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ddentonmo · Jan 19, 2012, 09:03 PM

We are renting a home in va. Paid rent in Oct. We got a notice that the home was foreclosed and purchased in a foreclosure sale by a bank. We received a 90 day eviction notice from the bank. We did not pay rent in nov and dec because we did not who to pay. Just received a letter from former owners that we have to pay back rent for two months or 5 days to vacate the property.
Who do I pay rent to and can the former owner evict us before the bank. Please need answers, am totally confused. We have paid rent on the exact day it was due for 6 years to same landlord and we won't get a letter of recommendation from them until all back rent is paid. Please help

Fr_Chuck · Jan 19, 2012, 09:11 PM

The prior owner can not evict you any longer if the home sold to the bank.

You had no right to not pay rent, to the old landlord, until the day of the sale, so if you were not paying him rent, he can sue you in court for full payment, late fees and damages for refusal to pay during the last two months.

So while he can not evict you, he has no standing now since he no longer owns the home to evict, but full right to sue for his loses.

And of course you owe the bank rent for the next 90 days, if you do not pay them, ( unless they told you not to pay)
And if you do not pay them, they may evict sooner for non payment to them.

ddentonmo · Jan 19, 2012, 09:19 PM

OK the foreclosure sale was in Oct. and the bank took over the property on Oct. 20 as stated in public records. So your saying we owe the former owners, and not the bank.

LisaB4657 · Jan 19, 2012, 09:22 PM

You do not owe any rent to the former owners after the date of the sale. They do not have the right to evict you from the property. Only the current owner can evict you.

ScottGem · Jan 20, 2012, 04:59 AM

If you paid the rent for Oct, and the property was sold on Oct 20, then you do not owe any rent to the former owner.

If you have a letter from the bank giving you 90 days to vacate, that time should be expiring very soon, why haven't you found a new place to live?

If the letter telling you to vacate didn't include instructions on who to pay rent to, you should have contacted them to ask where to send rent to.

So I would respond to the former owners telling them that you paid the October rent and were up to date at that time. Since the property changed hands during October, you do not see how you owe them anything.

As to the bank, you need to be moving right away or face eviction.