Q: Can a property owner be held criminally and/or civilly responsible when their tenant commits a crime they know about?
Landlord rents house to a tenant. House is to be used for operating a personal care home. The tenant's husband murders one of the residents & tenant conceals the death by burying the body under a shed on the property. She tells the landlord what she's done (because they're friends) and the landlord doesn't report the crime & continues to rent the property to her. He knew there was a body buried on his property, knew the man's death was the result of murder & that the personal care home was still active & residents were in her care still. Can he be held liable criminally and/or civilly?
A: He is criminally liable for a number of charges. Civilly he would be liable to the family of the deceased for aiding in misuse of a corpse and other torts. Suggest you contact a member of the Ga. Trial Lawyers Association--they give free consults.
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