| Rent/Credit Score Question |
|
|
|
|
|
Personary
New Member
Cash: $ 1.05
Posts: 5
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
| Rent/Credit Score Question |
 |
|
I have a question that has me a bit worried right now. My roommate has decided to take our apartment leasing office to court due to changing our contract without our approval. Due to this, we haven't made a full payment for this month. If it were completely up to me, I'd pay the remaining $70 or so, but that would show us as compliant toward the new rent amount. I'm very careful with my expenses and would rather just suck it up, but he wants to fight it till the end.
So my question is, will this affect my credit score? I paid my half according to our original rent contract, and so did he. The property management company does not know he is taking the leasing company to court, so they are expecting the increased payment. I just moved here a month ago, and would like to not have this headache right now.
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 3:27 am |
|
|
tftango85
New Poster
Cash: $ 0.40
Posts: 2
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
It can absolutely affect your credit if you are on the lease or your name is anywhere near any paper/you signed anything.
I would run a google search for your state information on rent contracts. For my home state of California, they give a pretty good run down on items that technically qualify for withholding of rent. If your roommate on his own accord makes some silly decision on why not to pay, a judge could say the exact opposite and not only expect him to pay, but let the hit stand on his credit.
If it's a worthy cause worth fighting for, pay the 70 bucks and fight like hell to get it back. 70 dollars isn't worth risking your credit long term.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:47 am |
|
|
Personary
New Member
Cash: $ 1.05
Posts: 5
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
Thanks for the replies. That's some good advice tftango. I've made the decision to go down to the front office this morning and talk with them about it. I'm about to head down there now. My roommate isn't here, but I'll probably give him a call after I've talked it over with them. I think he's so gung-ho about going to court that his judgement is being clouded. I'll probably just make the payment and suffer his anger later. I don't want this mark on my credit score.
And I'm on a 12-month lease paid monthly.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 2:25 pm |
|
|
oldguy
Senior Member
Cash: $ 751.85
Posts: 3656
Joined: 21 May 2006
Location: arizona
|
If you just moved in a month ago, maybe the difference is the change from 'one person' to "two person occupancy"?
At any rate - in any dispute such as this one - pay the amount first and then litigate to get it back, don't make yourselves the violators by being late.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:42 pm |
|
|
Personary
New Member
Cash: $ 1.05
Posts: 5
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
I paid the outstanding amount. I haven't heard from my roommate so I sent him a quick text this morning. He can try to get the money back in court if he wants, but that's up to him. I don't want my credit score affected.
And we both signed a lease last month. There was a third person on the lease, which gave us a military discount. However, that third person had to leave the lease since he decided to get his own apartment at the same place. So they removed the discount, which is what sparked all of this. It's a paltry amount, and not worth it in my opinion. It's up to my roommate what he wants to do. I know it's the principle of that matter that has him up in arms, but I don't want to have anything to do with this.
Thanks for the replies.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:35 pm |
|
|
oldguy
Senior Member
Cash: $ 751.85
Posts: 3656
Joined: 21 May 2006
Location: arizona
|
quote:
There was a third person on the lease, which gave us a military discount. However, that third person had to leave the lease since he decided to get his own apartment at the same place.
The owner should not be required to give the military discount on two of his units - the discount went with the third person. And a Court would say that the contract was breached when the 'military discount' person left.
Maybe the military guy could start a side business - sign leases with various non-military tenants to get the discount for them? Not likely. 
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 6:44 pm |
|
|
Personary
New Member
Cash: $ 1.05
Posts: 5
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
I agree with you. The third person used to live in the apartment before I moved in, so they worked something out with the leasing office so we could still get the discount after he moved out. I had no idea he was planning on moving into another unit, but it happened, and I really couldn't care. I don't think my roommate understands that because the third person left the lease it breached our contract. I think it's a waste of time and effort for him to go to court.
Last edited by Personary on Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:09 pm |
|
|
Personary
New Member
Cash: $ 1.05
Posts: 5
Joined: 05 Dec 2012
|
And I'll just add... Yay for random Craigslist roommates. Didn't have an issue with my first roommate during this past year. My new roommate seems fine, but he just wants to negotiate absolutely everything.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:11 pm |
|
|
oldguy
Senior Member
Cash: $ 751.85
Posts: 3656
Joined: 21 May 2006
Location: arizona
|
quote:
There was a third person on the lease, which gave us a military discount. However, that third person had to leave the lease since he decided to get his own apartment at the same place.
The owner should not be required to give the military discount on two of his units - the discount went with the third person. And a Court would say that the contract was breached when the 'military discount' person left.
Maybe the military guy could start a side business - sign leases with various non-military tenants to get the discount for them? Not likely.
|
|
Wed Dec 05, 2012 8:13 pm |
|
|
|
