They turn. Sometimes they grind.
To be brief: we had been sued by an apartment complex because we were the guarantors for a friend. The amount in question was over $1500. The major point of law in our favor was that it appeared to be that writing the words “Renewal Lease” in ink on top of a standard contract without any signatures or initials of any sort still constitutes a valid renewal lease. The judge ruled in favor of the apartment complex, and so we now owe the original amount plus $3800 in lawyer fees.
I’m rather melancholic about it. Yes, it sucks when you think a company has done wrong. However, our lawyer tried her best, yet the judge decided against us. I can’t fault the judge for that, nor do I fault the apartment complex or their lawyers.
What does make me upset is what I see as an onerous guarantor process, one that allows the lessor to renew, extend terms, add fees, etc., without any knowledge on our part. Would we have done things differently had we known that we’d get slammed by these fees? Probably. But hindsight’s got LASIK.
So, now we just have to figure out some way to pay them that effectively stops the 18% interest on the judgment and fees. If I can offer this word of wisdom to anyone: don’t cosign anything for anyone. Friends, family, anyone.