If I signed an electronic lease but backed out due to family emergency and I never saw the unit, am I bound by the lease since I can’t pay rent now?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
If I signed an electronic lease but backed out due to family emergency and I never saw the unit, am I bound by the lease since I can’t pay rent now?
Asked on December 18, 2011 under Real Estate Law, California
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
In most states in this country, in order to be bound to a written lease one's signature has to be actually applied to the document and an electronic signtaure does not suffice because one never really knows who the person was that placed the electronic signature.
In your situation, if you did not actually sign the lease with your own signature, I would take the position that there is no valid signed agreement in your own hand. I would write the person who owns the unit that you had intended to rent from advising him or her that since you did not sign the written lease that you will not move into the unit. Keep a copy of the letter for future need. You might want to consult with a landlord tenant further about your situation.
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.