Legal Question in Landlord & Tenant Law in New Jersey

My brother was evicted from a rental in NJ as of June 1st. I was his cosigner and he left no forwarding address with the landlord (they had a very contentious relationship, but he paid his rent each month except for May). She attempted to bill him for damages to the apartment using email and certified letters. Now she is suing us in NJ for $700 of damages. My brother says she is crazy and he didn't do what she says he did. She says he is a liar and did tons of damage. As cosigner, am I responsible? Do I need to hire a lawyer?


Asked on 8/02/10, 8:17 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
John Corbett Corbett Law Firm LLC

Without reading the lease, it is impossible to say if you are liable only for the rent payments or for anything due under the lease. Assume the latter. Also consider that in a well-drafted lease, the tenant is obligated for the costs of collection as additional rent. That means that the $700 might not be the limit of your exposure if the landlord is represented by an attorney. If you can settle the case for $700, it might be worth it. As for cosigning, /p/ See: http://info.corbettlaw.net/cosign.htm /p/ See also: http://info.corbettlaw.net/lawguru.htm

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Answered on 8/07/10, 6:46 pm


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