location: columbus ohio
Hello! I’m new to this sub and reaching out because I don’t know where to go from here. Last March (2025) me and my friend decided to get an apartment together. He was the primary and I was the secondary. We get approved and moved in, all goes well.
He’s the one that set up the portal information and had just told me to apple pay him my half of rent because he set up autopay for it through the portal. (I realize now I should’ve gotten the login info for the portal myself).
In April (2025) I get an email over a late payment. I’m super confused and confront my roommate about it and he tells me he didn’t have enough and asked if I could cover just once—I did. April is the last time I received an email from this place about payments.
Around the end of May I’m cleaning our place and I end up finding a crumpled up orange ball tucked away, it was an eviction notice. Apparently that was the second warning of it? I still don’t have all the details. He went to court for it and everything, I assume he hid my mail (joint mailbox) over court hearings because I had no idea until after the fact.
Since April he was just pocketing my rent payments (I have screenshots of the apple transactions, as well as proof that I was sending more than what I owed for my half because he was having issues). Everything was already done and over with by the time June rolled around and I had no option but to leave. Luckily I have a partner that let me move in with them, but I haven’t applied to be a secondary on his lease because I think I will get rejected.
I’m at a loss. I’m unsure if I even have any ground to stand on because I was willingly sending him money—especially since this all transpired last year. I just need help on how to move forward with this.
I have steady employment (going on 3 years now) and have record of money I was sending him at the time. Me and this guy are no longer in communication after all that happened.
Thank you if you’re able to offer any insight.