Renter says landlord never deposited his checks for a year, leaving the couple with $30,000 and a moral dilemma

A Reddit user on the r/confession board has shared that a year’s worth of rent payments has remained in their bank account because their landlord allegedly never cashed the checks they sent him. The couple now has about $30,000 remaining after the landlord died.

The OP said that he and his girlfriend had rented an apartment from a landlord they called ‘Mr Barry."

The couple would write a check each month for their rent and leave it in the landlord's mailbox. The tenant said the checks were never deposited. The tenant also said Barry was difficult to deal with as a landlord and did not repair their washing machine for approximately three months; he also recalled an incident in which Barry called him ‘Connor,’ even though that was not his name, which worried him.

The couple became concerned about Barry’s welfare. The tenant said they noticed the landlord's house was disorganized, and mail had accumulated around the property. They said they once found one of their rent receipts stuck to a McDonald's coupon in the recycling bin and then put it back in the landlord's mailbox.

As the months went by, the money remained in the couple's bank account. The OP said the balance eventually reached about $30,000. Despite their financial difficulties, they did not touch it.

The couple works as bartenders and canceled their YMCA membership due to rising costs. The OP's girlfriend, however, argued that their responsibility was to write and deliver the payments, and that it was not their responsibility to ensure the landlord actually deposited the money.

Barry eventually died. The tenant said they had never seen Barry's daughter at the property, but she reportedly arranged to sell the building and did not contact them, though the tenant questioned whether the rent was still owed. The OP added that another rent payment was still on their kitchen counter. So The tenant is now considering whether to pay about $30,000 to the landlord’s estate or keep the money, especially since they allegedly spent months keeping an eye on Barry and how he was doing.

With this story, Commenters were divided over what the couple should do with the money. A number of the commenters maintained that the tenant tried to pay and therefore should be allowed to keep the money.

Some commenters suggested that Barry’s confusion and difficulty maintaining the property could have been signs of a cognitive condition

Some commenters argued that Barry’s death did not necessarily eliminate the couple’s obligation to pay. They argued that unpaid debts may have to be settled by the estate, so the tenants could later be asked about the rent.