necoandjeff <spam@schrepfer.com> wrote:

> > Make sure when you move into the new place you take photos of every bit of
> > damage.
> > Thats what I did when I was living in a shit hole.
> 
> If you're taking a picture of preexisting damage, I would also advise taking
> a set of those photographs as soon as they are developed, placing them in a
> well-sealed envelope and mailing them to yourself. Once you get them back,
> make sure the postmark (the date) is clearly visible and then just put the
> envelope away without opening it. It isn't bullet proof (any good lawyer
> could demonstrate how such a package may have been faked by sending an
> unsealed or lightly sealed envelope to get it postmarked and then placing
> the photos in much later and sealing it), but, for purposes of confronting
> the landlord, you have a much better argument that you can prove the damage
> existed when you moved in and that you didn't just take the photos a few
> weeks ago. Even better, you might be able to find a way of having the photos
> dated and stamped by a notary, though I have never done this in Japan.

That's the only valid reason I can think of for using that naff
date-stamp "feature" of point-and-shoot cameras. Digital cameras have
EXIF data, which includes the date and time, but maybe that's too
high-tech for landlords to comprehend. 

Of course, both can be diddled by resetting the date of the camera. 

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                   Louise Bremner (log at gol dot com)
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