Ask Me Help Desk - Would this verbal agreement be legally binding?

My partner and I are currently (and temporarily) living with his parents. After we moved in, his mother told him she wants a few hundred dollars a month from us. She does not talk to me, so I was never approached by her to discuss the agreement. My partner agreed on my behalf. While I am planning on giving her something to pay for my utility usage, I feel the amount she wants is terribly high since she wants us to clean up after everyone and their cats. We clean up after ourselves, but she essentially wants us to pay to live here and be maids. Would continuing to live here after she discussed the agreement with him constitute acceptance on my part? Would the verbal agreement be legally binding for my partner since she never specified it was for rent and to help with utilities and they were the only two present for the non-recorded conversation? She said during a fight that we had to get out "right now" and she's going to sue for back-rent. If she evicted us, would it show up on credit reports or rental history?

While this is unrelated to the legality, I'd like to say that my partner's family has insulted and verbally harassed us during our stay. I realize living with in-laws who already don't like you isn't very smart, but it was either that or a homeless shelter, and I don't want my child to live in a homeless shelter. We are looking to leave as soon as possible now that we have some money saved.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPKJ

My partner and I are currently (and temporarily) living with his parents. After we moved in, his mother told him she wants a few hundred dollars a month from us. She does not talk to me, so I was never approached by her to discuss the agreement. My partner agreed on my behalf. While I am planning on giving her something to pay for my utility usage, I feel the amount she wants is terribly high since she wants us to clean up after everyone and their cats. We clean up after ourselves, but she essentially wants us to pay to live here and be maids. Would continuing to live here after she discussed the agreement with him constitute acceptance on my part? Would the verbal agreement be legally binding for my partner since she never specified it was for rent and to help with utilities and they were the only two present for the non-recorded conversation? She said during a fight that we had to get out "right now" and she's going to sue for back-rent. If she evicted us, would it show up on credit reports or rental history?

While this is unrelated to the legality, I'd like to say that my partner's family has insulted and verbally harassed us during our stay. I realize living with in-laws who already don't like you isn't very smart, but it was either that or a homeless shelter, and I don't want my child to live in a homeless shelter. We are looking to leave as soon as possible now that we have some money saved.

So you, your partner and a child are living with his parents?

Where are you? Your partner cannot make an agreement for you. Yes, if you are evicted it will show on your credit report and rental history. She would evict both of you and sue him for the money.

You mention paying for utilities, so I am "assuming" you pay for your own food. And, yes, it is unfair for "her" to expect you to do all the cleaning, particularly if you are employed outside the residence.

The other side of this is that you had two choices - a homeless shelter or your partner's mother's house. She could have said "no."

You refer to him as your partner and her as your mother-in-law. It can't be both.

I don't know how long you've been living there (apparently a very short period of time), but I would leave as soon as possible.

If you had enough money to pay his parents, why did it have to be a homeless shelter as a second choice. The situation you are living in sounds intolerable and I for one would relish a homeless shelter rather then go through constant verbal abuse and having to clean up animal waste.

Have you not given them any rent to this point? These are his parents correct?
Can you not pay her now to avoid small claims court and get out as soon as possible?

I don't think she will be able to actually 'sue' you for a small amount; but she could take you to small claims court. How many month's do you owe her?

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Originally Posted by tickle

If you had enough money to pay his parents, why did it have to be a homeless shelter as a second choice. The situation you are living in sounds intolerable and I for one would relish a homeless shelter rather then go through constant verbal abuse and having to clean up animal waste.

Have you not given them any rent to this point? These are his parents correct?
Can you not pay her now to avoid small claims court and get out as soon as possible?

I dont think she will be able to actually 'sue' you for a small amount; but she could take you to small claims court. How many month's do you owe her?

I'd like to know what dollar amount the partner agreed to, assuming that the OP and her partner are buying food for themsleves and their child.

She wanted $200 each per month. We didn't have the money to get our own place before, but now we do. We pay for our own food. We've been here for a couple months. We were able to pay $200 from the small amount we had before we had to leave our previous residence. The stipulation for giving her a monthly amount was "after we got jobs." The town we live in has nothing, as it is very small. There simply was nowhere to apply in town. Public transportation does not make special stops, save only for medical reasons such as an appointment. So we were reliant on them for a ride and we had agreed to cover any fuel costs.

We did apply to the next town over, which is about 12 miles away. I was offered a job with an agency for full time work above minimum wage, but had to turn it down since they would not take me there. He had an offer that he had to turn down as well. We do not know anyone else around here, so getting there by other means wasn't possible. His mother doesn't have a job, so time would not be an issue.

We believe she only wants us to stay here so she can have a good payday when we are able to get jobs, if that makes sense. We have recorded conversations between him and her where she threatens that the utilities are going to be shut off because she can't pay them, and then where she boasts about an expensive meal the next day. I know that's not really a legal issue, but to me it says that if a utility does get shut off, she may be using that as a way to get us out.

We're in WV, by the way.

I don't think $400 a month for 3 people (2 adults and a baby) is high. What did you offer to pay?

If she doesn't like you - for starters - I doubt she's attempting to keep you there for the "pay out."

I have no idea why they'd spend the time, energy and gas to drive you to job interviews when you have no means of getting to the job if you are hired.

I'd be grateful for a roof over my head and I'd get out as quickly as possible.

Where is your family in all of this?

I was thinking about writing a contract to pay $125 per month that I was here to cover my utility usage. I believed $400 was high because the bills haven't increased dramatically, we stay out of the way, and we have to stay in our room after a certain time.

The idea was to work to get a vehicle. Once we had a car, they wouldn't have to drive us anywhere. No car or way to work would equal no monthly money for them, so we figured reimbursing them for gas and time would be fair.

I am grateful for the place to stay, but the insults and fear of saying or doing the wrong thing aren't ideal conditions.

My parents are unable to help.

Quote:

Originally Posted by PPKJ

I was thinking about writing a contract to pay $125 per month that I was here to cover my utility usage. I believed $400 was high because the bills haven't increased dramatically, we stay out of the way, and we have to stay in our room after a certain time.

The idea was to work to get a vehicle. Once we had a car, they wouldn't have to drive us anywhere. No car or way to work would equal no monthly money for them, so we figured reimbursing them for gas and time would be fair.

I am grateful for the place to stay, but the insults and fear of saying or doing the wrong thing aren't ideal conditions.

My parents are unable to help.

Move somewhere where employment is on a bus line.

If the conditions aren't "ideal," then move out.

I'm guessing his parent doesn't or didn't need the extra work, expenses and aggravation.

And, again, I'd be grateful, and I'd move out.

How old is the child?