Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 26

Hybrid View

  1. #1

    Default Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    My question involves landlord-tenant law in the State of: PA

    Hello. 3 years ago, my girlfriend added me to her lease at the apartment where we currently live. Actually the landlord added me, but suffice to say that she and I are in a lease agreement with the landlord.

    The lease renews in January 2018. My girlfriend just told me she doesn’t want to renew the lease with me as she wants to move out, have time apart and live alone for awhile. Ok I can live with that, but the problem is that I really can’t afford the apartment on my own when the lease renews (rent went up 7% and my hours are cut back), so if I can’t qualify, I will have to move out.

    I am soooo pissed at my girlfriend for getting me in this position. She prob. Knew that I couldn’t afford to stay if she moved out and I feel it was just her way of screwing me over! She told me she will give me the opportunity to apply for the lease on my own first, and that if I either choose not to, or can’t get approved on my own, she will likely apply on her own, meaning she is in effect technically kicking me out and victimizing me! I now only have two months to find a new place to live! Can’t I do something to stop her from refusing to re-sign the lease OR can I legally force her to sign up for another year so I can continue living here? There has to be some loophole here. I left an apartment to live with her and I feel like she is taking advantage of me. Now I can’t get my old apartment back. This whole thing is so unfair to me. Please help!

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

    Default Re: Lease Questions / Possible Tort Suit

    You wanting to hold her captive is a bit on the scary side. I think I see why she wants time without you for awhile.

    No, you have no legal means to force her to remain your cotenant.

    btw; the fact you moved in with her three years ago pretty much kills your argument she planned this.

  3. #3

    Default Re: Lease Questions / Possible Tort Suit

    Quote Quoting jk
    View Post
    Grow up and get a pair.

    You wanting to hold her captive is a bit on the scary side. I think I see why she wants time without you for awhile.

    No, you have no legal means to force her to remain your cotenant.


    btw; the fact you moved in with her three years ago pretty much kills your argument she planned this.
    I’m not saying that she planned it, but it seems like she possibly is doing it just to be mean. And actually we have been discussing moving in together for 3 years, but it was only in June of 2016 that I have actually lived with her. So that is less than two years, which makes me think I can still try to sue her civility for ruining my chances at getting my old apt. back.

    She has pretty much been paying 90% of the rent as well since I moved in (her choice totally; I never forced her) because I am trying to start a music career. Over the past 2-3 months, she has been hinting at being tired of supporting me financially by paying most of the rent, and putting up with my crazy hours. True we have our interpersonal disputes. I feel like she let me move in to “try it out”, but now she is tired of me and dumping me, which really ticks me off because I have been working at least 2-3 days a week most of the time - it’s not like I’m a deadbeat! And, It’s not that I don’t have income, but she KNOWS for sure that I pretty much won’t be able to stay here because I make way less than her (thus my claim of victimhood is properly established).

    True, I did leave my old apartment when my lease expired and I voluntarily moved in with her. We completed half of the old lease together and then we jointly renewed for this year, but it expires in Jan 2018, and that’s when the S&$/ hits the fan cause she’s leaving me high and dry.

    I detect a bit of sexism here, I wonder if she was the starving artist and I the man was a let’s say “Wall Street banker” would the courts look at it different?

    Anyway, I figured I might have a case since she raised my standard of living to this new place and now I don’t want to have to get a part time job and go back to my smaller apartment, which now, thanks to her, has been rented to someone else !

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

    Default Re: Lease Questions / Possible Tort Suit

    Quote Quoting gardening123
    View Post
    I’m not saying that she planned it, but it seems like she possibly is doing it just to be mean. And actually we have been discussing moving in together for 3 years, but it was only in June of 2016 that I have actually lived with her. So that is less than two years, which makes me think I can still try to sue her civility for ruining my chances at getting my old apt. back.

    She has pretty much been paying 90% of the rent as well since I moved in (her choice totally; I never forced her) because I am trying to start a music career. It’s not that I don’t have income, but she KNOWS for sure that I pretty much won’t be able to stay here because I make way less than her (thus my claim of victimhood is properly established).

    True, I did leave my old apartment when my lease expired and I voluntarily moved in with her. We completed half of the old lease together and then we jointly renewed for this year, but it expires in Jan 2018, and that’s when the S&$/ hits the fan cause she’s leaving me high and dry.

    I detect a bit of sexism here, I wonder if she was the starving artist and I the man was a let’s say “Wall Street banker” would the courts look at it different?

    Anyway, I figured I might have a case since she raised my standard of living to this new place and now I don’t want to have to get a part time job and go back to my smaller apartment, which now, thanks to her, has been rented to someone else !

    Ok, even if she is doing it to be mean;

    it doesn’t matter. She has no obligation to provide you housing or assist you in obtaining housing.

    Grow a pair man. You’re making all men look bad here.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Posts
    18,340

    Default Re: Lease Questions / Possible Tort Suit

    Quote Quoting gardening123
    View Post
    makes me think I can still try to sue her civility for ruining my chances at getting my old apt. back.
    She's breaking up with you. It happens. You have no legal recourse and certainly no leverage to compel her to do anything for you.

    You have almost two months to find cheaper place. Get off your ass and do it and stop whining.

    I've had families with children, dogs, and furniture move out of my rentals overnight.

  6. #6

    Default Re: Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    Well I found out some good and not so good information the other day. I spoke with the leasing manager. He said that there is no way she can stay without me. Because the lease is in both of our names now! So, she would have to State in writing she wishes to vacate in order to get me to leave. Thank god, at least I have that in my corner. But now, I have to qualify on my own income wise to stay and that might be a stretch, but at least I will get first shot at keeping the place. Screw her, she can move out! But if I don’t qualify on my own and she does (and I’m pretty sure she will) unfortunately I will have to leave at the end of the lease.

    Another interesting thing is that she had paid the security deposit prior to me moving in when the lease was in her name, but when she allowed me to move in that security deposit was transferred to both of us, meaning both our names will be on the check so I get half of it, haha! Now she did make me sign a contract when I moved stating that the security deposit was hers, and I did sign it but I prob can beat her in small claims court because she knows I’m a fighter.

    So maybe now I can use that as leverage to convince her to sign up again so I can stay here.

    So since my name now being on that security deposit refund along with hers is now my ace in the hole, do you think a separate “roommate contract” she asked me to sign last year where I acknowledged the security deposit was hers regardless of how the landlord cuts the check, would hold up in court? I mean, yeah I did sign it but I don’t think it’s notarized so it’s probably not worth the paper it’s written on in our State. What do you think?

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Posts
    38,867

    Default Re: Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    You already said she was giving you the opportunity to stay there, if you qualified so your victory is a hollow victory.

    As to the notarized contract: sorry but all a notary does is attest to the person isnwho they claim to be. The lack of the signature makes it nonless enforceable.

    If the landlord makes the error of issuing the deposit check in two names she would have a valid suit against you to be able to retain all of it, even without the seemingly very enforceable contract saying the deposit is hers.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    Quote Quoting gardening123
    View Post
    So maybe now I can use that as leverage to convince her to sign up again so I can stay here.
    Is she an idiot? Because if she's not, she'll recognize very quickly that it would be far more sensible to let you try to steal half of her deposit than it would be to risk having to pay your rent in the future.
    Quote Quoting gardening123
    So since my name now being on that security deposit refund along with hers is now my ace in the hole, do you think a separate “roommate contract” she asked me to sign last year where I acknowledged the security deposit was hers regardless of how the landlord cuts the check, would hold up in court?
    Why wouldn't it? She would present the agreement and you would tell the truth -- that it was her money and that you signed that agreement to let her have her money at the end of the lease -- right? So it's a no-brainer for the judge.

  9. #9

    Default Re: Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    I see some of the non-constructive posts were deleted, but I have a follow up question. Our lease is jointly and separately liability, and we have to have a signed letter from both of us that we want to renew for another year, or a signed notice to vacate from both of us, or it will renew month to month.

    My girlfriend gave her 60 days notice in advance that she wishes to non-renew (and she thinks she will be able to walk Scott free lol), but I refused to sign saying I wanted to vacate - is that my loophole? Looks like she is now on the hook for the month to month lease forever??? I still don’t know if I qualify as the leasing office is ignoring my calls. What should my next step be?

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Can You Make Your Ex- Agree to Renew a Joint Lease

    If you want to remain in residence as a month-to-month tenant consistent with your lease and pay 100% of the rent, you may do so.

    If you remain in residence and default on the rent, your landlord may try to use that provision in the lease to pursue your ex- for the rent that you owe -- or not. That will be entirely up to your landlord. It does not give you a basis to recover even a penny from your ex-, and to the extent that she covers your rent debt she could pursue you for indemnification.

    1. Sponsored Links
       

Page 1 of 2 1 2 LastLast

Similar Threads

  1. Replies: 1
    Last Post: 02-10-2017, 03:34 PM
  2. Extending a Lease: How Can You Make a Landlord Renew Your Lease
    By lawfacts in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 12-29-2016, 02:35 PM
  3. Extending a Lease: Can You Make Your Landlord Renew or Extend a Lease
    By lawfacts in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 11-05-2016, 09:56 PM
  4. Roommates: How to Make My Roommate Agree to Take My Name Off of Our Lease
    By lawfacts in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 09-28-2016, 10:00 AM
  5. Extending a Lease: How to Make Your Landlord Renew Your Lease
    By deskchair in forum Landlord-Tenant Law
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 01-31-2012, 09:15 AM
 
 
Sponsored Links

Legal Help, Information and Resources