Went through something pretty much the same in Clovis a couple years back, deposit was $1,400 and the guy never sent me anything either. What saved me was the date stamp on my move-out walkthrough photos and the certified letter I mailed him, since the judge wanted proof of when I handed the keys back, not just the pics themselves. In my hearing the itemized list was the whole ballgame though, because once the landlord can't show he mailed one in time, the burden flips to him and he has to explain where the money went. I brought printed photos anyway, like 20 of them, clean walls, no stains, and the judge glanced at maybe three. Your 21 day thing is right, and since he blew it completely you're in good shape. Just make sure you have something showing your move-out date, a text, a receipt, whatever, because that's what ties it all together. Did you end up filing yet or are you still gathering stuff?

I used to roll my eyes at stuff like this, honestly. Figured a bus stop pantry would be stripped clean in a week and then sit there like a sad empty box with a wet cardboard sign. But a neighbor of mine on Oak Street did the same thing two summers ago and it's still going, and what kept it alive wasn't excitement, it was routine. People started treating it like taking out the trash, just a thing you do on the way somewhere, grab a can, drop a can. The trick seems to be keeping it small and boring so nobody feels like they have to run a whole project. Once it becomes a chore with meetings and a spreadsheet, that's when it dies.