Foo - Problems with Landlord. Please Help.

So, my wife and I were living in Pennsylvania, but had to move to Colorado on extremely short notice (about 5 days). The terms for breaking our lease were to give 60 days notice and then pay an additional 2 months rent. Obviously we couldn't give 2 months notice, but what I understood from our landlord was that we could give the notice, move out, and just continue to pay rent for the remaining 60 days and at the end of that we would pay the additional lump sum of two months rent.

Fast forward to today, I tried paying my rent online and instead of the normal $865, it said that we owed over $1600. When I called them, they blew me off for an entire day until this morning and then told me that I had to "buy out" the rest of our lease, which is 6 more months.

Does the make sense? Anyone know what I should do? Do I need a lawyer?

Thanks
James

The answer to your question is going to depend on exactly what your lease says and whether you complied with the termination provisions of the lease. You may also have rights under the Pennsylvania Landlord Tenant Act.

Where in Pennsylvania were you living?

I was living in Harrisburg, right next to the colonial park mall.

If you have it in written terms that your landlord understood you would be leaving right away and you had agreed to additional two months then you should be okay. If there was no agreement on you leaving within five days then I believe you might be bound to the lease.

From a landlord's point of view, the reason I lease in contract to people rather than agree month to month is that I am promised that my unit will be rented for the amount of time disclosed.

Like the others said, it depends on your lease terms. Should not matter WHERE you are living when you give the 60-days notice- did you send them a letter of notice yet? That will start the process rolling, and the number of months left to pay should be either in your lease terms, or perhaps a different contract they have for early lease termination.

I feel for ya- I went through this when I moved from Mpls to Denver- fortunately, found a subleaser.

I was living in Harrisburg, right next to the colonial park mall.

My Daughter lived in the apartment complex across from the Colonial Park Mall and they stuck her for two months because she didn't follow the lease termination procedure to the letter. Same place?

Like the others said, it depends on your lease terms. Should not matter WHERE you are living when you give the 60-days notice- did you send them a letter of notice yet? That will start the process rolling, and the number of months left to pay should be either in your lease terms, or perhaps a different contract they have for early lease termination.

I feel for ya- I went through this when I moved from Mpls to Denver- fortunately, found a subleaser.

Yes, I gavve them the notice on Dec. 1, which should have started my 60 days. However, because I moved out, they are claiming that I now have to pay for the next 6 months!


My Daughter lived in the apartment complex across from the Colonial Park Mall and they stuck her for two months because she didn't follow the lease termination procedure to the letter. Same place?

The Crook.....er....I mean The Brook at Colonial Park? That's the place.

How did you guys resolve the issue? I'm not getting much help from the management? They don't like to return my phone calls.

Get a lawyer.

I inquired about an Early Termination when I signed my lease (knowing I was applying for this job). They stated I would owe for the 1st month's rent I received free, plus a $1500 early termination fee. No problem.

Showed me the contract, which I skimmed-

When it came time to get out, they stated that in order to complete the early termination I must be there for 4 months, give a 2 month notice (total of 6 months).... and pay the above fees. Did not see that fine print in the contract, and they did not mention it either. I'd only been there 2 months, so I'd owe them almost $8,000. Talked it over with a lawyer frien- since my LEASE was for 1 year, essentially I was lucky they even offered an Early Termination.

Do you have a copy of your lease handy? You might be in a similar "lucky to be able to buy out" situation. :notamused:

Yes, I gavve them the notice on Dec. 1, which should have started my 60 days. However, because I moved out, they are claiming that I now have to pay for the next 6 months!



The Crook.....er....I mean The Brook at Colonial Park? That's the place.

How did you guys resolve the issue? I'm not getting much help from the management? They don't like to return my phone calls.

That's the same place. She lived on King's Dominion Dr.

I ended up walking in to the office with my daughter and frowning a lot. I was more concerned with getting her security deposit back (which we eventually did). Se was late in putting in her notice as she failed to read the lease agreement she signed. So she ended up paying an extra month or two.

This was exactly 2 years ago, I think.

I inquired about an Early Termination when I signed my lease (knowing I was applying for this job). They stated I would owe for the 1st month's rent I received free, plus a $1500 early termination fee. No problem.

Showed me the contract, which I skimmed-

When it came time to get out, they stated that in order to complete the early termination I must be there for 4 months, give a 2 month notice (total of 6 months).... and pay the above fees. Did not see that fine print in the contract, and they did not mention it either. I'd only been there 2 months, so I'd owe them almost $8,000. Talked it over with a lawyer frien- since my LEASE was for 1 year, essentially I was lucky they even offered an Early Termination.

Do you have a copy of your lease handy? You might be in a similar "lucky to be able to buy out" situation. :notamused:

OMG you owed 8k for staying there TWO months?? Dang!! I wouldn't have done that to you, geeze!!

Okay I'm a softie. I have never held my tenants to their lease should they need to leave. But then the only time one had to leave was because of a job transfer and I am always one for someone bettering themself. So I let him out with just the last months payment.

My students usually stay their lease, and sometimes renew depending upon their studies.

My other tenant has been living there for 8 years.

OMG you owed 8k for staying there TWO months?? Dang!! I wouldn't have done that to you, geeze!!

Okay I'm a softie. I have never held my tenants to their lease should they need to leave. But then the only time one had to leave was because of a job transfer and I am always one for someone bettering themself. So I let him out with just the last months payment.

My students usually stay their lease, and sometimes renew depending upon their studies.

My other tenant has been living there for 8 years.I know! It was ridiculous. But, a lease is a lease- and now I know what questions to ask should I encounter that again.

I learned the easy way:

I did find a subleaser via craigslist- paid her $1,000 to take my lease and expedite the process so I could get outta dodge! Ironically, 2 months later she emailed me for the pics I posted of my apt-- because SHE found a job out of state and had to find herself a subleaser!!

Oh no!! :lol:

You really should look into Pennsylvania law as these things are very state specific.

This is meant in humor
http://www.letmegooglethatforyou.com/?q=tenant+rights+pennsylvania

I dont have advice, but when I read the title of the thread this is what came into my head.
NFSW or whatever WARNING THING SWEARING
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRDwrtaTH5M