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Judgment and eviction in error? How do I get it removed?

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LWG429

New member
What is the name of your state? Hello, I hope someone will read this and guide me in the right direction. So, the other day I pulled up a background report on myself on WhitePages.com and was taken back when I saw 2 entries in the "Lien/Judgement" section. One said "Forcible Entry/retainer" and the other "Civil New Filing". The judgement for the forcible entry one is $0.00 and the other $7,089, both judgements have the same court case number but filing dates are about 5 months apart. I have absolutely no idea what any of this is, but the plaintiff name, which contained part of a previous address of mine, gave me a clue. Ok, so hold that thought now and lets rewind back to 2002. As im about to enter my junior year of college in NYC, I signed a 2 year lease with an aquaintence from HS, also going into his junior year. We lived together the 2 years, and at the end of the lease I graduate and move back to NJ, he decided to stay in the apartment since he got a job on Wall St and had no problem paying the rent by himself. About a year after the end of the lease, I get a nasty phone call from someone telling me I owe $15,000 for my unpaid rent. I told the man I had no clue what he's talking about, I live in my mothers basement and dont pay rent. He said "Im looking at a lease for 85 John, with your name on it, and rent hasnt been paid in 8 months". I tell him that I signed a 2 year lease, lived there and paid rent for 2 years, then left at the end of the lease. He tried telling me that since my roomate was still living there that it automatically renews and my name is on the lease and I owe the money because they cant get in touch with my ex-roomate. As soon as I hung up the phone, I grab a copy of my old lease and I go see my friends father who was a lawyer (in NJ that is) and ask him what was going on. He shook his head and laughed, and told me that my old roomate obviously stopped paying rent, and they're looking to go after anyone they can in order to get the money and theyre just trying to scare me into paying. He pretty much told me to pay them no mind and ignore them. I never received any other phone calls anyway.
Ok are you still with me? If so, thanks for still reading this. So now back to 2020. I see the plaintiff name is "Henry 85 llc village Inc" and the one judgement is $7,089, approximately half of $15,000, I assume this has something to do with my apartment on 85 John. I pull a background report on my old roomate, and not only do I see the exact same 2 judgements on his, he also has an eviction from the same apartment. I go back to my report and take another look, I also have 2 evictions (why there is 2 from the same address, I have no idea). My question, who do I go after? How do I get these 2 judgements removed? Or is that true in NYC, where my name is automatically attached to that lease 3 years later, even thoough i sign for 2 years, and live there and pay rent for 2 years. Was I supposed to put it into witing that I was leaving the apartment and didnt do so?
Does any of this even matter? Throughout the years, I've bought and sold a home with no problem, I've rented apartments, all with no liens, judgements, and evictions ever coming up on any title search or rental history. Thanks again for reading, and I apprecieate any guidance you can give.
 


LdiJ

Senior Member
What is the name of your state? Hello, I hope someone will read this and guide me in the right direction. So, the other day I pulled up a background report on myself on WhitePages.com and was taken back when I saw 2 entries in the "Lien/Judgement" section. One said "Forcible Entry/retainer" and the other "Civil New Filing". The judgement for the forcible entry one is $0.00 and the other $7,089, both judgements have the same court case number but filing dates are about 5 months apart. I have absolutely no idea what any of this is, but the plaintiff name, which contained part of a previous address of mine, gave me a clue. Ok, so hold that thought now and lets rewind back to 2002. As im about to enter my junior year of college in NYC, I signed a 2 year lease with an aquaintence from HS, also going into his junior year. We lived together the 2 years, and at the end of the lease I graduate and move back to NJ, he decided to stay in the apartment since he got a job on Wall St and had no problem paying the rent by himself. About a year after the end of the lease, I get a nasty phone call from someone telling me I owe $15,000 for my unpaid rent. I told the man I had no clue what he's talking about, I live in my mothers basement and dont pay rent. He said "Im looking at a lease for 85 John, with your name on it, and rent hasnt been paid in 8 months". I tell him that I signed a 2 year lease, lived there and paid rent for 2 years, then left at the end of the lease. He tried telling me that since my roomate was still living there that it automatically renews and my name is on the lease and I owe the money because they cant get in touch with my ex-roomate. As soon as I hung up the phone, I grab a copy of my old lease and I go see my friends father who was a lawyer (in NJ that is) and ask him what was going on. He shook his head and laughed, and told me that my old roomate obviously stopped paying rent, and they're looking to go after anyone they can in order to get the money and theyre just trying to scare me into paying. He pretty much told me to pay them no mind and ignore them. I never received any other phone calls anyway.
Ok are you still with me? If so, thanks for still reading this. So now back to 2020. I see the plaintiff name is "Henry 85 llc village Inc" and the one judgement is $7,089, approximately half of $15,000, I assume this has something to do with my apartment on 85 John. I pull a background report on my old roomate, and not only do I see the exact same 2 judgements on his, he also has an eviction from the same apartment. I go back to my report and take another look, I also have 2 evictions (why there is 2 from the same address, I have no idea). My question, who do I go after? How do I get these 2 judgements removed? Or is that true in NYC, where my name is automatically attached to that lease 3 years later, even thoough i sign for 2 years, and live there and pay rent for 2 years. Was I supposed to put it into witing that I was leaving the apartment and didnt do so?
Does any of this even matter? Throughout the years, I've bought and sold a home with no problem, I've rented apartments, all with no liens, judgements, and evictions ever coming up on any title search or rental history. Thanks again for reading, and I apprecieate any guidance you can give.
At this point you should probably talk to a real estate attorney in NYC. Its quite possible that you could have been held responsible if you did not formally give notice that you were moving out.
 

doucar

Junior Member
Unless they were able to renew the judgements in 2002, they have long since expired and obviously had little or no effect on your credit report. I would just move on with my life.
 

adjusterjack

Senior Member
Does any of this even matter? Throughout the years, I've bought and sold a home with no problem, I've rented apartments, all with no liens, judgements, and evictions ever coming up on any title search or rental history.
Those background checks might go back forever but credit reports only go back 7 years (except for judgments and bankruptcy). You can pull all three credit reports for free at www.annualcreditreport.com and if none of that stuff is on them you can just forget it and move on.
 

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