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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    2

    Default Owner Refuses to Honor Lease Extension, Signed by Property manager

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: Florida
    I rented a house for a year and the original lease was up on June 13. In May, the property manager, which is the only individual I have communicated with about the property, messaged me and asked if i wanted to extend the lease and that they would all be very happy if i did. I wanted to. She sent me the lease extension which was signed by her, but still had blanks in it where the owner is to sign. I signed it and sent it back to the property manager. On June 12, the property manager called me frantically sayind the owner wants to sell the house and does not want to renew the lease and that I have to be out of the house. I didn't move out the next day but within 2 days I started getting constant and harrassing phone calls from a real estate broker who says she is selling the house, when am I getting out. I had never even been told who she was, so I didn't return her calls. Then I get a letter from her stating that "especially since I am so hard to get a hold of..." I am being asked to vacate within 30 days. I called property manager. Property manager then sent me (and the owner I woul guess) an official letter stating that she is terminating her property management contract and that I know should be communicating directly with the owners. Basically - they want me out. I want to know if I have a legal lease extension? Was I supposed to receive notifications within a time period that I did not. This just doesn't legal that an owner can do this. I DID what I was supposed to do. I TRUSTED what the legal agent/ property manager that THEY CHOSE said. What are my rights>

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Owner Refuses to Honor Lease Extension, Signed by Apartment manager

    first, you don't have to do anything based on a verbal notice. They have to put notices in writing.

    If it required the owner to sign the lease for it to be fully executed, then until the owner signed, it was not enforceable. The problem I have is it was signed by the property manager. If the lease was required to be signed by the owner, I see no reason for the property manager to be signing it. Since they did, it suggest the property manager had full authority to act as an agent for the owner. If they are, then the lease is enforceable as it is.



    If you have no idea who this real estate agent is, I would not take action based on what she says to you.


    Property manager then sent me (and the owner I woul guess) an official letter stating that she is terminating her property management contract and that I know should be communicating directly with the owners.
    that's all well and good but if the agency was not terminated before your lease was signed, it doesn't affect your lease.

    If you are willing to go, I would suggest negotiating a cash for keys agreement where they pay you to allow the termination of the lease.

    did the lease say anything to your tenancy if the property was sold while you had a lease?

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2012
    Posts
    2

    Default Re: Owner Refuses to Honor Lease Extension, Signed by Apartment manager

    Thank you for responding. The original lease has both the signature of the owner and the property manager and does not state anything about authority level. On a legal basis, how would I, as the rentor, know what is specified in the contract between the owner and the property manager? The property manager is the person I always received information from, sent checks to, etc. Legally, I shouldn't have trusted that the property manager was speaking and acting on behalf of the owner?

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Owner Refuses to Honor Lease Extension, Signed by Apartment manager

    Legally, I shouldn't have trusted that the property manager was speaking and acting on behalf of the owner?
    actually, given the relationship as it was, that is exactly who you would trust.

    Might be a tough argument since the owner had signed the original lease. Did it say anything about requiring all parties listed must sign the lease for it to be valid?

    was there any specified requirement for notice to terminate the old lease? Did it say anything about converting to a month to month?

    have you paid rent since for any period after June 13?

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