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Mongal · May 17, 2007, 05:23 PM

Help, my husband signed a 1 year lease in Washington State while we were separated. I was living in Arizona and he in Washington. He lived there 2 months and then killed himself leaving the remainder of the lease unpaid. Before he did that he sent a letter to the appt. management giving them my ss number, workplace and my mothers information for purposes of any inheritance I may get. Evil, yes, he was.

Now I am getting dunning letters that have escallated to threats of garnishment etc. The bill is totalled at over 11,000. Plus interest.

I know they have rented the place by now. It seems so unfair that I should have to pay for something I did not even have a part in signing.

Is there anything I can do? I don't make that much money and he left me with nothing but 13.00 in our joint account (of which he had me sign my name off so I can't even get that measly 13.00 out)

I had just filed for divorce two days prior to his killing himself. The lease was signed 3 months before.

Is there any hope for me?

Mongal

RubyPitbull · May 21, 2007, 01:36 PM

Mongal, I noticed your question remained unanswered. My responding to it will bring it back up to the "front of the line" and will allow someone with more knowledge than I of the legalities of your situation, to see your question, and shed further light on what you need to do.

I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I would suggest that you contact your Divorce lawyer and speak with him/her about this and see if they can recommend someone in Washington State to handle this for you. If this goes to court, you are going to need someone who is physically there to represent you. If you are a "no show" in court, the landlord can get a judgement in his favor, and start the process of recovering his money. I don't know if you can be held responsible for this because you weren't on the lease, you were legally separated, and had already filed for divorce. Proof of that, may just get you off the hook. The only way to know for sure is to find out what the laws are regarding this situation in Washington state and fighting this claim. You need an experienced Attorney for that.

Mongal · May 22, 2007, 06:50 PM

[QUOTE=RubyPitbull]Mongal, I noticed your question remained unanswered. My responding to it will bring it back up to the "front of the line" and will allow someone with more knowledge than I of the legalities of your situation, to see your question, and shed further light on what you need to do.

I am so sorry that this has happened to you. I would suggest that you contact your Divorce lawyer and speak with him/her about this and see if they can recommend someone in Washington State to handle this for you.

Thank you Ruby, it is amazing and scary. I appreciate your helpful words. Unfortunately I was not legally separated, I had just filed two days prior to his death. I have talked with a lawyer through the referral service. He left me feeling that I may be safe from at least the garnishment. They apparently can't do that without taking a judgement against me, or even threaten without the judgment being in place. I don't know it could still be a problem. I just can't fly back and forth to work on this, I have to work to pay for the rest of the damage he left me in. Hopefully this won't go to court!

Mongal:eek:

RubyPitbull · May 23, 2007, 05:54 AM

Oh Mongal! This is such an awful situation. The lawyer is right. Garnishment can't occur until they manage to get a formal judgement against you. You need to stop the landlord in his tracks as soon as you receive any formal paperwork that they are coming after you. When you receive that paperwork, call that referral service back. The lawyer might be able to stop the case in it's tracks by filing a response to the LL requesting proof of a contract between you and the Landlord. Since you didn't sign anything, and can provide proof that the divorce was filed two days prior to your husband's suicide, a judge might just throw the case out. I don't know if it will work, but it would be worth paying a lawyer to use whatever means he can to delay and frustrate the LL into dropping his lawsuit. That would be your best approach. You won't have to fly to Washington if an attorney handles all the paperwork requesting dismissal. Good luck honey! If you get a chance, post back and let me know how it is going with you.

Mongal · May 23, 2007, 05:41 PM

Originally Posted by RubyPitbull

Oh Mongal! This is such an awful situation...

That would be your best approach. You won't have to fly to Washington if an attorney handles all the paperwork requesting dismissal. Good luck honey! If you get a chance, post back and let me know how it is going with you.

Ruby, you don't know how much your words of hope and encouragement mean to me. You are the only individual that has taken that amount of interest in this terrible time I am living through. It is so lonely and scary to be on your own and having such things literally attack you.

I will let you know what happens. I will keep your posts until I have more information.

Thank you for your kind heart.

((((hugs))))) Mongal;)