> whether to turn away the subcontractors

This was a mentioned, but subtly key point: He wasn't able to turn away the movers due to a rigid move date. (Details unspecified; it begs the question of what would have happened if the movers cancelled, or were unable to get it done in a day)

"wasn't able" is dubious. Of course, there are repercussions for not moving out on the date, but it's not an imperative. If the landlord had to move his stuff to the curb, or it delayed closing on a house, that causes a cascade into another transaction. The world doesn't stop, of course. If the landlord is forced to pay movers to put your stuff in storage and send the bill to the tenant, those costs can, in theory, be passed on to the moving company. The details depend on the contract, obviously.

It can hurt your changes of getting your next house/apartment. Depending on where you are it might not be worth risking a bad mark on your rental history/burning bridges with a company that manages a huge number of properties.

Yeah, something important to file away in your book of life lessons is that you should _never_ schedule a move on the day you have to be out. Not unless you're backed into a corner with no alternative. Sometimes life throws you curveballs - for example in 2020 I had purchased a house and was scheduled to move, but my mom passed away around 6 PM the day before the move. Thankfully it was just an across-town move, and I had about 10 days to play with before the lease on my condo ended, and the moving company was able to reschedule for a week later.

> you should _never_ schedule a move on the day you have to be out

If you're switching apartments in a city, you usually don't have much of a choice.

Your lease ends at the end of the month, and your new lease starts the next day, and you negotiate a day of overlap. And you sure as heck don't want to be paying rent on two places for a month.

> but for anything that costs over 5-figures it makes sense to have an attorney review it

Can you say more about this? I've never retained an attorney, but it's a skill that I would like to have. What is this process like, to get their services for a short, bounded engagement? How do I get started finding an appropriate provider?

Find your state's bar association website for the speciality you're looking for. For me it was an attorney specializing in probate court.

Find 2 or 3 that are close to your home (It's nice not having to drive 30 min across town to sign or pick up documents) then give each of them a call.

Most will offer a free consultation to hear why you need their services, they offer what they can do for you, or maybe recommend a specialist.

Then they'll tell you their billable hour rate, or retainer fee* for something larger (probate court takes months) to get started.

If the price is right and you feel good about this attorney, then you're all set. Easy and worth every penny.

Reviewing contracts is probably one of those 30 or 60 min deal that might cost you $200-400 depending on their billable rate, but spending $14k on a mover, $200 is a rounding error.

I know this is going to sound really dumb but I've had amazing luck just calling lawyers with 5 star reviews on Google Maps.

Sort by recent and read a few reviews to filter out people who pay for stars

Applies to everything

Lawyers specialize in certain fields, so I would search for "consumer lawyer" + my city. If you find one that says they handle business disputes or contracts I'd message them. But also say you're looking for "contract review" and consumer protection. I your email be sure to ask for referrals if they are unable to help.

You're paying them to scrutinize the contract and let you know how to protect yourself if there are shenanigans. One very common tactic is to take your money, move your stuff, but hold it until you pay more money that wasn't in the contract.