how long to wait for oil tank oil refund

By want recourse

We rented an apartment recently for a short-term rental.  A day after we signed the rental contract – during which we were told the apartment had electric heat, the management company let us know that no, it was not electric, but oil.  We would need to write a check to the previous tenant for the oil that was left in the tank, call the oil company and then get it filled for our use. I asked the management company what happens when we vacate – -she said the new tenant would have to reimburse us.  I then asked, well, what if there isn’t a new tenant?  She said the unit never had any problems getting rented. I pushed and asked what happens if a tenant is not found up to two months later.  She said then that the building owner would have to pay us back.

Well, we left in December with all the required notice etc and received 100 percent of our deposits back.  However, there is still not a new tenant and we have not been reimbursed for the oil that the oil company noted in the oil tank on the day we vacated the unit (the report from the oil company was given to the management company and they gave a copy to me).  The manager said she would get in touch with the owner.   That was a month ago and now my calls go unreturned.

What, if any, law pertains to this?  If there is no law, could one push for “standard business practice” in small claims court?   Thank you.  Is there any other recourse we have?

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