Landlord passed away while renting without a lease

[[email protected]]

I live in Washington, DC. Husband and I have been renting private home for past 6 years without a lease or contract, just verbal agreement. Landlord is husband's parent. Parent deceased this month without leaving a will. Husband's family relatives collected current month's rent after landlord's passing (actually, same day landlord passed). What are our rights as tenants at this point. Do we continue to pay rent (private home has been paid in full many years ago)? If so, to whom?? There is no legal documentation of any family member being assigned executive of estate. I assume most of landlords assests, etc will go to probate. Need to be advised. Thanks

[Edited by [email protected] on 05-10-2001 at 03:29 AM]

 

[mary hartman]

better start packin and lookin for another place to live, as you only have 30 days from the time you normally pay rent to move, IF they decide to evict you.

Best bet, wait until a lawyer is appointed to settle the estate, or if a family member collects the rent MAKE SURE they sign a reciept for it, and NO CASH, give them a check!

 

[LL]

Keep paying rent as you have been doing (or, if there is any question of who should get the money, put it into an escrow account or whatever they have in D.C.) and wait for someone to be appointed as executor of the estate. Keep all the terms that you have been performing and also any reasonable terms that you can think of.

If any family member asks, tell them about the escrow account.

When an executor gets appointed, go and talk to him, tell him about the escrow account, offer to pay it to him, and ask about their plans. Maybe you can even stay. I recommend a written rental agreement.