Quote from @Michael Poloncic:
Three individuals signed a lease together, all friends, the lease is set up where each of them are expected to pay 1/3 of the rent. Two of them decided to move out in December without informing me. One of them accidentally paid for January rent because of auto pay and is now requesting it back. I informed them that their contract states they are expected to pay up until the end of the agreement regardless of living their or not.
Now, this tenant is saying that they don't remember any agreement and thought they paid month to month and could leave whenever. I am now under the suspicion that their friend, the one who is still living at the property, is the one who created separate accounts for all three of them and did the signing for each individual who is under this lease agreement.
I'm trying to prepare incase this is true. What is the recourse for the tenant who signed the lease under each individuals name? And, would that invalidate the contract? Or are the other two tenants still bound to the contract regardless?
Any additional input would be great. Thank you!
Michael, I regret that this is happening to you but I think you need to get past chasing rent for this month and realize that there's only one way this ends. Learn the eviction procedure for your area, perhaps contact a lawyer in the field to help you with this one, and get the fraudster you're currently housing out on the sidewalk to sleep in a cardboard box where they belong.
You're going to lose plenty of money here, but this will never happen to you again, and you can minimize your losses if you move as quickly as possible. In Pittsburgh, where I live and operate, this would be a two to three-month process in front of almost all out local district magistrates. I don't know the law or eviction procedures in Saint George, Utah. You're going to have to go learn about that yourself.
The faster you get rid of this bozo the better off the whole system will be. Good luck, Michael.
