I rented a three bedroom apartment from Adam Ehrlick/Ehrlich (Pottstown, PA) in 2008.
After living there for awhile, it became evident that things were a bit off. Adam would come into the apartment while we were gone without any notice. One day he left the toilet seat up and a cigarette in the toilet which I found after returning home from work one day (it was just two women who lived there). He came into the house while we were gone, took pictures of our things while we were out of the house without permission, etc.
Please check out his criminal record I wish I had done this before moving into his apartment. It is searchable under usjportal and criminal dockets.
Adam would not allow us to install or remove our air conditioners. One year we had our air conditioner in until late October because he had been in an accident and we werent allowed to take it out ourselves. Mind you, these were your standard window unit air conditioners nothing heavy duty or difficult.
The guy who eventually came and took them out (while we were at work) dropped a cigarette on the floor and there was a burn mark underneath the sofa! I found this two weeks after he had been there when I was moving the couch to vacuum.
I made a $2,400 deposit for move in - first months rent, plus two months rent security we had to pay an extra month because we had a dog. We also paid an extra $100/month in rent because of the dog. So we paid both a SECURITY deposit and RENT increase for the dog - fine. He said the extra rent was for any repairs needed because of the dog. We paid him an extra $3,250 (duration of lease) because we had a dog and no the dog could not have possibly done that much damage.
We paid water, sewer and trash in addition to the standard electric, heat and other utilities. For water, sewer, and trash - the bills were in his name. I repeatedly requested an actual bill from the utility company but he refused, only typing up his own "invoice" on a word document every couple months. What a profit this man made, considering he ROBBED us when we moved out and returned NOT A CENT!
In addition to the $1,700 security he withheld without cause, he had the nerve to then request an additional $600 for repairs. The problem? He never sent us an itemized list within 30 days, or told us anything of these repairs he needed. We had conceded that a $300 door should be replaced and that is it. But all we received was a three sentence letter on the 31st day saying he was keeping our deposit and we owed him an additional $600 for these so-called repairs.
Well, I got my lawyer on it and we sent off some demand letters for the security. He quickly withdrew his request for the extra $600 (yup), and tried to call it even with that. I was within right to request double the security due to his non-compliance to landlord-tenant law requiring an itemized list (justified with receipts and quotes) of any deposit deductions within 30 days.
Unfortunately as I was readying to file suit, my father passed away unexpectedly at age 57. This event caused me to forget about putting any efforts into fighting this guy.
But Mr. Ehrlich was sued in 2008 by another disgruntled tenant after he did the same thing, withholding her security. This case was dismissed in 2012 Why, you may ask? Because Adam and A.C. E Properties have successfully avoided being served for four years and the case was dismissed.
Perhaps its because his real name is spelled EhrlicH and not Ehrlick as he leads tenants to believe.
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