Full question:
Our tenants lived in our house, free rent, they were responsible to pay there water utility, tenants put the utilities in their name, however they moved a couple months ago after approx 14 mo. They left a water bill of over $800 dollars. Being the home owner am I legally responsible to pay that bill? What can I do?
- Category: Contracts
- Subcategory: Breach of Contract
- Date:
- State: North Dakota
Answer:
In some areas, landlords may be held liable for unpaid utility bills left by former tenants. It’s advisable to check with your local city hall for any relevant ordinances. If your lease agreement specified that tenants were responsible for utilities and they failed to pay, you might have grounds to pursue a breach of contract claim against them to recover your losses.
Contracts are legally enforceable agreements between parties that outline their rights and obligations. If your agreement with the tenants was verbal, it can still be enforced, but proving its terms may be more challenging. Generally, written contracts provide a longer timeframe for legal action compared to oral contracts.
A breach of contract occurs when one party fails to fulfill their contractual obligations, causing harm to the other party. Legal actions for breach can result in remedies such as money damages, restitution, rescission, reformation, or specific performance. Money damages compensate for financial losses due to the breach, while restitution aims to restore the injured party to their prior position.
Rescission cancels the contract, and reformation allows the court to modify the contract to correct inequities. Specific performance compels a party to fulfill their contractual duties when monetary damages are insufficient.
Promissory estoppel may apply if one party relied on a promise from another, leading to detriment. This legal principle can enforce a promise if it induced reasonable reliance that resulted in harm.
For specific advice tailored to your situation, consider consulting a legal professional.
This content is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Legal statutes mentioned reflect the law at the time the content was written and may no longer be current. Always verify the latest version of the law before relying on it.