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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Posts
    1

    Exclamation Roommate Refuses to Pay Rent or Bills

    My question involves a roommate in the State of Minnesota.

    Hello!

    I'm just thanking you all in advance for any advice you can give me.

    Here's the situation: I live with two other girls (Angel and Marla). We have lived at our current residence for nearly 11 months, our lease is up in April. Angel and I have already notified our landlord that we intend to move out April 30th.

    Anyway, Marla is quite behind on her rent. She has not paid for March (due today at the latest), and still owes our landlord $100 from being short another month. She is not paying her portion of any of the bills, and is hardly around. She has not moved out, her things and her cat are still here...she just never stops by more than once a night for the past few months. She's mostly staying at her sister's. I am not entirely sure she does not intend to pay the rent, as she has done so in the past. I am not sure she intends to pay her bills, which are piling up. We have a disconnect notice on our gas bill because of her.

    We fully understand that should any of these companies choose to, they could go after all of us because all of our names are on the lease and the bills. I am curious as to whether the landlord can go after all of us because even though we all signed one lease, we still signed individually and have always paid individually by check so we can prove it. He has mentioned us paying what she owes for March and the extra $100, and then taking her last month's out of her portion of the security deposit, which I'm not certain is legal. I don't trust my landlord to not try and screw us over, so any help is appreciated.

    As for the other bills, is my (and Angel's) only option to pay what she owes and then take her to small claims court? They are rather significant right now and we can provide documentation showing that we have paid and she has not.

    I am trying to find a way out of this situation that does not involve me covering for Marla; but unless she suddenly appears and pays, I don't see this happening. Help!!

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Behind a Desk
    Posts
    98,846

    Default Re: Roommate Refuses to Pay Rent or Bills

    Of course your landlord can go after all of you. Having to pay your rent is not being "screwed over" by your landlord. You should be grateful that he's giving you latitude instead of evicting you and putting a negative entry on your credit report.

    If you want to recover money from your roommate, you can take her to small claims court.

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