Legal Question in Real Estate Law in California

wat rights do me and my boyfriend have a friend told us he owend this house that he was living in and offerd to rent us the house we agreed. there was alot of in and out all hours our friend had no control there was fifteen years of garbge and dirt over two tons outside in side was worse after we got rid of the rifraft we began the clean up there was no gas meter cuz the guy next door ran it over the hotwater heater didnt work so my boyfriend bought one all this has come out of our pockets we have a total of seven kids in the middle of all this the mother of our friend we found out is the real owner and said that she cant rent us the house we have been here for 3months with the impreson that we were going to be able to rent the house she showd up today and said it cant be rentd cuz of county codes that she dont have the money but she didnt tell us we had to leave wat do we do


Asked on 2/12/11, 10:35 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Bryan Whipple Bryan R. R. Whipple, Attorney at Law

You have been defrauded. Look for another place. If you paid the guy any rent, or gave a deposit, you are also probably a victim of "rent skimming" as defined in Civil Code section 890(a)(2) - receiving revenue from the rental of a parcel of residential real property where you are not the owner and don't have permission from the owner to act as his or her agent. You should consider suing in Small Calims Court to get back any money you gave him, and perhaps also for the other money you spent trying to make the place liveable. By the way, repairing a damaged gas meter should be the gas company's expense.

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Answered on 2/13/11, 10:08 am


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