Landlord Tenant Rights Violations

[Teitr]

Hello-

I apreciate your help on this matter. I live in COlorado and I was at one point living at the Spur Crossing Apartments in Jefferson County colorado owned by a Tim O' Connell and managed by a Paula Arellano. We had to move out due to a hostile living environment and in doing so accidentally took a folder containing the lease and other paperword mistaking it for an important file folder containing birth cirtificates. Now this landlord and her representatives are here demanding payment and that new paperword be signed or else they have been threatening to turn me in for various things and have managed to violate privacy laws for the last almost four years. I need to know can they coerce me into signing new paperwork when my attorney states that the living environment was definately hostile due to illegally set up cameras and audio recording equipment. The attorney has sent a cease and desist letter and we have a response on file which says that they want their money but there is no judgement nor likely to be one as I refuse to sign any more paperwork and I believe that they are blackmailing me and using threats and coercion to force me to do what I know I dont have to do. Where would someone complain about that type of behavior since it is obviously illegal at the state and federal level. Any response is greatly appreciated.

[Korrigan]

I'm not sure what i could add that your attorney hasn't already consulted you on, particularly since he/she probably had the opportunity to review the case in greater detail than what is presented here. I suppose you should just wait to see if they sue you, and then defend yourself in court if it comes to that since you(and your attorney) both appear to believe that your case is strong. Unilaterally breaking a lease is a tricky situation, so hopefully you documented the alleged violations. I would be concerned that cameras and recording devices would constitute a privacy violation if those devices were located in common areas of the complex. If they were in your apartment, then that would be a different story. I'm not sure where else you would file a complaint -- perhaps you start with the local police and go from there. But most likely it would be classified as a civil action by the authorities.