[robin4156]

My son is lease purchasing a house. There is nothing in the agreement about repairs. The owner said that he would fix, the holes in the floor, the walls, the water, etc. He attempted to fix the water in the kitchen, they have no running water in the sink, but never came back. Since then, my grandson, 1 has fallen through a hole, had to be rushed to the hospital and got 3 stitches in his leg. Well of course he offered to pay the bill but never did. Also, he said if I got someone to fix the water, he'd pay them and never did.

My other grandson, 3 fell through a hole in the floor and had a big hole in his had along with a black eye because he hit a table.

The landlords sister comes pushing her way into the house with no notice running through the room saying that she's inspecting for damages. When it was brought to her attention all of the unfinished work, we never saw her again.

My son & his wife are young with 4 kids and are scared to do anything because they need a place to leave, any suggestions?:mad:

[excon]

Hello robin:

They're scared because they don't know what they're rights are. If they did, they wouldn't be scared - they'd be MAD.

All of the things you mention happen because they don't understand their agreement. I don't know what it says, so I certainly don't understand it. But, they need to read it - carefully - every line and every word. It SHOULD tell them what they can do under certain conditions.

Then, I'd have them go read their state landlord tenant law. We have a copy right here at the top of the real estate page on a "sticky" note. I would read every line and every word.

Once your son understands his rights, he'll know what to do.

Before he does that, however, I'll give you a clue. Until the purchase happens (and that's down the road), he's a tenant. Tenants DON'T fix the landlords house - landlords do.

I suspect that this agreement is in the toilet. I suspect that he'll never have a satisfactory relationship with the landlord/seller, and I suspect that he'll soon leave. Certainly when he starts demanding his rights, the landlord will be awfully unhappy.

So, if the relationship doesn't improve with your son's newfound knowledge, I would visit a real estate attorney.

excon