Detroit, MI asked in Real Estate Law and Landlord - Tenant for Michigan

Q: I used to work with my uncle and his friend and they decided to open a smoke shop and they Told me that if I let them us

I used to work with my uncle and his friend and they decided to open a smoke shop and they Told me that if I let them use my name to open the store and put the lease under my name and my uncles son name ( my cousin ) too at the same time they would let me get 35% of the store I trusted them bc they are close people but before opening the store in like a week I realized that the store won’t do good bc of the location so I took my name out of the business but the lease is still under my name and my cousin then I called the landlord and place owner I told them I wanna take my name out of the lease but my cousin name will still be there they told me I have to pay 1600$ for that to take my name out of the lease but I will still be responsible for the rent and everything I don’t understand how I will still be responsible for anything when I took my name out of the lease am I not educated enough to understand it or am I getting finessed?

1 Lawyer Answer
David Soble
PREMIUM
David Soble
Answered
  • Landlord Tenant Lawyer
  • Farmington Hills, MI
  • Licensed in Michigan

A: If your name is on a lease, then the only person who can agree to let you out early from the lease is, the landlord, and not your business/ family partners. Only the parties to the lease can agree to modify or change the lease terms, including releasing a party from their legal obligations.

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.