Being sued by tenants in Texas

[Mark Garza]

Hello,

Me and my wife own a condo in Texas. Our tenants moved out on May 31st, and left the place in bad condition. Dirty floors, dirty stove, etc. Before moving in last July, we asked them for a $900 deposit.

We agreed to let them pay $425 for May's rent from the deposit, which left them with $475 of deposit for potential refund.

After they moved out, we had no contact at all. I assumed they knew that they weren't getting their deposit back. Last week they contacted me asking if they were getting any of their deposit back. I told them that the place was a mess, and that I had to spend time cleaning and hauling abandoned furniture out to the dumpster. They then demanded a deposit disposition form.

I agreed to give them a disposition form, and I listed everything they owe, which totaled $775. That means they owe me a net total of $300.

Now they're threatening to sue. They say I should've provided them with the deposit disposition form within 30 days, even though I gave it to them after 34 days. They also claim that we're overcharging them for "small damages". How should we respond if they do decide to sue us? I texted them pictures of the condo that clearly show the damages, but they stopped responding. Does anyone have any experience with this? Thanks.