security Deposit Not Returned: California situation

I'm in a difficult situation in California and trying to figure out my next steps.

title issue discovered after closing. I've been dealing with this for about 14 months now and the situation isn't improving.

I have been in this property for 7 years. My monthly rent is $2,973. I have a written lease.

Has anyone been through something similar? What worked for you?

I went through almost the exact same thing.

In my case, it took about 2-4 months to resolve. The key was hiring an attorney to send the initial letter.

Just closed on a dispute with my former landlord — got the full deposit back plus $1,500 in statutory penalties. The trick was sending the demand letter via certified mail within 30 days of moving out.