Baltimore County Rent Court

[Nicole A.]

Hi Friends! 

Today I have a question specifically about Baltimore County rent court.

I hire a company called myrentcourt.com to file any Failure to Pay Rent / Warrant of Restitution paperwork and attend court on my behalf.

The guy working there told me something that confused me. He said that the $48 I pay him (to cover court costs and pay for his service) can't "technically" be demanded paid back by the tenant. I never heard that. In fact, I read this:

In any summary ejectment (eviction) for failure to pay rent where the landlord is awarded a judgment allowing the landlord to repossess the leased premises, the tenant has the right to remain in the leased premises by giving cash, a certified check, or money order to the landlord or his agent to cover all past due rent and late fees, plus court-awarded costs and fees at any time before the actual carrying out of the eviction order. This is called the “right of redemption.”

http://www.peoples-law.org/failure-pay-rent (source)

My lease also states that any fees are considered "Additional Rent". I do not see a place on the Failure to Pay Rent form to actually put down legal fees. I only see late fees.

http://www.courts.state.md.us/district/forms/civil...

Second confusion is over time to apply/demand the legal fee. For some reason, I thought any court/legal service fees were applied to the following month's rent as additional rent. But this guy is saying that since my tenant paid me, the money should go towards all fees first. Yes, I know the order of payment, but I again, thought that the legal service/court fee wouldn't apply until next month.

Her rent= $845

Late fee=$42.25

Legal fee= $48

She paid me $888, so in my mind that paid the rent and late fee and made her good for March with even a .75 cent credit towards April. This guy did the math so that she's still short for March by $47.25 because he applied the payment towards the $48 as well.

What do you guys do? I thought I was clear on this stuff.