A public court record shows how one rental dispute in Palm Beach County unfolded, and why it ended in a settlement.
Case: Guillaume v. Rodriguez, No. 50-2025-CC-007454-XXXA-MB, Palm Beach County Court
Status: Settled and dismissed, January 27, 2026
💸 The money
Tenant Rutshelle Guillaume rented a home in Royal Palm Beach starting November 2023. Before moving in, she paid $12,750:
- First month’s rent: $3,800
- Last month’s rent: $3,800
- Security deposit: $3,800
- HOA deposit: $1,000
- Cleaning fee: $350
In late 2024 she extended the lease three more months at $4,500 a month. She moved out on January 25, 2025, after a walk-through with her landlords and her realtor.
📩 The $5,310 bill
On February 16, the landlords sent a notice claiming $5,310 against her $3,800 deposit. The charges were:
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Carpet replacement | $2,800 |
| Camera lens | $1,700 |
| Paint and wall repair | $455 |
| Door lock and repair | $230 |
| Baseboards | $125 |
Guillaume agreed to pay $355 (the lock and baseboards) and disputed the rest. When nothing was returned, she sued in May 2025 for $8,595.
🔄 The landlords hit back
The landlords counterclaimed in July. They added claims that she:
- installed an EV charger without a permit, about $1,300 to fix
- painted walls without consent
- changed the locks
- swapped a door handle
Her lawyers answered with ten defenses, including normal wear and tear and the clean walk-through.
🔍 Details that stood out
- The landlords’ own letter. Their January 15 non-renewal letter asked for the front door lock and bedroom door handle to be returned. That suggests they knew about the changes before the move-out meeting.
- The camera claim. The landlords’ notice says the damage happened “after taping over it.” Guillaume says tape on a lens doesn’t break it.
- The math. Her demand letter’s own figures add up to $8,245, not $8,595. That is a $350 gap someone would likely have raised at trial.
- The big question. Her biggest claim, $3,800 in last month’s rent, depends on whether it was already used up at the end of the original lease.
📂 Where the case turned
Discovery is where it shifted:
- August 2025: Guillaume’s lawyer sent interrogatories, document requests and 16 “admit this” requests to each landlord.
- Late responses: The landlords answered the admission requests about 3 to 4 weeks past the 30-day mark. Late answers can sometimes count as admitted, though no motion on that appears on the docket.
- Silence: Document and interrogatory responses didn’t arrive at all. After an unanswered email, her lawyer filed a motion to compel on November 14.
- Granted in 4 days. The judge ordered the landlords to respond on November 18.
- Thin results. One landlord’s response said “None” when asked for camera purchase or replacement records, door handle receipts, and property valuations. For most other requests it just said documents “are attached.”
🤝 The ending
Trial had been set for December 9, 2025, and a joint motion to continue it was filed on November 19. Mediation took place January 21, 2026 on Zoom. The result: “Settled.” On January 27, Judge Edward A. Garrison approved the settlement and dismissed the case, keeping authority to enforce it.
The terms were not made public. The record doesn’t show who paid whom, or how much.
🧠 Takeaways for renters and landlords
- Document everything at move-out. Time-stamped photos and written walk-through notes matter.
- Deadlines are strict. Florida landlords generally have 30 days to send written notice of a deposit claim, and tenants have 15 days to object.
- Keep receipts. A damage claim without invoices is hard to defend.
- Fee-shifting cuts both ways. Many leases and Florida law let the winner recover attorney’s fees.
This article is based on public court filings and is for general information only. It is not legal advice. The writer did not review the settlement agreement.
