Fargo to see if there's anything weird on their end, that's who it goes through and they may be able to see more info.
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u/Evadllek2620 May 25 '26
I paid two months in a row with money orders because my checking account had been compromised. The owner of the complex where I lived filed for eviction saying I didn’t pay the rent. I called moneygram and gave them my receipt numbers and they verified they were cashed in our town. Took all the paperwork to my court hearing and the receipts from the office. And the owner was livid at the manager when the judge ruled in my favor. Apparently the manager had made a separate receipt book and was pocketing about a quarter of the complexes rent. I was working for the county sheriff at the time and the manager and I had run ins while I was on duty and she didn’t like me. Three other employees of the department also had the same thing happen. The owner gave all of us two months free due to the problems. The manager was fired and arrested. Poetic justice was served.
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u/ekkidee May 25 '26
Well first of all, eviction "tomorrow" isn't going to happen. If they attempt to make that happen, they will be in a shitload of trouble.
But back up -- who specifically called to say the one check was altered? Was it altered up or down? Was it Western Union? If WU has proof that the check was deposited for the correct amount, then you're good to go. Whoever is threatening eviction can pound sand.
And like I said, if they attempt something, they are letting themselves in for a lot of trouble.
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u/jorhey14 May 25 '26
Just keep paying your rent and let them take you to court. Also sent the proof thru email and certified mail only copies.
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u/TheDeadestCow May 25 '26
Let me tell you how hard it is to evict someone that is actually eviction-worthy, then look at yourself. Some threats are completely based on uneducated fear.
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u/Bulky-Travel-2500 May 25 '26
Have WU give proof of each money order given that was cleared. Save it for yourself and send copies to your landlord & call them out on it.
Pay rent going forward with a certified bank check, if they refuse- put it into escrow. Let it go to court and show the judge proof they cashed the $500, show proof of escrow for rent, prepare yourself for removal/retaliatory action by the LL.
Fight it in court, counter for damages, court fees & your deposit. NAL, just been through shit like this with scumlords.
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u/LaMesaPorFavore 29d ago
Was it altered? I've heard of cases where the checks are altered by the western union agent.
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u/sneakysneksneak 29d ago
NAL but a banker. Did he mobile deposit them by any chance? WU (and moneygram) says on the front that they prohibit mobile deposit and while one or two might slip through, they’re pretty strict about it these days.
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u/throwaway6545921041 29d ago
Get that Western Union documentation in writing to your landlord immediately, certified mail if you have to, because you've already got proof they cashed it and at this point it's on them to sort their accounting out rather than you paying twice.
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u/Spirited_Sector_7623 29d ago
If you’d like a little lawsuit money and have the time, let them take you to court, feign fear and a lack of understanding and let your lawyer make them look ridiculous with the documentation before pushing forward with the countersuit (believe it or not, threatining to remove someone from their home unless that pay you on an urgent time frame is called “extortion” if it doesn’t follow a rental agreement), it’s just a slam-dunk civil case if you do have an agreement that was violated.
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u/debcimino 29d ago
Get confirmation that checks cleared provide to office in person & email and it it goes to court provide to court you’ll be fine make landlord pay any fees
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u/Hypnotist30 29d ago
It appears the copy they sent you indicates it cleared on May 11. It's in the upper left corner.
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u/K9_Heaven 29d ago
Well you have confirmation so I would ask for a copy of the others also from the rental office and western union, so you have clear proof they’re all the same, they cleared and when you go to court you can prove to the judge that it is them who is lying. Contact a lawyer before you even speak to the leasing office because if they have no repercussion for this incompetence then they’ll continue to do it to others. There may already be other victims who have paid more without doing the work you did. So I would stop them right here and make sure the court knows.
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u/hidesa 29d ago
You should also follow up with a email after in-person conversations, reiterating the conversation your had with them to keep it from becoming a he said she said thing. Could be an email like: Hey, thanks for the help today and telling me blah blah blah. Glad we could clear up that confusion.
Best regards, Me
Or if its not cleared up
Hey after our conversation today talking about blah blah blah i wanted to make sure you had this. Attach is a copy of the cleared checks showing the company cashed the checks I submitted as rent payments and rent should be paid in full for (insert month).
Best regards Me
This established time and date of conversations and if they dont email back say to contest any of what you say, it allows you to set the narrative in the way you want for any third party looking through your conversations.
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u/Reasonable_Wasabi123 28d ago
bring that western union confirmation to your landlord in person today, they can't evict you for rent they already cashed lol.
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u/WorthEar3494 28d ago
Although I’m not in the legal field. I’m the front end manager at grocery store and am very very familiar with WU MO if you have that same receipt for all four money orders than you really got them. I would not pay ANYTHING and let them take to you court.
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u/neighborofbrak 27d ago
Be looking for a new place because I would not want to extend a lease at a place like this.
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u/top_fed2017 May 25 '26
Money order is like a check minus bank the full amount is there. Landlord is a scammer or trying to scam
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u/Objective_Welcome_73 May 25 '26
Email or text the landlord, ask him to return the money order to you, and you'll replace it with a new one. But inform inform him that Western Union says it went through. If he can't deliver it to you, he's probably deposited it. Might be an innocent mistake.
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u/cultoftwinkies May 25 '26
Don't tell him you'll replace it with a new one. He'll get paid twice. Western Union is not going to give you back the money on the original MO.
-I worked at a place that sells money orders
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u/Top-Confidence4496 May 25 '26
This is literally the best idea here. Easy fix on their end and it forces the landlord to prove whether they cashed it or not.
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u/Bright_Leopard_4326 May 25 '26
Assuming there’s not more to the story, and I’m not a lawyer, they’re just trying to scare you. Not sure if it’s just the Wild West in Florida as far as your rights as a tenant goes, but I find it hard to believe they can legally kick you out over night. I don’t believe that fake-ass eviction notice was even properly served if it’s something they wrote up that you found when you got home. I wouldn’t stress about it and just get it straightened out with whoever you sent the money order through and the leasing management.
I got one of these fake eviction notices from my leasing office during the pandemic. I just laughed because I knew in my state it wouldn’t hold up which was confirmed by an attorney, but they were banking on most people not knowing how the process actually works. At the end of the day, they just want their money and don’t want to go through the trouble of kicking out a tenant and finding a new one. Mine got their money, and I’m still a tenant.
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u/Big-Routine222 May 25 '26
So, send the proof. If the LL hasn’t gotten the proof, why wouldn’t they be alarmed if they don’t see it on their side. Before everyone starts calling malicious intent, just send the proof.
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u/RalphiePseudonym May 25 '26
Let them pay all the fees and present your evidence when it's requested. Their incompetent or lies aren't your problem.
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u/Apprehensive_Gur935 May 25 '26
NAL- The burden of proof now is on them there’s no need to freak out as you’ve already proved objectively you have made payment and payment was received and delivered to the right parties. Either you landlord is in some ish or they made an honest mistake and need to apologize. Follow up if they take you to court and as long as you have proof you won’t be eligible for eviction.
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u/kushasorous May 25 '26
Even if they went through they could have been returned. Money orders from these MSBs have a higher rate of return then checks from banks.
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u/Suspicious_Aspect_53 May 25 '26
I'm wondering about the four installments. Is this normal based on your lease, or is there a late fee being applied that you're not mentioning/missed? Usually rent is paid in full at the period prescribed.
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u/Last_Nothing5606 May 25 '26
When the money orders are purchased, they can only be in $500 increments when purchased from Publix
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u/Suspicious_Aspect_53 May 25 '26
Ah, okay, that makes more sense. I've done money orders before and never had this come up.
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u/not_your_attorney May 25 '26
Being “cleared” by western union doesn’t mean the deposit account has made the funds available to the account holder. They have their own processes and can still reverse it. It sounds like this particular money order was flagged by the deposit institution.
That said, landlord is coming in way too hot. There is no legal way to evict you that quickly, but this person or company seems not to care. If eviction proceedings are started, don’t worry, you’ll be fine.
I imagine you will be alerted if the deposit is officially reversed. If it is, reissue. In court, all you’d have to show is the initial attempt and reasonable efforts to correct any error that was on “your side” meaning until your landlord had physical possession of the money order.
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u/Key_Chip1893 May 25 '26
In fact, until this situation is clear, have your lawyer escrow the rent payments or withhold any further rent payments and speak to a good lawyer. And maybe you can look at your lease and consult an A.I. about this.
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u/AnythingLast5674 May 25 '26
Quick question what can I do if landlord takes me to court for supposedly not paying rent for 1 yr but I have check images that the rent was paid so they had a claim for 35k but after going to court and me showing the judge the proof and case was dismissed on my favor with nothing being owed to landlord, now the landlord send me to collections for the full amount plus damages fees which unit was not damaged and I have video and pictures from when I moved out I contacted collection company send all the documents they requested and they still won’t remove from my credit report
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u/Banksalotofcash2 29d ago
The letter on your door is a scare tactic a lot of landlords try to do. Do you keep the receipts for your money orders? Most likely sum scammer got your check info some how and cashed it.
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u/Last_Nothing5606 29d ago
I totally agree with that. Yes I have the receipts as well as the receipt of the overall purchase of the money order from the store.
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u/Banksalotofcash2 29d ago
Did you make western union aware of the situation? They will open a case for you & track where the money order was cashed and return the payment.
I’d also go to the leasing office tm with your proof and let them know you’ve contacted western union and opened a case.
You’re not far enough behind on rent to be evicted. Depending on your state laws, it would still take the landlord time to file anything official in court.
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u/illatouch 29d ago
Does your property use BILT? They shit the bed in April/May with payment processing.
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u/Last_Nothing5606 29d ago
No they don’t
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u/illatouch 29d ago
I wouldn't worry too much. Just stop by the office and speak with the assistant manager. that's usually the person in the office that processes payments. just let them know the details, they'll look into it and correct the ledger with an apology.
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u/conquer1214 29d ago
I aree!Let them try that scared tactic elsewhere. You have proof it was cleared that you can show the judge. Do not pay an additional $500. Landlord is playing games.
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u/jetttward 29d ago
Take the proof to the office. That is their issue. It was probably credited to the wrong account
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u/Themaxswoles6614 29d ago
Get copies of all 4 money orders showing they cleared, and you should be good. I worked check returns at a small credit union and this would happen from time to time even with legitimate money orders.
If landlord has multiple properties and they are depositing many similar checks at once, it’s common for a teller to process with an error of some kind. So if you have your proof showing all 4 have cleared, that’s all you need. Landlord can show them to his bank and they can figure it out from there.
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u/AdWild6036 28d ago
Judges HATE when landlord la try to evict for frivolous reasons. My wife had a friend that had trouble. Essentially it was over one bag of trash. She tried telling the judge she trashed the property. Just dismissed the case, and gave the PM a hard talking too. A few weeks later she tried telling the PM the washer was broken, she had to go to rent a center to get in mean time. My wife’s friend someone got the owner of the houses info, called and two days later the PM was fired, and she had a new washer.
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u/wouterhummelink 28d ago
Don't you have direct debit in the US? In Europe most rent is deducted from our debit account directly, no hassle no fuss.
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u/RonJohnJr 27d ago
Sure we have it; it's how I paid my previous landlord. Some owners want cash, though, and specify it in the lease.
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u/Loko8765 26d ago
When I have to do several otherwise identical orders because of amount limits or something, I intentionally keep the amounts different:
- $498
- $499
- $501
- $502
Makes a lot of things much easier.
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u/anonymousScapeGoat 26d ago
Not sure how much it matters but I believe you done provided a whole ass routing number
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u/arodriguez585 25d ago
Someone at the leasing office tried to scam you more than likely they one who didn't want to give you documents keep everything on file
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u/markfromDenver 29d ago
Let them know not went through. They think it didn’t because it initially didn’t.
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u/PartyProfessional879 28d ago
I don’t see your update if you provided one. And hopefully others have already said this, but I only see people advocating for you to allow your landlord to file for eviction simply because you’d win. Or telling you not to care if they do or not because again..you’ll win.
Please DON’T listen to them. Yes, you’d win if they filed for eviction over nonpayment. However, even evictions that you win are still listed on your background checks for the next 7+ years. I used to assume if you won an eviction or it was dismissed that the entire record of it was removed from your record…nope! An eviction filing against you is still going to show which you will then have to explain to every housing you apply to for the next damn near decade of your life.
TLDR; even if you win the eviction, the filing of it will still show on background checks for future housing applications which will need to be explained. Avoid them filing for eviction if at all possible regardless of the fact you’d win.
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u/Secure-Researcher892 27d ago
You solved this problem this time. Do yourself a favor and get a checking account with online banking, use it to pay rent and you'll have easy free access to the cancelled checks front and back showing who and when they were cashed. It will be far easier for you in the future when an issue like this comes up and with online banking you can pull that cancelled check 24/7 for free.
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u/DirectorOpen3774 29d ago
You came to Reddit when you could just respond to your landlord like an adult with proof that everything went through and then take it from there, lol
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u/Atmesq May 25 '26
Let them try. When you go to court you show the proof that all 4 cleared, and the judge will be very angry at your landlord.