Apartment publicly shamed us for a mistake they made. Libel or slander?

Question

Apartment publicly shamed us for a mistake they made. Libel or slander?

Anonymous Oct 8, 2015 10 views 3 answers

Apartment accountant made a mistake so charged us more for our rent this month. Automated payment failed as a result. Called management they said it was their mistake and will be fixed. However days later i got a letter posted on our door shaming and threatening us for not paying rent. It was visible so all our neighbors saw it. I was mortified. Can i sue for slander/libel? They made us look like awful irresponsible residents in public and tarnished our reputation. For THEIR mistake. Can we get compensated somehow? Whats the best way to resolve?

Andra Marie VaccaroIntellectual Property Law AttorneyLos Angeles, CA · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-15T16:16:33+00:00

While extremely embarrassing, unfortunately, it is not actionable libel. You have no damage other than embarassment. The best way to resolve it is to ask them to send an errata message to all of your neighbors who you think may have seen it.

Eliot Wolf · Accepted Answer · 2026-06-15T16:16:33+00:00

What injuries, if any, did you suffer? If none there may be no cause of action that is worth pursuing. Confirm with local counsel.

Apartment publicly shamed us for a mistake they made. Libel or slander?

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