Verbal Agreements

[brendao]

i live in the state of michigan. i would like to know if there is such a thing as a verbal agreement? our lease has run out but, there was a verbal agreement between the real estate agent and the person who owns the house. the owner verbally agreed to another years lease but, now the owner has changed her mind. is there anything that i can do. the agent will vouch to the fact that there was a verbal agreement made. please help! thank you

 

[LL]

I doubt that there is anything that you can do.

I doubt that the testimony of the RE agent would be believable enough to a judge for him to require the owner to do something against his wishes, and which he denies agreeing to, and from which you will profit.

Does the RE agent stand to make a commission if you stay for another year? Who hired her, the owner or you?

 

[brendao]

the home owner hired the real estate agent.

 

[LL]

Then the RE agent owes a duty to the owner to help him. She will probably be unwilling to help you, if someone forcefully brings this to her attention.

 

[brendao]

when i talked with the agent today she told me that she would stand behind us. even though she is employed by the owner. she said that it was not right for her to do this and that she would back us up with the verbal agreement.