Q: What should i do in this situation.
We have rented the house we live in since 2014. Every thing went well no issues fast forward to 2020 and a guy came to our house stating he had owned the house since 2018. He got it at auction because the previous owner had failed to pay property taxes from 2016 on. To make a long story short they got in there own legal battle and the previous owner got the property back just this week. While this was going on we were told to just hold our rent money which we did. We were just expected to save it in our own account. Now the previous owner wants it all which is fine. I feel like there should have been something legal set up with us or an account for us to put that money in vs us saving it and if they wanted money from us we should have been involved in some way. Now the new owner has messaged us wanting the money to pay the other guy because that was part of the agreement they came to. Should i just give the money or what? They came to agreement that we are part of without knowing
A:
First, I congratulate you for saving the money until the mess was straightened out. I've seen too many instances that wasn't done. The only change to that is I'd have suggested you open a special savings account and put your rent into it each month - if you ever had to prove your good faith to a judge that would be a slam dunk.
If both your original landlord and the guy who bought it at the tax sale will sign a letter of instruction to you saying how to pay the money you should be covered. My guess is they had lawyers involved and one of them can write the letter. Bonus points if signatures are notarized, but it isn't necessary.
You can also ask if you can put both names on the check - then they can both endorse the check and divide the money however they want.
Finally, you might want to consult a landlord-tenant lawyer in your area for advice. there is a procedure where you pay the money to the court and a judge decides who gets what.
Good luck.
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.
