Legal Question in Criminal Law in Texas

I rented an apartemnt with my brother we were both on the lease i paid my bills every month but a couple months in he started doing alot of illegal activity i had a feeling the apt was being watched and since i wasnt involved in his dealing and didnt want anyone thinking i was i left. i had asked him to stop what he was doing and he refused i told him i would through the illegal things away and he threatend me i finally left after one night when he was intoxicated he accused me of stealing his drugs and hit me, which of course i didnt. i havent done anything about all of this yet because i had no where to go when i left and i had to get back on my feet. a few weeks after i left he got word that he was going to be raided so he left to. abondend the apt that he told me he would keep paying when i left, he wanted me to leave because i was running of his customers he wanted to be left alone to do his bussiness and now there coming after me for four thousand dollars what do i do?


Asked on 11/15/11, 9:18 pm

2 Answer from Attorneys
M. Elizabeth Foley The Law Office of M. Elizabeth Foley

I'm sorry that you ended up in such a bad situation there. I was actually about to say that I think that you're out of luck as far as the $4000 goes, because while you might be able to sue him for the money (not that you'd likely ever get it), the apartment complex has the right to recover the money from either one of you.

BUT...I just remembered seeing something in the Property Code that might help you (also might not, but it's worth a try). I think there's something in there affecting a landlord's rights to come after you for unpaid rent if you had to leave the premises because of domestic violence. Obviously, everyone thinks of that being husband/wife or girlfriend/boyfriend, but actually the way the law's written, it would cover you and your brother based both on your being family members and living in the same household. Property law is really not my area, and I don't remember the specifics of this law, but it might be worth looking into.

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Answered on 11/16/11, 5:53 am


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