Now I see that this was the typo:
"The whole 'renewed lease expired 8/31/05, we moved out 4/31/06, landlord sued, almost 8 months later"
Is this what you meant:
The last signed lease expired 8/31/03;
you moved out 4/31/04;
LL claims a new tenant moved in 8/31/04;
LL alleges "deemed" lease renewal ran from 9/1/03 -- 8/31/04;
LL sued in 12/04
???