Breaking a lease

[sunny]

Has anyone here ever successfully broke an apartment lease?

[Guest]

Has anyone here ever successfully broke an apartment lease?

yuppers.

[GalvestonDuck]

It's been done before, but if it's a managed property, you run the risk of getting a stain on your credit.

[sunny]

It's been done before, but if it's a managed property, you run the risk of getting a stain on your credit.

That's what I'm afraid of. It is managed property. I am "documenting" my calls to the office, and the police department. But I just don't think I can live like this for six more months.

[TexasStooge]

Not this family, however, from the 3 recent evictions, I think the Managers broke our leases.

[The Big Dog]

See if you can find out what rights renters have under state law. In Florida, statutes are searchable online -- Louisiana might be the same. Your management office is probably not going to tell you what rights you have, and everything on the lease will look as though they have all the power and you have none. Renters actually have rights, and unless you explicitly give those rights away, there may be legal grounds under which you can break a lease.

[GulfBreezer]

Every lease should have a clause in there describing the default lease agreement. I have never broken a lease but have helped someone else do it. Read your lease agreement carefully, document everything and you need to make sure you discuss your issues with someone at the management company. If the company is local, then go there in person. What kind of problems are you having?

[HurricaneGirl]

If you can do this try it. Get someone at work to produce you a letter on company letterhead that state's you are getting transferred out of the area and have to move.

[sunny]

Every lease should have a clause in there describing the default lease agreement. I have never broken a lease but have helped someone else do it. Read your lease agreement carefully, document everything and you need to make sure you discuss your issues with someone at the management company. If the company is local, then go there in person. What kind of problems are you having?

I have a neighbor who makes me feel "threatened". He's not stalking me, but he makes me feel very unsafe. He has made comments that make me uneasy. It's not the normal type of "friendly banter" that neighbors exchange. And it's not just me, he does it to a friend of mine who lives on the other end of the hall. You turn around and all of a sudden this guy is in your face. Yesterday I was unlocking my door, and I turned around and he was just standing over my shoulder looking in my apartment. And I mean RIGHT OVER MY SHOULDER. Shelby and I have both called the office with our concerns, but being that he has not made any "threats", they say there is nothing they can do.

[GalvestonDuck]

Oh, he sounds like a real winner.

Does he have a job? Is he one of those strange loner types?

[sunny]

Oh, he sounds like a real winner.

Does he have a job? Is he one of those strange loner types?

From what I've seen he is always home. I never see him with ANYONE.

[alicia-w]

next time that happens, i'd call the police. this guy is getting in your space and if it happens repeatedly, that's stalking....

i dont know what Florida's stalking law is about (I'll look it up) but I would call the cops.

They may be able to fix your problem for you. Once you have that established and if he decides to continue his odd behavior, you may be able to get a restraining order.

If he gets that close again, consider a good knee job.

[sunny]

next time that happens, i'd call the police. this guy is getting in your space and if it happens repeatedly, that's stalking....

i dont know what Florida's stalking law is about (I'll look it up) but I would call the cops.

They may be able to fix your problem for you. Once you have that established and if he decides to continue his odd behavior, you may be able to get a restraining order.

If he gets that close again, consider a good knee job.

I wish I had been able to think enough to do that yesterday! He really startled me...

[The Big Dog]

Have you said anything to him about his behavior? Or are you afraid to approach him?

[alicia-w]

Here's a link to the Louisiana stalking law...

http://www.babcockfirm.com/statutes/stalking.html

[sunny]

Have you said anything to him about his behavior? Or are you afraid to approach him?

I am afraid to approach him. I can't explain it - he makes me very uneasy.

[sunny]

Here's a link to the Louisiana stalking law...

http://www.babcockfirm.com/statutes/stalking.html

Thank you alicia. I'm going to read this right now (I'm also sending to Shelby!)

[southerngale]

I don't blame you sunny. I've had people that made me feel very uncomfortable like that. Don't wait to see why his behavior is so strange...call the cops and go from there. If they won't help you, tell them to call me and I'll give them the names of people who needed help before something bad happened.

He's probably just weird but it's not worth the chance!

[Persepone]

If the guy is a true wierdo &/or explosion waiting to go off, a restraining order may only be a trigger. Ditto any sort of "call the police" type action or any physical response.

Your best course of action is to just move. Quickly.

Call a local Women's Shelter and ask for an appointment to go in and talk to them. They will have experience dealing with whackos and wierdos and will also have some legal assistance available, etc.

But more to the point, they will know who can make the call to the Apartment Management people and quietly get the Apartment Management people to let you out of your lease early with no penalty, no bad credit rating, etc.

Think about it. The Apartment Management people are over a barrel (as are the police). Until this guy "does something" there is nothing they can do about it because there are no laws against "being a wierdo." There is no law against sitting around your apartment all day and skulking in the hallways, etc. As long as you pay your rent, don't have 130 cats, etc. they can't toss you out for being wierd. And unless Louisiana is different from other states, restraining orders are generally not worth the paper they are printed on. A restraining order is no good to you if you are dead.

Obviously the Apt. Mgt. does not want to let its tenants all move because of this nutcase--and legally they can't make him move unless he violates the terms of his lease, etc. On the other hand, they don't want to have to explain why they did not let a tenant out of her lease when she felt threatened by a fellow tenant in the eventuality that "something happens." The right legal/political type (and Women's Shelters have access to such people) can solve this with a quiet phone call to the Apt. Mgr. or perhaps to the building owner.

I'd certainly do this as my first action. They will have good and appropriate advice about what to do. They also will be able to caution you about what to do/not to do to set off this creep.

[vbhoutex]

The one problem with the knee job, which initially sounds like a good idea, is if he hasn't touched you is that you could be facing an assault charge and.or set him off and then be assualted or worse.

If any others in the building feel the way you do get together and go to the management and tell them you all are breaking your leases if they don't do anything about him.