Legal Question in Administrative Law in Wisconsin

Bailing Roommate

2 of my friends and I got a house together to rent. 3 weeks after we signed the lease and moved in, one decided to shack up w/ her boyfriend. Today she announced that she is indeed moving out and that she will only pay her share of the rent until another roommate is found and not her 1/3rd of the bills as verbally agreed upon. We are not even certain she will pay her rent. The land lord said that all 3 of us are liable and if one person bails, its the others problem. What are our legal rights? How should we handle this?


Asked on 12/02/02, 10:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Robert Lightfoot II Murphy Desmond S.C.

Re: Bailing Roommate

Sorry, this is out of my area. It is listed as an "administrative law" question when in fact it is landlord/tennant question.

My reaction is that if indeed your estranged roomate doesn't pay the bill, you are out of luck. It's kind of like "you pick your friends..." My recommendation is to start advertizing for a 3rd roomate ASAP to limit your liability.

I have made no further investigation into the merits of your case and express no opinion as to whether there are other aspects to your case that may render it a viable case to pursue. Any advice or opinions given in this reply is preliminary only and not based on a thorough analysis. Accordingly, you should not rely on my comments, but seek the advice of another lawyer if you want a full analysis of your case at the present time. Should you decide to seek the advice of another lawyer, I suggest you do so immediately.

Legal deadlines such as the statute of limitations may exist which, if not adhered to, could completely bar pursuit of your case.

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Answered on 12/03/02, 9:54 am


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