My family and I were victims of a home invasion where weapons were used and property was stolen and destroyed. A next door neighbor was an accessory to the crime and other neighbors witnessed the attack and did nothing to help, not even call the police. We decided to cooperate with the police and four assailants have been identified, arrest warrants issued and one has been caught. Needless to say my family and I are living in fear as retaliation is a very real possibility. Also given the the neighbor's involvment we don't feel safe on the block. For peace of mind and safety concerns we feel it would be best to move. My landlords owns many other properties & I have asked to relocated at my expense to one of those but have yet to receive a response. Under the circumstances would I have a legal right to terminate my lease once another home was secured.
2007-08-16 03:14:13 · 7 answers · asked by strawberriesilove 2 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
Most leases provide breakage clauses - and if you work with your landlord there should be no problem at all, especially if you are willing to move to another property within the same management group and you are willing to move at your expense.
Leases are broken for a myriad of reasons every day, it's why they stipulate the conditions and costs in the contract. (And in your case with your willingness to work with your landlord, I'd be surprised if they were not willing to work with you in return.)
2007-08-16 03:21:47 · answer #1 · answered by pepper 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to contact your landlord in writing, send him or her a certified letter with a copy of any information that you have from the police that will support the incident that has taken place. In the letter you need to explain the situation to the landlord and ask if he or she is willing to rent you living space in another dwelling that is owned by him or her. I can't say for sure if you have legal grounds, since it's not really the landlords fault that this has happened to you. It was not determined that the landlord was involved. Do some research via the internet or courts within your state to see what the laws are. However try calling your landlord and definitely send a written request and be sure to send it certified so that way there can't be any denial of receiving the letter. Be sure you do a lot of research before you decide to terminate your lease on your own or you just might find yourself standing before a judge for breaking that lease. The out come may be something that you may not like such as having to pay the landlord back money for breaking the lease and not getting a security deposit returned to you. You may also have to pay the landlord rent until the actual end of your lease. Ask your landlord about subleasing perhaps he will allow you to lease the apartment out to someone else until the end of your lease term.
2007-08-16 10:32:41 · answer #2 · answered by Pisces Princess 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This may be one of those times where you cut your losses and run. Likely your landlord is wondering how he is ever going to fill the emply slot once you're gone, hence the silent treatment. It's a known fact that after a time people forget the stress of what happened and settle back and relax again.
I'd keep after the landlord and if he doesn't get back to you let him know that you are going to move with or without his blessing-and you certainly don't have to move into one of his properties. If that doesn't get a response, pack. Whatever penalty you end up with is better than the alternative.
2007-08-16 10:29:24 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you truly fear for your safety, then get out of there. Most places penalize you for breaking your lease by charging you a re-letting fee, but that is cheap compared to the alternative.
Write a formal letter to your landlord, return receipt requested, explaining that you don't feel safe for x-y-z reason, and ask him what steps he's going to take to remedy the situation. This will be very helpful to you if you ever end up in court over this.
2007-08-16 10:27:48 · answer #4 · answered by newtobigd78 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In my opinion I would not really care if I broke the lease under these circumstances. If you have police reports etc then a new landlord would probably not even look at the broken lease. Your first priority is the safety of your family. They can not be replaced. A lease can.
2007-08-16 10:24:03 · answer #5 · answered by saved_by_grace 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can always terminate the lease, but you may still be responsible for the financial obligation that is incurred (2 months rent, etc...) by that action if there is no specific clause providing for your current circumstances...
2007-08-16 10:21:59 · answer #6 · answered by Citicop 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Possibly...but not likely
2007-08-16 10:20:15 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋