How do I get a family member to pay agreed upon rent in a family home?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
How do I get a family member to pay agreed upon rent in a family home?
My father passed in 1996. My sister agreed to move in and take care of the house/property and pay $300 plus utilities. She’s missed many months and the property has not been kept up. Now she refuses to pay any rent and only pays a portion of the property taxes. The property was left to the whole family. She is one of 13 that own the house.
Asked on August 31, 2010 under Real Estate Law, Texas
Answers:
M.T.G., Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
You will have to sue her for a beach of the lease that you held. A lease is a contract between parties with the rights and obligations spelled out. Was the agreement verbal or written? Verbal contracts are generally enforceable, except in certain circumstances. The sale of real property is one of them. Lease can generally be verbal or oral, but state law may limit the duration. In other words, it may indicate that leases over a year must be in writing. It may be best for you seek help from a landlord tenant attorney in your area. Discuss with him or her what your rights and liabilities are here. And evicting her will be an option as well. Good luck.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.