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Updated over 9 years ago, 07/30/2015
Tenants separated. Who to write security deposit refund check payable to?
The drama with my rental in Hawaii never ends.
I just found out that the tenants, who are married, are going through a marital separation right now as the lease is coming to an early end (I got them to sign a Quit & Vacate letter to terminate the lease early, a whole other story...)
The lease names them both -- John and Jane Doe ("Tenant"), and they both signed the lease as Tenant.
When they signed the lease, they gave me a cashiers check from the credit union, but it does not name them on the cashiers check.
I know that the money came from Jane's account, as during the interview process she said she inherited a lot of money and that she would be paying me.
Considering that they are probably going to be maritally separated, who do I write the security deposit refund check (less expenses) payable to? My inclination is to write it just like the lease names the Tenant, "Payable to: John and Jane Doe" and let them figure it out.
I've e-mailed my attorney (asking him all these questions is getting ridiculously expensive), but was wondering what other landlords have done in this situation.