Tenant Without a Contract

[23scadoo]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Texas

My wife and I recently moved and had plans to sale our home to our neighbor who would use it as rental property for his in-laws. We went ahead and let the in-laws move in with an agreed upon monthly rent but nothing in writing. They signed a lease but due to various reasons it never got executed on my end. Unfortunately the sale to the neighbor fell through and we had to list it through a realtor. The house is closing on the 25th of April and the new buyer doesn't want the current tenants to stay. I've issued a move out notice to the tenants with a cost for the prorated rent. They will be moving out but the prorated rent has not been paid and they won't return phone calls or text messages. I'm wondering, since there's not official lease, if I have any legal recourse to get this rent from them.

Any help is appreciated.

 

[Gail in Georgia]

Sure; you can consider suing them in Small Claims for this money but frankly, you'd be far better just washing your hands of the entire process and be glad this house is off your hands.

No offense but you've made a real mess of this entire business (i.e., allowing the in-laws to move in before the place was 1. even sold to the neighbor, 2. any rent was paid by the inlaws).

Gail

 

[23scadoo]

Agreed that this wasn't handled the best, I'm just too trusting of people. Let me clarify though that they have been paying month-to-month rent since September so now they're just being difficult.

I don't think that it will be worth it to actually go through the hassle of filing a law suit. My hope is that just threatening them with it will be enough to at least negotiate a price so that I don't walk away completely empty handed.