GoodLuckPig
Jun 13, 2010, 01:08 AM
OK so here is the situation, three friends and I leased a 2 bedroom apartment under a year contract. We made a verbal agreement to pay all utilities and rent, we agreed to add up and divide the payments four ways. Internet, gas, power, TV, and rent. I being the leader of the group went ahead to get the power and gas set up so we could move in, I also set up the TV contract as I would be using it when we moved out. We also decided to pay $100 a month per person to stock up on food for all of us. (Most people told us 400 a month for four people was not enough but we have so much food left over that we are going to have to throw half of it away).
Everyone stuck with the agreement and there are 9 months of history to show everything was going as agreed until this month.
For the utilities we pay a month behind like usual. We all decided to stay during the summer and attend school and/or get a job. Now one roommate went behind everyone's back to rent a house with another group of friends and moved out. He told us he would stick to the agreement and pay as usual. A second roommate decided to go home for summer break. I and the third roommate stayed behind got jobs.
We were doing fine till the bills came. Rent was no issue, everyone's name is on the lease so the have to pay no matter what or face legal consequences from the apartment. However, when it came to utilities the two who left felt no obligation to pay. When asked to pay their share they refused. Power, gas, and TV, one of the roomates who left had the internet in his name and tried to split it two ways with us two remaining tenets.
Now as far as I am concerned they are obligated to continue paying as agreed. Just because the decided to leave doesn't mean they can just refuse to pay. They had every right to leave but this is their place of residence, first and foremost and refusal to pay for utilities results in eviction. Since the Apartment contract itself states that power and gas shall remain on during the duration of the lease, otherwise it is a breach.
How does the law view this situation? I am planning on continuing paying the bills untlll the lease is up and then pursing reparations in court for the quarter of the bills not paid during the three months. Since they are allowed to come and go as the please into the apartment they should be responsible for all costs related to the apartment not just rent. Any insight?
Everyone stuck with the agreement and there are 9 months of history to show everything was going as agreed until this month.
For the utilities we pay a month behind like usual. We all decided to stay during the summer and attend school and/or get a job. Now one roommate went behind everyone's back to rent a house with another group of friends and moved out. He told us he would stick to the agreement and pay as usual. A second roommate decided to go home for summer break. I and the third roommate stayed behind got jobs.
We were doing fine till the bills came. Rent was no issue, everyone's name is on the lease so the have to pay no matter what or face legal consequences from the apartment. However, when it came to utilities the two who left felt no obligation to pay. When asked to pay their share they refused. Power, gas, and TV, one of the roomates who left had the internet in his name and tried to split it two ways with us two remaining tenets.
Now as far as I am concerned they are obligated to continue paying as agreed. Just because the decided to leave doesn't mean they can just refuse to pay. They had every right to leave but this is their place of residence, first and foremost and refusal to pay for utilities results in eviction. Since the Apartment contract itself states that power and gas shall remain on during the duration of the lease, otherwise it is a breach.
How does the law view this situation? I am planning on continuing paying the bills untlll the lease is up and then pursing reparations in court for the quarter of the bills not paid during the three months. Since they are allowed to come and go as the please into the apartment they should be responsible for all costs related to the apartment not just rent. Any insight?