help with lease

[helenkeller11]

Chicago, Illinois

I was given a lease to sign. The sentence I question reads as follows: "Tenant shall pay Landlord the sum of $_10.00 per month . . ." The sum of Ten Dollars is correct. I am questioning the usage of the underscore after the dollar sign. Does that mean something or is that a typo?

 

[Zigner]

Chicago, Illinois

I was given a lease to sign. The sentence I question reads as follows: "Tenant shall pay Landlord the sum of $_10.00 per month . . ." The sum of Ten Dollars is correct. I am questioning the usage of the underscore after the dollar sign. Does that mean something or is that a typo?

It looks like a typo to me. What is it it for?

 

[helenkeller11]

It looks like a typo to me. What is it it for?

It is for an apartment. It's a pretty complicated situation. In a nutshell, my sister, in exchange for signing a quit claim for my half of the house, is allowing me to live in the upstairs rental unit while I get my life together. It's a very upsetting situation for me. I have been solely responsible for the house & rental for the past 27 years. She has been incommunicado. The last 3-4 years have been very tough on me, can't find job, squatter tenant, bad personal relationship, debt, ran out of money. Hunted her down to ask for her help. This is the 'help' she is offering. I have no money to pay back taxes, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Now she and her husband own the house and I need to sign their lease.

 

[Silverplum]

It is for an apartment. It's a pretty complicated situation. In a nutshell, my sister, in exchange for signing a quit claim for my half of the house, is allowing me to live in the upstairs rental unit while I get my life together. It's a very upsetting situation for me. I have been solely responsible for the house & rental for the past 27 years. She has been incommunicado. The last 3-4 years have been very tough on me, can't find job, squatter tenant, bad personal relationship, debt, ran out of money. Hunted her down to ask for her help. This is the 'help' she is offering. I have no money to pay back taxes, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Now she and her husband own the house and I need to sign their lease.

Alrighty.

..

 

[helenkeller11]

It is for an apartment. It's a pretty complicated situation. In a nutshell, my sister, in exchange for signing a quit claim for my half of the house, is allowing me to live in the upstairs rental unit while I get my life together. It's a very upsetting situation for me. I have been solely responsible for the house & rental for the past 27 years. She has been incommunicado. The last 3-4 years have been very tough on me, can't find job, squatter tenant, bad personal relationship, debt, ran out of money. Hunted her down to ask for her help. This is the 'help' she is offering. I have no money to pay back taxes, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Now she and her husband own the house and I need to sign their lease.

Also, she uses this twice in the lease, stating that after the initial lease has run it's course, then I can continue renting at "$_1000.00 per month."

 

[Zigner]

It is for an apartment. It's a pretty complicated situation. In a nutshell, my sister, in exchange for signing a quit claim for my half of the house, is allowing me to live in the upstairs rental unit while I get my life together. It's a very upsetting situation for me. I have been solely responsible for the house & rental for the past 27 years. She has been incommunicado. The last 3-4 years have been very tough on me, can't find job, squatter tenant, bad personal relationship, debt, ran out of money. Hunted her down to ask for her help. This is the 'help' she is offering. I have no money to pay back taxes, so I was between a rock and a hard place. Now she and her husband own the house and I need to sign their lease.

I should have been more clear with the reason for my request.

Is the $10 per month in line with what you expected? Or, is it an obvious error?

$1,000 per month is much different than $10 per month

 

[helenkeller11]

I should have been more clear with the reason for my request.

Is the $10 per month in line with what you expected? Or, is it an obvious error?

$1,000 per month is much different than $10 per month

The amount of ten dollars is correct. I am questioning the usage of the underscore after the dollar signs ($_). Thank you.

 

[Zigner]

The amount of ten dollars is correct. I am questioning the usage of the underscore after the dollar signs ($_). Thank you.

I think it's a way for the writer to be clear that $10 is the amount in question. It's odd. If you're concerned, maybe you can ask for a copy without the marks. Alternatively, ask for it to be spelled out as well as written numerically. (ie: The Sum of $_10 dollar (ten dollars) )

 

[helenkeller11]

I think it's a way for the writer to be clear that $10 is the amount in question. It's odd. If you're concerned, maybe you can ask for a copy without the marks. Alternatively, ask for it to be spelled out as well as written numerically. (ie: The Sum of $_10 dollar (ten dollars) )

Yes - thank you, that's what I'll do, ask her to spell it out.

 

[sandyclaus]

As a former word processor who used to deal with typing up contracts, I see that underscore before the $ ("$_XXX.XX") as just a way to put a space in the representation of the number - or to leave a space where something can be added in there (like adding a digit that doesn't currently appear). I'm saying that it's a formatting choice for the written contract.

If I were signing such a contract, *I* would personally fill that blank myself everywhere it appears - with a zero, an X, or a dash. Be sure to initial it and have the LL initial it as well. DO NOT walk away without a copy of the signed contract. If necessary, snap a photo with your camera phone to preserve the integrity of the signed contract.

That's how I would handle something like that. I do the same thing with filling out checks. Any extra spaces leaves that spot open for someone else to add something after I've signed it, and alter the document after the fact.

 

[helenkeller11]

As a former word processor who used to deal with typing up contracts, I see that underscore before the $ ("$_XXX.XX") as just a way to put a space in the representation of the number - or to leave a space where something can be added in there (like adding a digit that doesn't currently appear). I'm saying that it's a formatting choice for the written contract.

If I were signing such a contract, *I* would personally fill that blank myself everywhere it appears - with a zero, an X, or a dash. Be sure to initial it and have the LL initial it as well. DO NOT walk away without a copy of the signed contract. If necessary, snap a photo with your camera phone to preserve the integrity of the signed contract.

That's how I would handle something like that. I do the same thing with filling out checks. Any extra spaces leaves that spot open for someone else to add something after I've signed it, and alter the document after the fact.

Thank you! This was what I was wondering, could they stick another number in there and you answered that. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera of any kind.

 

[Zigner]

Thank you! This was what I was wondering, could they stick another number in there and you answered that. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera of any kind.

You don't have one in your cell phone? (I do acknowledge that it's possible that you don't, or that you don't have a cell phone)

 

[helenkeller11]

You don't have one in your cell phone? (I do acknowledge that it's possible that you don't, or that you don't have a cell phone)

Nope, no fancy cell phone for me - can't find a job, can't afford these 'luxuries.' Working hard to turn this around.