Please post my problem on your free legal advice website. I live in Illinois. I moved in
with my dad in April 2022 - he became violent in May I called the police and a protection
order was put in place until September of that year. Keep in mind we are both in the
lease. I paid the rent on my own. Fast forward to October, flash back, fast to January
2023 - he's pulled away by violence again. Lease ends April 2023. He hasn't given me a
dime for the times he hasn't been living here. He claims that he has not had the right to
pay for the apartment since he received a protection order. I think otherwise. Both our
names are still on the lease. Now since January there is no protection order but he
hasn't been living here and hasn't paid. We had an agreement in January when he left
that at least for 3 months he would give me $100 a month so a total of $500 towards
the roof contribution I'm providing for our daughter. He agreed. Our daughter has
Saturday nights at his aunts' house but that's it. Now he's telling me as of yesterday he
won't give me the $500 we agreed bc I won't give his security deposit back. First of all
I'm renewing the lease in my name so I won't get the security deposit until I move out.
But he thinks I'm just taking the security deposit. So he claims he's not giving me the
$500 we agreed on. Mind you, he hasn't paid the rent in months. Yes I understand he
wasn't living here but that doesn't change the fact that his name is on the lease as
well. If I took him to court, I think even the judge would say he should have paid me
because the child was in my care 80% of the time. My question now is should I take
this to small claims court? I wasn't planning on taking him to court. The total rent he
did not pay was $1,734. I was only asking for $500... Now he refuses to pay. Obviously,
the only evidence I have is a protective order. I have proof that he left in Jan bc. All rent
payments were made from my bank account.