Q: I bought a dog for an agreed price from a woman Friday, today she told me she was "unaware of the lease the breeder had"
she wants me to return the dog or pay the balance of a lease i didnt sign. Since paying the agreed price and having it agreed upon via text do i have to return the dog?
A: No. You are what's called a bona fide purchaser, which means you took possession of the purchased property without any knowledge, actual or constructive, of any other ownership interest in the property (the dog). As a matter of law, you do not have to pay the lease. You may want to consider returning the dog though. Responsible breeders go through great effort to make sure that their dogs go to responsible people and have an interest in protecting their breed lines.
A: No, you don't have to return the dog. It would be the prior owner who would be liable to the breeder, not you.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
