What to do if we have been in a lease/purchase for 6 month but have just found out that the dwelling cannot be legally occupied?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What to do if we have been in a lease/purchase for 6 month but have just found out that the dwelling cannot be legally occupied?
We recently found out that the home we are renting/purchasing has no certificate of occupancy, landlord did not obtain proper permits to have work done on the house (plumbing, deck, etc.) and it was a former meth lab, which he failed to tell us. The ceiling is cracking, walls are cracking. Building inspector came out and sent letter to landlord telling him of the violations and that they needed to be fixed and that the house can’t be lived in. What are our rights?
Asked on January 8, 2013 under Real Estate Law, North Carolina
Answers:
MD, Member, California Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
You have a lease at this point. You should seek your security deposit back and force your landlord to pay for your move. If your landlord refuses, sue. Simply put, this is an uninhabitable dwelling and you need to be able to move without undue economic harm to you. If you would have no way of knowing the work done in the home was illegal or that it was a meth lab, then you should be entitled to your security back.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.