I think its time to fib, Tommyrot.

Send them a letter saying "I've consulted an attorney and have been advised that you have no damn case and that I'll win if I fight you. I'd rather, however, just leave at the end of my lease. If you would like me to leave before then you can buy me out."

But more legalishly

I was just reading about the muscle repair issue with respect to Rick Ankiel. Back when he was still pitching, he had Tommy John surgery and as part of his recovery, his physician had used HGH to aid in recovery, but at the time, it was not a banned substance and Ankiel has been open about it, so he never suffered any penalties or backlash because of it.

And when you send that letter Trudy's recommending, be sure to cc it to someone at every tenants' rights group you've spoken with (if you can get specific names, that's even better), and a lawyer. (I had to do something similar once, and I cc'd a tax attorney friend of my mom's--the rental co. won't know who the lawyer is, it'll just scare them stupid to see that menacing "Esq." at the end of the cc list.)

I didn't realize pot counted as a performance-enhancing drug. (Re: Manny Ramirez).

I guess it could be for Kobayashi...

I finally out-stubborned AT&T and their assorted ill-informed collection agencies after a year of demanding erroneous payments for phone service at my former address. Long story short, while I can be worn down to the point of surrender by apathetic bureacracy, people who slur my character and make threats when I'm in the right better plan on wearing thermal underwear when they collect from me because Hell will have frozen over.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GC!!!

Fight the Power, tommyrot!

go ahead and cc Chuck D on that letter too, tommy.

go ahead and cc Chuck D on that letter too, tommy.

can't hurt!

Way to go, Matt!

Flava Flav would be totally unhelpful, though.

Why is it not Friday, people?@!

You're in Chicago. You might include Ditka.