If my mother and I own a house together and she signed a contract to have the front door replaced, is the contract legal if I didn’t also sign?
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If my mother and I own a house together and she signed a contract to have the front door replaced, is the contract legal if I didn’t also sign?
She wanted to replace the front door and she ended up signing a contract with the vendor for the repair. Now she wants to cancel and they are asking for a cancellation fee. Now isn’t the contract void since I didn’t sign and I’m an owner of the property.
Asked on April 24, 2012 under Business Law, New Jersey
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
No, it is not the case that every owner of property must sign a contract for the contract to be void. Rather, it is the case that any owner of the property can sign a contract for repairs or services to that property. The vendor cannot look to you personally for payment if you did not sign the contract--they can only try to recover from (i.e. sue) your mother. However, if she does not pay, they may be able to (if they sue and win, getting a judgment) put a lien on the house, since your mother is one of the owners of it, and any property belonging to a person could be liened.
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