“Forget about it”—The Landlord told me not to worry about the money for the rest of the lease
Maggie has three months remaining on her lease. Maggie informs Tony, her landlord that her company is relocating, she has to move in a few weeks and she will have to break her lease. Tony tells her to “forget about it;” he told her that it was “okay” for her to leave, he really understands her current dilemma, and she can give him the keys to the apartment when she is ready to leave.
Maggie feels relieved, she moved out of the apartment, she decides to stay with friends until she finds the right apartment in her new city, and she starts a new chapter in her life.
However, a year later, Maggie submits a rental application for a new apartment and Kelly, Maggie’s broker informed her that her application was denied based on a negative credit report. Maggie checks her report and discovers Tom has a monetary judgment against her for the unpaid rent. If Maggie consulted with an attorney regarding her options before she moved out of her apartment, Maggie would have learned that Tony’s words, namely “forget about it” is insufficient to relieve her of her obligations under the lease. Going forward, Maggie should consult with a landlord and tenant attorney to discuss her legal options, including what steps, Maggie can take, if any to vacate the default judgment against her.