The landlord/tenant relationship is often the source of heated conflict. The Law Offices of Matthew R. Kessler, L.L.C. has the experience and expertise to represent you whether you are a landlord or a tenant.
If you are a landlord, you probably already know that tenants often decide to vacate a rented premises during the midst of a lease term or simply decide that they are not going to pay rent any longer. In such situations, landlords frequently suffer financially as they are not collecting monthly rents in accordance with a signed lease and therefore many times cannot make monthly mortgage and/or utility payments on the leased premises. In such situations, landlords are generally left with no choice but to seek an eviction and/or damages from their tenants. These matters are generally handled at the Magisterial District Judge level and Attorney Kessler is experienced in guiding landlords through the process of dealing with lease-breaching tenants the “correct” way.
Additionally, landlords are often unfamiliar with the laws that apply to landlord/tenant relationships. One such law is Pennsylvania’s Plain Language Consumer Contract Act, 73 P.S.ยงยง 2201-2212. This law was passed by the legislature due to the fact that many consumer contracts, including residential leases, were being drafted in such a way so that a normal, every day person could not understand its terms and conditions. Under the Plain Language Consumer Contract Act, landlords are now required to draft their leases in accordance with the plain language guidelines set forth in that Act. If a landlord fails to comply with this requirement, the landlord can be liable to a tenant for: (1) compensation in an amount equal to the value of any actual loss caused by the violation of the Act; (2) statutory damages equal to $100.00; (3) court costs; (4) reasonable attorneys fees and (5) any equitable or other relief ordered by the Court. Attorney Kessler can assist you in reviewing and revising your current leases and/or drafting new leases that comply with the requirements set forth in this law.
Attorney Kessler has also represented multiple tenants in wrongful eviction actions as well as other landlord/tenant matters. Pennsylvania law offers many protections to residential tenants; however, if a tenant does not “follow the rules” in implementing these protections the tenant may find themselves on the losing end of a law suit. For example, there are times when I tenant can withhold rent but this can only be done in very specific situations and the manner in which rent is withheld is important. If you are a tenant and feel that your landlord is not operating in accordance with Pennsylvania landlord/tenant law, contact Attorney Kessler and he will be more than willing to consult with you about your issues.