When we moved into this residence we did NOT sign any lease or documentation saying we would pay a set amount by a set date. We lived there 2 and 1/2 weeks with two other people who have not paid a dime towards anything. The person who owns the house got mad at me and my husband because we hadn't given her any money yet because we don't get paid until the end of this week. She is now claiming we owe her for all the bills that were created that month by everyone in the house but the other two don't have to pay anything because they are related to her. But split the bills 3 ways its only 180.00 a month per person. We were only there 2&1/2 weeks. My mom says legally we don't have to give her anything because we never signed anything... And she never claimed we had to pay that just help with groceries. Nothing was in writing. What are my rights here?

You owe nothing if what you said is all correct.

We signed nothing! And she is threatening to get me locked up if I don't pay her Thursday. But what I did do was get in a fight with her and her daughter because they got in my face and all. Now they on Facebook threatening to have family members come in and beat me... I don't know what my rights are at all or if it is even worth paying a lawyer over if she does take us to court. I've never been in trouble in my life until I met these people and now I feel cornered...

You are a tenant and have tenant rights. However it isn't worth getting further into a messy situation so maybe you should leave asap. Your type of tenacy requires a one week notice to quit before she could take you to court to evict you.

You cannot be "locked up" for not paying a debt if you live in the USA. We do not have debtor's prisons.

Why do you feel you have rights to live somewhere free of costs?

You don't have a lease.. at 2.5 weeks you aren't even a resident, if you can't prove you have a lease they can change the locks tomorrow and put your stuff outside, claiming you are a guest. Rent is due up front... not at the end. THey can argue you never paid what was agreed when you moved in and therefore are already in breach.

And you aren't entitled to eat the food anyone else bought with or without a lease. WHat do you think you could sue for when you owe THEM money you haven't paid. If you have money for a lawyer, you have money to pay what you owe. The lawyer costs a lot more.

But as others said...locked up, no....locked OUT very likely.

And since apparently its not obvious to some people.....Unless its in writing to the contrary....rent is assumed to be due whe you move in for the rest of the month, pro-rated when its not a full month, and the first of each following month for the upcoming month. THAT is considered the norm.

She is the landlord....she can charge them as much or as little as she wants....you agreed to a certain ammount when you moved in...

Being off to a start like this....you both better be looking for a new place to live because I can't see you being there much longer. If she can argue you are just visiting she can lock you out this soon, if either of you can prove there was any informal lease, without anything in writing, its month to month, and you can be served for eviction immediately, and how long you have varies by state, Florida its 15 days notice, most of the country its 30 days, California is a little more complicated.


Without anything in writing...its your word against hers.....try proving otherwise, people renting usually get agreements in writing to cover their own butts for reasons EXACTLY like this one.

No she kicked us out the night we got into the fight. No notice nothing. But is continually being harassed by her daughter. And the lady who owns the house, which is a habitat house that was built for this women and she no longer lives in it period. She lets her daughter live there. She said she's going to press charges for assault and battery if I don't pay her but she probably will anyway after I pay her. I have never even been questioned by a cop before. I don't know what can happen to me if she does...

Assalt and battery is threatening someone and stking them, not oweing money

That is not what I said. We bought groceries every week and they ate it all. We got nothing from what we bought. We bought everything in the house to use. All basic necessities we paid for because we were the only ones employed. The house was disgusting and had maggets where the other girls left food in a pot on the counter for so long. Bugs everywhere. I confronted the "landlord" about the unlivable conditions and she went off on me. We got into an altercation and we moved out that day. She will not give us our belongings. And now claims we owe her for every bill made including the entire mortgage for that entire month we were only there for 2&1/2 weeks. The other girls have no income what soever so why should be liable for bills they also made?

The only agreement made was verbal and she just asked we buy groceries for the house and we did! But now she's claiming we owe over 700.00 because I did hit her. After she said she was going to take me to court for the entire amount of her bills.

So you are both already out? Is that correct. Go to the police and say you want your personal property back and she refuses to give it back after you were thrown out. MIght be as simple as that to get it back. People eating your stuff... thats what happens when you live with the wrong people. Personally I'd have kept my stuff locked up where they couldn't use it all, or at least as much as was practical.

Sure she can try to sue you... but I bet she's happier to see you gone and that probibly won't happen.

Don't move in ANYPLACE without getting things in writing. Who pays what, how much you owe and when, whoes responsible for what. It will save a lot of grief.

She can press charges because you hit her, Thats assault and battery, I honestly don't know what the statute of limitations is for her to report it to the police is. But someone else might. And of course....you really could end up in court over BOTH issues.

Yes we are out. I could not live in those conditions. I told her that. And she got in my face I hit her. She called the cops but said she wouldn't press charges as long as she got the money she wanted and I've been told she's just waiting on the money before she presses charges... Yes we were stupid for getting involved with people like that and now I feel like I'm trapped no matter what I do. If I pay her what she wants I lose all that money plus she's still going to press charges on me. Then I have to pay a lawyer for that. I have no record period. I don't want this because of low life people like that... And now I'm getting threats on Facebook from her daughter? I knew it was too good to be true. She slipped up one day and said she couldn't afford to pay for 2 houses anymore. Both of them are habitat houses and she only lives in one of them. How can this be right? How does somebody be given 2 habitat houses and doesn't even live in one of them but still is able to own it?

I know lots of people that own several properties and pay the mortgages and make a profit by renting out rooms. So its not unusual.

I've even rented out rooms to people. I made it clear up front if I got ANY crap......they were gone. Only ever had to throw one person out. And it wasn't even for any of the reasons you might have thought.

Yes but habitat house rules are if u don't live in the house anymore its supposed to go to someone else in need. And u also cannot have more than one. How are they getting by with this?

Not your issue...

If you are begging for her to press assault charges against you... you might get your wish. Push her and she WILL push back...on BOTH issues.

You WILL end up on the losing end. Work on getting your personal effects back....and keep your distance from her.

Trust me....if Someone hit ME..and owed ME money...and they kept giving me trouble...I would do everything I could legally to give them so much trouble they would regret it.

Cut your losses, get your stuff and be happy if nothing else comes of this .

I'm not even concerned with that... Right now... Just don't understand it... The whole reason anything got started because I said I was tired of cleaning 6 hours a day going to work 4 hours and coming home and it being trashed again. Anybody who can live with ants and knats and magfets in there kitchen really isn't worth my time. I was fed up but now I'm just trying to see what my rights are. Its disgusting in there and if anybody from the health department walked in it would be shut down. It's a shame that such a nice home that was built for them to help them they tear up like that... Some people I just don't understand... If I could've lived in the filth nothing would've happened but I asked her to tell her daughter to try and pick up. The day I went into the bathroom and a pad with her daughter period mess was on it was lying in the sink.... That i had just cleaned....I was done then. Would it help my case if I presented the pictures I took of everything?

I don't even know if I want my belongings as dirty as they are its hard to tell what could be on them. And I didn't owe her money. I did exactly what she asked from day one. We gave her daughter rides to work and never got any gas money for it... We bought her daughter food to eat since her daughter worked one full shift and quit because they made her wash dishes and mop. We bought everything for that house. They didn't even have trash bags... It wasn't until I asked her to tell her daughter to clean up after herself... Not anyone else but herself there was an altercation and suddenly we owed her all this money...

Just to clarify what happened. I stated what was happening in the home about the uncleanliness... Her mother got mad and said " I'm not a to mess with" again I've never been rude or disrespectful towards her. In fact I took up for this women when her daughter was cussing her... All I ever asked was for her daughter to clean up. She has 3 kids which she does not have custody of... But is trying to get back. I'm sorry but if she's old enough to have 3 kids I shouldn't have to buy her food. Pay her bills. Be her shoufer. And clean after her every 5 seconds. Its not my job to do that. I just stated I couldn't live like that and her mom got mad and treated me that's why I hit her. Before that I have been nothing but respectful to he. And also to clarify I have had no contact what so ever with any of them since I left the property. They are the ones threatening me. I unfriended them and am still getting threatens.

Ok, bottom line here is you should never have entered into this situation without anything in writing. But since you are out now and willing to give up your belongings then just ignore her threats. I doubt if she will follow through since she has more to lose from getting the law involved than you do.

And when the dust settles, contact Habitat. It is very much everyone's concern that someone got 2 houses from them. I'm not sure I believe that they are both really in her name, because they have a rigorous application process, but they can sort it out.