The Apartment Store has faced and won a number of lawsuits against its tenants in small claims court -- but Linda Boyer (senior-speech communications) is one tenant who fought The Apartment Store and won.

District Justice Clifford Yorks ruled in Boyer's favor last Wednesday in Centre County Small Claims Court. The Apartment Store, 444 E. College Ave., had kept $360 of Boyer's security deposit to pay for a professional cleaning service, Master Shine Carpet Cleaning of State College, to clean Boyer's apartment.

Boyer had already cleaned her apartment so she could not understand why she was being charged.

"I thought this was weird so I went back to my old apartment to check it," Boyer said.

When Boyer visited her old apartment, the new tenants told her they found the apartment had never been cleaned. John Berkely (senior-health policy and administration), one of the new tenants, said his new home looked like the floor of Jiffy Lube.

At the hearing last Wednesday, The Apartment Store's property manager, Linda Verbeck, showed the district justice a bill from the cleaning service. But Berkely testified that the apartment wasn't cleaned by anyone.

"The Apartment Store had never inquired if the place was clean," Berkely said.

A spokesperson for Master Shine Carpet Cleaning could not be reached for comment.

Berkely voiced an often-heard complaint that The Apartment Store's management would only communicate with him through the mail.

"It's kind of like dealing with the government," he said.

On behalf of The Apartment Store, Verbeck said, "Since everything has been settled in court and Boyer is getting her money back, I see no need to comment on this case." Verbeck added that she hasn't contacted the cleaning service yet.

Jerome Williams, an associate professor of marketing at the University, is also suing The Apartment Store over his son's security deposit. His hearing is scheduled for Feb. 2.

Williams said he is pleased by Boyer's win.

"It offers hope for students with a legitimate complaint," he said.

In November, Williams drew up a petition to stir up interest in a class action suit, but said he hadn't actively looked for support. After Williams appeared in an article in The Daily Collegian, he was contacted by about 30 Apartment Store tenants who also had problems with their security deposits.

Heather Asendorf, a secretary at the University, had problems with The Apartment Store more than three years ago. It left such a bad impression that Asendorf contacted Williams about signing his petition.

Tina Slaughter (senior-general science) is another tenant who sought out Williams. Slaughter said The Apartment Store kept $100 of her security deposit to have her carpet cleaned after she had already paid to have it cleaned professionally.

Slaughter wants to form a student group to pressure landlords like The Apartment Store to resolve housing problems. She said she doesn't have the time to build a case against The Apartment Store and would have a better chance of winning by forming a group.

Slaughter believes students must exercise their rights and join together to protect themselves against landlords. "We need to get a stronger voice," she said.

Last spring, Patrick Inorio and some students who lived in buildings leased by The Apartment Store met to discuss similar disputes. These students joined together and picketed outside of the Housing Fair. Inorio received a police citation for canvassing after he circulated fliers asking for other residents' complaints.

The Organization for Town Independent Students tries to help students like Slaughter who live in apartments off campus. But Slaughter isn't satisfied with OTIS' advice in resolving her problem with The Apartment Store.

"OTIS tells you to write letters to The Apartment Store . . . it's just a waste of paper," she said.

OTIS President Lynette Mason is not troubled by Slaughter's complaints. Mason said OTIS wants students to become empowered and exercise their rights, but there is only so much the group can do.

"OTIS can't give professional legal advice," she said. "If (Slaughter) wants to have her group pressure them, that's great, that will help."

Mason said OTIS receives the highest number of complaints about off-campus housing from students who live in buildings owned by The Apartment Store.

But The Apartment Store isn't the only management group with some dissatisfied customers. James Yanni said his son had problems when he lived in an A.W. & Sons apartment. A.W. & Sons kept part of the security deposit to clean the carpet.

"My impression is that there is a regular pattern of rental agents systematically keeping student deposits," Yanni said. "What's going on may not be illegal, but it borders on being immoral."

But Yanni's son was able to work out his problem with A.W. & Sons and get his money back.

Although some cases between landlords and tenants have remained unresolved, Leo DeLorenzo, the general manager at A.W. & Sons, said that isn't the case with his business.

"We've never had one complaint that wasn't resolved," DeLorenzo said, adding that A.W. & Sons works out all problems with security deposits directly with students.

"We're in this for the duration. This is a family business that's been around for 30 years," he said. "Other apartment owners may be out of state . . . so it's harder for them to deal with problems."

DeLorenzo said he would not pass judgment on The Apartment Store's recurring lawsuits.

"That's for them to work out," he said. "It's not for me to make that judgment."