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Ohio Contracts Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation, Contracts and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: I have leased a home for 9 years, the lease expired after a year and never signed another lease. Can I be sued damages?

There have been no upgrades, maintenance etc over the nine years I have done all upkeep myself. The home will need new carpet, drywall repairs and paint.

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 30, 2020

Unless the original signed lease specified otherwise, then when it expired, you became a month to month tenant, and either tenant or landlord can terminate that occupancy at the end of any month by giving 30 days written notice. Tenant is responsible to pay for any damages to the premises beyond... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Small Claims for Ohio on
Q: I found a missing person with a $25,000 reward and the family won't give me the reward

A friend of mine went missing and her family put out a $25,000 reward for information leading to her. I came forward and disclosed some information where I think she might be, and they ended up finding her where I said she was. The family has not contacted me with information on how to get the... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 30, 2020

Use the Find a Lawyer tab and retain a local attorney. You might have to sue them.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts for Ohio on
Q: My roommates are being evicted. Im not on the eviction notice or the lease but i have legal residency at the apartment

My roommates are being evicted. Im not on the eviction notice or the lease but i have established legal residency at the apartment. Do i legally have to leave when they do?

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 27, 2020

If your name is not on the eviction complaint, then you would not have to move. However, if the eviction is granted, and sheriff comes to move them out, there could be problems on whose things get moved out. So you will have to talk to the landlord and work that out ahead of time to avoid... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts for Ohio on
Q: Can I stop my payment to the HOA if they do not in force the rules of the association
Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 22, 2020

No. They will just file a lien against your home and charge late fees. If they won't enforce, persuade other people to run for election to the board with you who want to enforce the rules.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Landlord - Tenant for Ohio on
Q: I have lived in my apt for 1 year. I have paid my rent every month. Today I got the Notice of Lease Non-Renewal.

They say its in my contract that they can non-renew and not give a reason. I am shocked! I do submit a lot of maintenance requests. The community is pretty nasty. Wet, moldy, bugs, the front porch concrete is disgusting dirty. Would they really discriminate like that?

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 22, 2020

They don't have to give a reason. If you don't leave, they can evict you. And if it is wet, moldy, has bugs, etc. there is no reason to stay.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Civil Rights for Ohio on
Q: Do I have to allow inspectors into my apartment during COVID19 if they are from a highly infested area?

I am a disabled 65-yr old with multiple health issues that make my chance of surviving COVID highly unlikely, living in a county with 135 cases of COVID. Inspectors from Columbus, which has the highest number of cases and deaths in Ohio, are planning to walk through my apartment. Am I required by... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 15, 2020

Landlord is allowed by law to inspect after giving reasonable notice. But if you refuse entry, there is not much landlord can do about it. Landlord could call the police, but are unlikely to force you to let landlord enter. If landlord tries to force his way in, call the police. If you refuse... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Bankruptcy, Contracts and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: Can a closed bankruptcy be reopened and reversed if a creditor perpetrated fraud on debtor caused debtor to orig file?

This involves a land contract which I know has its own set of hurdles but basically I want to know if the vendor of the land contract committed fraud or at least made known significant misrepresentation to the common pleas court can that be grounds to reopen the bankruptcy case and reverse the... View More

Timothy Denison
Timothy Denison
answered on Jul 6, 2020

Possibly, but it would be very difficult unless the proof establishes the fraud unequivocally. Contact a competent attorney who can realistically assess your chances of success.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Real Estate Law and Landlord - Tenant for Ohio on
Q: I signed a lease but my roommate did not we are both on it as ‘resident’ and we want to get out of it

Move in date was supposed to be 6/29 but we didnt even receive confirmation that we were approved until that day. We looked around for other places and found one that we liked because they had been very bad at communication.

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jul 1, 2020

You signed the lease, so you are legally obligated to pay the rent. Try to work it out with landlord, or landlord could sue you for breach of lease and file an eviction. An eviction is a permanent court record that can make it difficult to rent from a landlord who checks the records. Landlord... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation and Contracts for Ohio on
Q: Can I close a business down while I sue them for an ADA claim?

In Ohio

Nicholas P. Weiss
Nicholas P. Weiss pro label Lawyers, want to be a Justia Connect Pro too? Learn more ›
answered on Jun 28, 2020

No. Once a lawsuit is initiated you can go through the civil litigation process, which does not result in the business being shut down. Even if you win it is unlikely that the business would be shut down.

3 Answers | Asked in Contracts and Divorce for Ohio on
Q: My ex wife financed a vehicle in my name 6 months before we separated. I was never in this car lot. She signed my name

In our divorce we were ordered to pay our own debt. She left the car somewhere and it got towed. I have no idea where it is. Now the finance company is threating to garnish my wages.

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 25, 2020

She committed fraud by forging your name. Contact the attorney who handled your divorce.

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1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: Can a seller go back on their contract after signing?

Recently, we put an offer on a house. One of the stipulations was for the seller to paying closing costs up to 3500, the offer was accepted. A septic and well inspection was completed and it failed the inspection for the septic. So roughly the house needs a new septic system for 10k. Now, the... View More

Bruce Martin Broyles
Bruce Martin Broyles
answered on Jun 19, 2020

You need to have your purchase agreement reviewed by an attorney. After the inspection you made a request to have the septic system repaired. The Seller countered by, essentially agreeing to pay up to $6,500 for the septic repairs. You need to accept or reject their counter-offer. The purchase... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: If my lease doesn't clearly state penalties for certain actions, how obligated am I to follow along with them?

I'm breaking my apartment lease early and the only thing my contract states is that I forfeit my security deposit upon doing so. I called to ask if there were any other penalties and I was told that I would also have to pay 3 month's rent upon vacating or $1000 breakage fee and continue... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 15, 2020

If you are breaching the lease, then landlord can claim lost rent amounts, damages, cleaning, etc., as those are remedies provided by law and do not need to be stated in the lease. Landlord can sue to recover those amounts and also will file an eviction to regain legal possession of the premises.... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts for Ohio on
Q: My landlord broke our lease left me in a bad spot what can i do
Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 15, 2020

You could sue landlord for monetary damages you have suffered. Use the Find a Lawyer tab to retain a local attorney to review the facts and advise you of your options.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Land Use & Zoning and Real Estate Law for Ohio on
Q: I signed a lease my freshman year in college. It was for my junior year. I decided I wanted to transfer, what can I do?

I paid a $700 dollar deposit but I’m not worried about that. I just don’t want to pay the price for both semesters. It was a stupid idea in the first place but I was pressured by others to sign early or else there would be very little options.

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 9, 2020

You can try to negotiate an early lease termination with the landlord. But landlord does not have to agree to that. If you don't pay the rent required, landlord can file an eviction to terminate your lease rights, and sue you for any lost rent. An eviction is a permanent court record that... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Small Claims for Ohio on
Q: I'm wondering about being able to sue someone (my brother) for money he owes me for car payments.

My brother had asked my husband and I if he could take over our car payment. We all came to an agreement and for almost a year the payments were made while my brother had the car. My brother asked us to take the car back in August of 2019. We had asked him if he could fix the damage on the front... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 2, 2020

You could sue your brother in small claims court, but if you did not have a written contract, then he could deny he had any obligation to pay, and you probably would not succeed. Check your local court web site for the small claims process.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts and Landlord - Tenant for Ohio on
Q: I rent a home in Ohio. I was offered to renew my yearly lease and took the opportunity. Can they move me to a M2M lease?

Hi. As stated, I was offered to renew my annual lease. I returned the digital document signed promptly. At first I was told they didn't receive it (a month after my sending it...) Once I let them know about the digital document's history proving that I did sign it on time, they told me... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on Jun 1, 2020

If a lease expires, landlord has no obligation to renew it unless it has an automatic renewal or some other renewal process, and tenant gave proper notice of renewal as the lease required before any deadline. Ohio law allows a landlord to inspect at any time after giving reasonable notice. When a... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Real Estate Law, Collections and Landlord - Tenant for Ohio on
Q: Can I fight this?

I rented an apartment May 2019 to June 2020. On May 1st my rent was due. I was not going to have the money to pay the rent till after May 7th. On May 6th I got an eviction notice stating I needed to vacate by May 11th. To avoid legal action I left May 9th. I got a final statement yesterday saying I... View More

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on May 26, 2020

Yes you can fight it. If they sue you for the money, then you can file an answer to the complaint that they file, and then attend the hearing to offer the lease as your defense. Check with local legal aid, or if your local court has a clinic with volunteers to assist those without an attorney.

1 Answer | Asked in Business Formation and Contracts for Ohio on
Q: Purchasing commercial equipment and on the purchase agreement nowhere to find the interest rates is this legal.
Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on May 21, 2020

If a purchase price and payment plan have been agreed, there is no legal requirement to specify any interest rate. And even if there were, and it was omitted, the omission wouldn't make the contract "illegal." It might be more of an income tax issue to determine what portion of the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Civil Litigation, Contracts, Real Estate Law and Landlord - Tenant for Ohio on
Q: Rental office called and said my son couldnt live here anymore or I would face eviction. No notices, letters, etc.

I am current on my rent. He had been arrested three months ago on misdemeanor charges but nothing was said to us until the call today, mid-may.

When I asked who decided this i was told it was the property manager. When I asked for the name and number of the property manager they refused to... View More

Taylor P Waters
Taylor P Waters
answered on Jun 9, 2020

I might depend on your lease. If your lease has a stipulation that no one with a misdemeanor conviction may live there, or other basic wording, they may be able to evict over an unlawful tenant. It's worthwhile to have an attorney look over your lease.

1 Answer | Asked in Contracts for Ohio on
Q: Hi am 18 and I wanted to know if I wanted to move in with my boyfriend since am having family problems Can I?

I been having family problems living with my father and step mom. My father is a past alcoholic ! And we don’t get a long . Since am 18 and will be 19 on June 10th can I move in with my bf without my parents okay since am 18. And won’t get in trouble by law since am an adult?

Joseph Jaap
Joseph Jaap
answered on May 18, 2020

A person is no longer a minor when reaching 18, and is considered an adult, and can make their own decisions and live where they want. But, they can still be on family health insurance, car insurance, etc. So if they move out, they might have to arrange for their own insurance, etc. if the... View More

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