TenantNet Forum

Where tenants can seek help and help others



Is my lease legal?

Public Housing (NYCHA), SRO, HUD, HPD, Mitchell Lama, Lofts, Coop/Condo

Moderator: TenantNet

Is my lease legal?

Postby stellasensel » Mon May 11, 2009 7:47 pm

I signed a lease with a roommate 2 years ago. It may have been a rider to an original lease that she had prior to me. When it came time to renew this lease she never signed her copy of the rider as she moved out. I signed mine and sent it in however they never changed the lease to be in just my name, in fact they told me that I had to have someone else be on the lease with me. I just ignored them and continued paying rent. They never complained and I kept quiet. Am I still in a legally binding contract if the contract was never signed by all parties?
stellasensel
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 6:02 pm

Postby TenantNet » Mon May 11, 2009 8:13 pm

Do you know if the unit is rent stabilized? Or should it be? How many units in the building and how old is the building?

Do you have a copy of the original lease? What are the dates on the lease? Why do you think it is/was a rider? When the roommate moved out, did she sign the renewal lease?

Your status may be important to know, but if they take your rent, it might be better to let sleeping dogs lie until it is a problem. Their acceptance of rent can work to your benefit.
The Tenant Network(tm) for Residential Tenants
Information from TenantNet is from experienced non-attorney tenant
activists and is not considered legal advice.

Subscribe to our Twitter Feed @TenantNet
TenantNet
 
Posts: 10311
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2002 2:01 am
Location: New York City

Is my lease legal?

Postby stellasensel » Fri May 15, 2009 2:34 pm

I don't know if it is rent stabilized, but there is a rent rider that reduces the rent from a lager amount.

I've never received a copy of the original lease, but have asked for a copy to be sent over numerous times.

I'm asking because I want to get out of the lease early but I want to know if it's even legally binding since my co-signor never signed her portion of the lease and moved out and I just left it alone because I didn't want to move at the time. Both of our names are on the top of the rent statement that I receive every month.

The management company is telling me that I am bound to the lease but I only signed my rider with the hopes that my room mate would sign again and as she didn't I don't think that I should be bound to a lease I only intended to sign with another party especially since the management told me that I didn't make enough money to sign by myself in the first place.

Can you help? Am I legally bound? Can they take action against me if I move out early?
stellasensel
 
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon May 11, 2009 6:02 pm

Postby TenantNet » Sat May 16, 2009 6:53 pm

No one can say of you're bound or not if you don't even have a copy of the lease, or if you don't even know if you signed it. Why do you think it was a rider? That makes no sense. You need to get a copy of what you signed and a copy of the lease (if different) and find out if it's rent stabilized or not.
The Tenant Network(tm) for Residential Tenants
Information from TenantNet is from experienced non-attorney tenant
activists and is not considered legal advice.

Subscribe to our Twitter Feed @TenantNet
TenantNet
 
Posts: 10311
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2002 2:01 am
Location: New York City


Return to Other NYC Housing Issues

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests

cron