Legal Question in Real Estate Law in Virginia

My husband is the defendant in a civil case with an ex-landlord. This person never mailed us our lease, we lived in the property for five months, while his son lived there as a "rent reduction" which was AWFUL but that is beyond the point. Around four months into the lease, the man's wife came to visit and was very nasty to us, and, voila, a month later we get a random eviction notice citing "the house isn't clean and we have someone living with us who is not on the lease"(a friend was visiting at the time) At any rate, the eviction notice was to be out by Sept. 15, 2008. In November he has a subpoena delivered to his work to go to court the following Tuesday because the man is suing us. We are going to trial because there is no reason for this other than a fence we took down because a) it was dangerous, rusted barbed wire that was severely damaged from trees falling on it and b) we had intended to eventually buy the home, which was discussed before we signed the lease, and keep horses there. We agree to pay for the fence, but the landlord has submitted several thousands of dollars in estimates for everything from cleaning to floor repair to lawn maintenance, all dated Sept 21 or 22, 2009. Is this even feasible???? How can we be charged for the cleaning and maintenance of a home that supposedly hasn't been lived in (at least by us) for a whole year???

Asked on 1/03/10, 5:33 pm

Michael Hendrickson Law Office Michael E. Hendrickson

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Don't expect the claims of a landlord suing a former tenant to necessarily be

credible as to feasibility or rationality But, then, again, of course, he'lll have his opportunity to explain it all to the judge.

Answered on 1/08/10, 6:54 pm

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