Would we have a case for defamation of character?

[banys]

We lived with a roommate for a couple of months, who falsely implied she owned the house (or we never would have moved in). We found out recently when trying to rent a different place and having put the actual landlord on our application that she had told him horrible lies about us to him. The real landlord openly admitted to our potential landlord that he had never met us but passed along the information that our roommate had told him, complete hearsay. I don't know everything she told him, but one of the things he was told was that she called the cops on us. Which is a complete lie. Needless to say we didn't get the house. Would we have a case for defamation of character against either of them? Him for passing along hearsay after admitting he didn't know us or her for spreading lies she knew would damage our reputation? We are considering talking to a lawyer, but I would like to know if it would be worth it.

[felabeorbt]

You might have a case against her.

[gofraidh34]

A suit for slander or libel would require you to prove that the person who you sue uttered false statements of fact concerning your character that were heard and believed by someone, resuling in tangible financial harm to you. If I say "I called the cops on someone," that is a statement about me, not about the other person. So, if you are going to talk to a lawyer, the lawyer is going to want to know exactly who uttered exactly what words, verbatim.