[mrstedplank]

So I moved out of my old apartment when I got married and left my roommate there to find a new roommate.
She did, and moved her in in the beginning of May.
The problem is, the new roommate moved all of her stuff in, didn't pay a single cent, and has now pretty much vanished.
My old roommate is now paying for this new "mystery" roommate and beginning to rack up quite a total.

My old roommate tells me the new roommate won't return calls texts, emails, Facebook wall posts.
She's also been friends with this girl for about 5 or 6 years.
It's now going on almost 2 months and next month's rent will be due again!
We live in California. Does anyone have any advice on how to move on from here?
Thanks in advance!

Sue

[ScottGem]

Did the new roommate sign a lease?

[ballengerb1]

Good question Scott and were you released from the lease by the landlord?

[mrstedplank]

When I had lived there with a previous roommate, the lease had run out and we then went on a month to month which had been the system for about the past 2 years up until I handed the place over to my last roommate.

I spoke with the landlord and fully explained that I would no longer be living there and the apartment would become my roommate's completely. I also told the landlord that my roommate had a new roommate moving in.
From there, I'm not sure if the landlord and roommate got together and signed a new lease.
I'm sure this should have all been ironed out on a more technical level, but I've become close to the family who rents to me.
They're a large Eastern European family who treated me like their own.
It's a 4plex and not much is done by the book.

I just know that my roommate needs someone there to pay half of the rent and the 3rd month is on the horizon.
Can she move her new roommate's stuff into the garage and sublet the room?

I don't know, I'm just grabbing at possibilities.

[ScottGem]

Well first, you are not on the hook for anything. You are out of the picture except maybe as an advisor.

Second, I gather she has no known address for the new roomie. In that case, I would send her an e-mail and text, voice mail, etc. And have some witness that this was done. Have the messages state that she has 3 days to pay all she owes or it will be considered that she has vacated the property. In that case, all her belongings will be removed.

If there is room in the garage to store them I would do so, rather than throwing them out.

Her real problem here is that she can't do a proper service of the pay or quit notice. So, if the rommate takes her to court, there might be trouble there. That's why she needs to document all her attempts to notify.