Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help !
Ask
    casademarco's Avatar
    casademarco Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #1

    Jan 2, 2009, 07:36 PM
    Is my Lease Valid?
    I signed a lease in a hurry and verbally agreed with the agent to 6 months. On my lease contract, under section 2 "Term of Lease" Lease to commence on ____ and terminate on___have nothing written in them. THey are blank. I have the executed signed copy of the lease with all this blank. Further down the contract in section 5 - rental payments, under category the dates for rental payment specify 07/08 until 1/09. (Six months.) The real estate manager is now claiming that I had verbally agreed to a year's lease and she is withholding my deposit of $4000.00 (Yikes) I have 6 e-mails with correspondence in which I state December to be the last month of my six month lease. She had responded every time to my emails, about showing the property or about what good tenants we were, BUT NEVER DOES SHE DISPUTE MY CORRESPONDENCE ABOUT THE SIX MONTH TERM. In fact, when we vacated early in November we asked if we could apply our deposit to our last month of December and she wrote us an e-mail (which we have) stating she needed the rent paid in December and she would send our deposit back to us after her walk-through. All of a sudden, after requesting our deposit back, she is claiming we had a year's lease. NO WHERE, ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE ON OUR CONTRACT IS A YEAR'S TERM LISTED OR DATES REFLECTING A YEAR'S TIME. The only dates are for rent payments 7/1/08 -1/1/09. Anybody know what I can do about this? Does she have a leg to stand on?

    PLEASE HELP ME! I NEED MY DEPOSIT BACK!:confused:
    N0help4u's Avatar
    N0help4u Posts: 19,823, Reputation: 2035
    Uber Member
     
    #2

    Jan 2, 2009, 07:45 PM

    Sounds like you need to take her to court with all the emails printed out and high lighted. I would take it that the places that state 7/1/08 to 1/1/09 would be in your favor especially since there is nothing stating otherwise.
    LisaB4657's Avatar
    LisaB4657 Posts: 3,662, Reputation: 534
    Expert
     
    #3

    Jan 2, 2009, 07:47 PM
    You have an excellent case. File a lawsuit, print out all of the emails and bring them to court along with the lease.
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #4

    Jan 2, 2009, 07:54 PM

    In my opinion since the only statement about the term on the lease shows 1/09 ehat is all you need to win. With the e-mails, I don't see how you can lose.
    casademarco's Avatar
    casademarco Posts: 2, Reputation: 1
    New Member
     
    #5

    Jan 2, 2009, 08:27 PM
    Quote Originally Posted by casademarco View Post
    I signed a lease in a hurry and verbally agreed with the agent to 6 months. On my lease contract, under section 2 "Term of Lease" Lease to commence on ____ and terminate on___have nothing written in them. THey are blank. I have the executed signed copy of the lease with all this blank. Further down the contract in section 5 - rental payments, under category the dates for rental payment specify 07/08 until 1/09. (Six months.) The real estate manager is now claiming that I had verbally agreed to a year's lease and she is withholding my deposit of $4000.00 (Yikes) I have 6 e-mails with correspondence in which I state December to be the last month of my six month lease. She had responded every time to my emails, about showing the property or about what good tenants we were, BUT NEVER DOES SHE DISPUTE MY CORRESPONDENCE ABOUT THE SIX MONTH TERM. In fact, when we vacated early in November we asked if we could apply our deposit to our last month of December and she wrote us an e-mail (which we have) stating she needed the rent paid in December and she would send our deposit back to us after her walk-through. All of a sudden, after requesting our deposit back, she is claiming we had a year's lease. NO WHERE, ABSOLUTELY NO WHERE ON OUR CONTRACT IS A YEAR'S TERM LISTED OR DATES REFLECTING A YEAR'S TIME. The only dates are for rent payments 7/1/08 -1/1/09. Anybody know what I can do about this? Does she have a leg to stand on?

    PLEASE HELP ME! I NEED MY DEPOSIT BACK!:confused:

    Thank you. I read somewhere that if there are no dates under lease terms, it automatically defaults to a month to month agreement. It was an error on both our parts. Mine unintentionally, theirs I'm not sure. I guess I'm going to court. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out!
    ScottGem's Avatar
    ScottGem Posts: 64,966, Reputation: 6056
    Computer Expert and Renaissance Man
     
    #6

    Jan 3, 2009, 06:51 AM
    Quote Originally Posted by casademarco View Post
    Thank you. I read somewhere that if there are no dates under lease terms, it automatically defaults to a month to month agreement. It was an error on both our parts. Mine unintentionally, theirs I'm not sure. I guess I'm going to court. Thanks so much for taking the time to help me out!
    Normally, yes if there are NO dates, then it is considered month to month. But the point is moot. If it reverted to a month to month, then you gave notice that you were terminating at the end of the year, so they can't try to extend it. If they go by the dates on the lease (whihc I believe a court will do) then it's a 6 month lease. Either way you win.

Not your question? Ask your question View similar questions

 

Question Tools Search this Question
Search this Question:

Advanced Search

Add your answer here.


Check out some similar questions!

Is my lease valid? [ 1 Answers ]

About seven months ago two other people and I rented a house and all signed an eleven month lease. After about a month, one of the three of us moved out and another tenant moved in. The landlord sent us a new lease to sign, but it never got back to him. Recently, my two roommates decided to bail on...

Is my lease valid? [ 4 Answers ]

I signed a lease 2 weeks ago for an apartment in Fargo, ND for a move in date of August 1, 2007. I didn't get it in writing, but I was told that I could move in on July 25, as I am planning on being on vacation until August 1 and I need to be out of my current apartment before then. The property...

Is my lease valid? [ 2 Answers ]

Hello, I am a very frustrated first time renter. Here is my sad story. I recently begun apartment hunting and settled on a place very close to my work. When I went in on Sat 6/2/07 to view the apartments I was told by the apartment staff that the rent including specials was $99 total move in...

Is my lease valid? [ 3 Answers ]

I signed a 12 month lease for an apt in Ca. We have been there for 6 months and want out of our lease for several reasons. I was reviewing the lease to find a way to break the lease and noticed that my husband never signed the lease only I did. I am only on the lease because I am an adult living...

Valid lease [ 4 Answers ]

We have been in a rental house for a few months now. The landlord signed a lease before he sent it to us. We made some modifications, initialed the modifications, signed the new modified version of the lease and sent it back to the landlord with the deposit. He now says that none of the...


View more questions Search