Lease in MA

[aleigh]

Last May I co-signed a year-long lease with another individual for a two-bedroom apartment in Chelsea, MA.
Since that time, she has exhibited extreme irresponsibility regarding shared bills to the point that our phone
service was cut off in the fall because she had failed to pay her half of it. Furthermore, in December, we
received a notice warning of eviction from our landlord because she had failed to pay her half of that month's
rent. These are only the most flagrant examples of a continual pattern of financial irresponsibility on her part.
Recently I confronted her about the problems, albeit in an angry manner, and she has since asserted that she
is going to move out. My question is what financial responsibility she will still have to this apartment if she
does move out. I would assume that she would still be responsible for her half of the $1000/month rent. Would
she not also be responsible for the utility bills as well? I don't know much about real estate law, but it would
seem to me that implicit in the lease agreement there is an agreement to shared responsibility for all of the
services (utilities) in the apartment which are shared. It just doesn't seem quite right that I should be stuck
with all of the bills if she does move out. There are, of course, a lot of other personal matters at stake in tyhis
situation, but my main concern is what responsibilities she has regarding the rent and other bills. If it comes
to having to take her to court to get her to pay the rent and other bills, what should I expect? I would greatly
appreciate any feedback or advice.

 

[LL]

Barring any peculiarities in MA law, and assuming that you are both treating equal in the lease, and that the lease provides that you are jointly and severallly responsible (or something like that), then that's how it is. You are jointly responsible for the entire amount, but the landlord can go after either one of you individually for the entire amount.