Apartment complexes in Harrisonburg, VA don't have to have early termination options and they can only allow subleasing as their only option.
So you can sublet? Then why not try to do that?
Anyways, thanks very much for the information about your family. Apparently any lawsuit would be terribly damaging to your family, so I should find some trivial matter and tell them I wish to sue them over it. They'll probably agree to settle it out of court, and I can talk them up to an exorbitant price in ongoing monthly installments. What are they going to do, sue me? ^_~
Also, with that whole thing, can't you stop paying the rent? Just stop doing it? You are subletting, or are you actually renting from the building? You have the keys, right? Why don't you go over there? Why is the previous tenant even involved unless you are subletting? If you are subletting, don't give them any more money.
If I stop paying the rent, I'll get subpoenaed and evicted. Can't let that happen. And I have actually attempted to go to the building/room and I can't even get in the front door because they keep a second lock or the have something holding the door down.
@lackofcheese Now, if YOU sue and won't back down, then the gloves are off.
Now, if YOU sue and won't back down, then the gloves are off.
You've missed the point entirely. From what you suggest, your family has a lot to lose from any legal action whatsoever, far more than me. No lawsuit -> we both lose nothing, Lawsuit -> you lose a massive amount whether you win or lose, I don't lose much either way. Hence if I intend to sue you for whatever reason, you're better off simply paying me off without going to court rather than letting it get to a lawsuit, because of how harmful the lawsuit would be to you. Easy money for me.
The point is that a situation where you are afraid of any legal action whatsoever is not only ridiculous, but possibly straight-up dangerous and easily exploited.
Now, if YOU sue and won't back down, then the gloves are off.
You've missed the point entirely. From what you suggest, your family has a lot to lose from any legal action whatsoever, far more than me. No lawsuit -> we both lose nothing, Lawsuit -> you lose a massive amount whether you win or lose, I don't lose much either way. Hence if I intend to sue you for whatever reason, you're better off simply paying me off without going to court rather than letting it get to a lawsuit, because of how harmful the lawsuit would be to you. Easy money for me.
The point is that a situation where you are afraid of any legal action whatsoever is not only ridiculous, but possibly straight-up dangerous and easily exploited.
This is exactly right. I don't actually believe that your mom can lose insurance, which her livelihood depends upon, just because she becomes the target of a lawsuit. That kind of situation would make your family extremely vulnerable to extortion. Any joe shmoe can trivially extort you with this knowledge, which now includes the entire forum. Your mom is most likely wrong about this, and you should talk to a real lawyer.
Generally speaking, I'm pretty sure you can just break a lease agreement, and it won't necessarily involve legal action.
Basically, unless you're given a more lenient option, you are at worst responsible for rent the landlord wouldn't receive if you didn't pay it. Typically this means you keep paying rent up until the end of the term or a new tenant is found, whichever comes first. So terminating the lease is at most equally expensive to simply continuing to pay, but often cheaper.
If you help the landlord find a new tenant as soon as possible, it shouldn't cost very much, and as long as you continue paying up until a new tenant is found, there's pretty much no way any legal action will occur. If you explicitly terminate the lease, this puts you in a position that is necessarily better than before.
Besides that, your legal position is actually worse if you continue to hold to a lease agreement for a place you don't actually live in. As a tenant, you also have responsibilities, responsibilities that you cannot possibly fulfill if you're not actually living in the place you're paying for. If your apartment is utterly trashed at the end of the lease period, who do you think will be held responsible? However much you'd like to, this kind of issue is simply not one that can just be avoided.
Okay, can we delete or close this topic then? We're all handled now.
Why do you want this thread deleted? You created it. There have never really been threads that were deleted. Get over it. You posted your issues on the internet and it will be here forever.
Okay, can we delete or close this topic then? We're all handled now.
Why do you want this thread deleted? You created it. There have never really been threads that were deleted. Get over it. You posted your issues on the internet and it will be here forever.
Did Scott get a magic eraser to remove the mildew from his painted walls? is what I want to know.
I fully expect formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer foam to be revealed as the new Asbestos. It's that good at cleaning things there must be a catch.
I know I'm very late to the conversation, and I don't normally respond to stuff like this, but ...
Its obvious you created this thread to find out if you can get revenge on those guys, not to ask for help of how to solve your problem. Its obvious you aren't going to try to fix this and will let you parents waste their money. Ok, fine.
However, as a few people have mentioned, you need to be very cautious about the fact that you are on the lease. Because you refuse to try to get out of the lease, you are legally living in that apartment even if they don't let you in. If they trash the place, if they do something bad, or anything like that, you will probably be held at least partly responsible. YOU NEED TO TELL THE LANDLORD/WHOEVER ABOUT THIS SITUATION! Tell them in person, write them letters with confirmation, and prove that both parties are being dicks to you and you are not involved in any way, other than giving them free money. I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure no one can sue you for simply complaining that you are being denied entry into your apartment. They are getting free money after all. If they laugh in your face or whatever you are afraid of, fine! At least get proof.
BTW, are they even allowed to add locks?? Maybe telling the landlord you can't get in will get them in trouble for doing that.
Comments
Anyways, thanks very much for the information about your family. Apparently any lawsuit would be terribly damaging to your family, so I should find some trivial matter and tell them I wish to sue them over it. They'll probably agree to settle it out of court, and I can talk them up to an exorbitant price in ongoing monthly installments. What are they going to do, sue me? ^_~
@lackofcheese Now, if YOU sue and won't back down, then the gloves are off.
No lawsuit -> we both lose nothing, Lawsuit -> you lose a massive amount whether you win or lose, I don't lose much either way.
Hence if I intend to sue you for whatever reason, you're better off simply paying me off without going to court rather than letting it get to a lawsuit, because of how harmful the lawsuit would be to you. Easy money for me.
The point is that a situation where you are afraid of any legal action whatsoever is not only ridiculous, but possibly straight-up dangerous and easily exploited.
Basically, unless you're given a more lenient option, you are at worst responsible for rent the landlord wouldn't receive if you didn't pay it. Typically this means you keep paying rent up until the end of the term or a new tenant is found, whichever comes first. So terminating the lease is at most equally expensive to simply continuing to pay, but often cheaper.
If you help the landlord find a new tenant as soon as possible, it shouldn't cost very much, and as long as you continue paying up until a new tenant is found, there's pretty much no way any legal action will occur. If you explicitly terminate the lease, this puts you in a position that is necessarily better than before.
Besides that, your legal position is actually worse if you continue to hold to a lease agreement for a place you don't actually live in. As a tenant, you also have responsibilities, responsibilities that you cannot possibly fulfill if you're not actually living in the place you're paying for. If your apartment is utterly trashed at the end of the lease period, who do you think will be held responsible? However much you'd like to, this kind of issue is simply not one that can just be avoided.
Major burn
There are many threads like this.
I fully expect formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer foam to be revealed as the new Asbestos. It's that good at cleaning things there must be a catch.
https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Melamine_foam
Its obvious you created this thread to find out if you can get revenge on those guys, not to ask for help of how to solve your problem. Its obvious you aren't going to try to fix this and will let you parents waste their money. Ok, fine.
However, as a few people have mentioned, you need to be very cautious about the fact that you are on the lease. Because you refuse to try to get out of the lease, you are legally living in that apartment even if they don't let you in. If they trash the place, if they do something bad, or anything like that, you will probably be held at least partly responsible. YOU NEED TO TELL THE LANDLORD/WHOEVER ABOUT THIS SITUATION! Tell them in person, write them letters with confirmation, and prove that both parties are being dicks to you and you are not involved in any way, other than giving them free money. I'm no lawyer, but I'm pretty sure no one can sue you for simply complaining that you are being denied entry into your apartment. They are getting free money after all. If they laugh in your face or whatever you are afraid of, fine! At least get proof.
BTW, are they even allowed to add locks?? Maybe telling the landlord you can't get in will get them in trouble for doing that.