AIBU knowingly not refunding all the money

[Jipterjames]

I had a nightmare lodger who I kicked out. Basically she was worried about her family members catching covid and started to be intrusive about my personal life. Cat vomited on the sofa (not the first vomit) and she decided to berate me about not taking pics/telling her. Final straw came when my bubble weren’t allowed in my back garden for birthday cake - yet she broke the lockdown laws by seeing her boyfriend all the time, and he would stay every other weekend.

Anyways, she wanted her deposit/rent back - which she asked for via email stating “I deem 7 days to be enough time and forward me receipts for any deposit money taken” told her to read the agreement (that she wanted) which meant I would send via cheque within 3 weeks.

The money went out of my account, however the amount is £100 lower than what I owe her. I didn’t take a pic of the filled in cheque and she’s not contact me.

I’m sure the banks didn’t make an error and she’s the type to follow up the money.
AUBU by just ignoring the short money?

[Lockheart]

Of course YABU unless you have a valid reason to withhold the deposit.

[Shoxfordian]

Yabu

[cochineal7]

Not liking her is no reason to withhold the deposit. Your remedy was to let her go, not to also keep her money.

[Jipterjames]

SORRY I didn’t explain very well.

I’m 100% up for refunding the deposit and in my mind I 100% wrote out the cheque with the right amount..... so I’m confused as to why the bank didn’t take the right amount out. I could contact the bint, but she’s also the type that likes to be right etc, so I’m also confident she would want to know where here £100 is.

So AIBU not asking my previous tenant if she received all the deposit money? I don’t want to pay her an extra £100 if further down the road it transpires she did receive the money. It’s so weird she didn’t contact me

[Malin52]

Are you saying the cheque you sent her was for the full amount but the amount taken from your account was £100 less??

[Jipterjames]

@Malin52 yes. I really don’t think I wrote the cheque for the lesser amount, but it’s 100% plausible as banks don’t make mistakes. However, if I deducted deposit money, she would be the type to want to know why. She’s already stated this in an email. So I don’t know why she hasn’t emailed me.

[Malin52]

Just leave it. If she contacts you you owe her £100 fair and square.

Yes banks can make mistakes and type in one amount when the cheque says another. Not often but they do. Sounds as though you might have written it out wrong though. What they don't do is pay out someone one amount and show on your account as another so in any event you owe her it

[CloudFormations]

You’ve obviously just written the wrong amount on the cheque. Yes you should make up the shortfall. Contact her to confirm what she received first if you have concerns.

[Jipterjames]

@CloudFormations so nothing to do with error by the bank/bank clerk/app?

[WitchesBritchesPumpkinPants]

I wouldn't do anything unless she contacted me.

[Name99]

Contact your bank???

[MilkTwoSugarsThanks]

I'd contact your bank.

If you sent her a cheque and she paid it in herself there's a possibility that the cheque has not scanned properly. If that wasn't cross checked properly then that could be the source of the mistake.

It could have been paid in at the counter or a self service machine.

If she gets in touch you can let her know that you are dealing with it because you think it's a bank error.

[ReverendRicketyCricket]

Bint?


Fucking hell.

[Chloemol]

Just ask the bank for a copy of your cheque. If it’s been incorrectly debited they will sort it out

[Jipterjames]

@ReverendRicketyCricket yes a controlling cow who did many things I didn’t like to me and her boyfriend. Got an issue?

[Jipterjames]

@MilkTwoSugarsThanks will do

[HundredMilesAnHour]

YABU for calling her "the bint"

YABU for sending her a cheque (unless you specifically requested one).

Either you made a mistake or your handwriting was illegible. Either contact your bank and ask them to check, or just do the right think and send "the bint" the £100 you still owe her.

[rattlemehearties]

Who still uses cheques and why? This is rather odd OP. As it stands, leave it for her to contact you and make sure you're happy to send her the extra £100 when requested without hassle.

[Miseryl]

Why are you sending a cheque in 2021? 🤔

[Jipterjames]

@HundredMilesAnHour omg read the bloody thread

[rattlemehearties]

Additional thought. Have you considered that Mumsnet isn't the best place to use sexist misogynistic language like bint and cow?

[CloudFormations]

Unlikely to be a clerk error, but even if it was you can see that the full amount hasn’t left your account, so you still ought to make it good.

[Jipterjames]

@Miseryl as per the lodger agreement... which she wanted and then wouldn’t abide by.

So when she “deemed” X time frame to receive the money back, I read the agreement which stated a cheque for the money would be sent lol. It was quite funny but I also had a cheque book. Lots of other things.... but I won’t bore you.

[FlyingBurrito]

@Miseryl

Why are you sending a cheque in 2021? 🤔

Cheques are a valid way to pay people, why shouldn't she write a cheque as specified in the lease agreement

[Jipterjames]

@CloudFormations yeah I will 100%, but only if she contacts me. I was fully commuting to the money, so I’m surprised the amount isn’t correct. I’m more surprised she hasn’t contacted me