help!! commercial rental

[faithnlve]

What is the name of your state? We received an intent to rent letter from landlord who owns a commercial property for rent. We paid a deposit of over 3500 dollars with the intent to rent property and begin a business. We also paid landlord to do application to town for sewage alottment, traffic flow projections, etc. We are sponsoring two sponsors to run a bingo. we have not signed the lease yet, since the landlord wanted to make sure we could get past zoning with his application. We agreed. Two days ago I told him we were read to sign lease and give him 2 months rent. Everything was a go as far as we were told. We have spent over 6000 in supplies and attorney fees to get our corporation running. Last night this landlord told us we may not be able to open july 1 since they have now had another offer on the place. We may still be able to get the building, but these other possible tenants are a dollar store and willing to sign a 7 year lease. But they will let us know in 8 weeks. do we have any legal rights to this building. I feel like we have been frauded by him. He still has our deposit and we paid all that money out. Thing is no lease signed, only verbal agreements until all permits were done. It wasn't us not wanting to sign the lease, it was this landlord holding off until we had permits, and zoning past, which was his application for the sewage alottment and such. We gave him this money to do this. How are we protected? Is the security depost a protection for us too? Thanks

 

[faithnlve]

anyone help?