Who is my true landlord?

[nissandave]

What is the name of your state? NC

Okay, my wife and I are getting ready to sign a lease agreement with Susie Smith (names changed to protect the possible innocent). Susie is getting ready to get married to Bob and they already have another house. They are getting ready to finish moving out of the house we are going to rent from them.
I know for a fact this lady is getting married, so I do not believe she is currently married. However, when I check with the county office for tax and real estate listings, Joe Smith came up as the current, correct owner of the house. Now I assume it is possible that Suzie had a husband which has passed away recently, as in our county property listings are completed Jan.1 each year. However, logical reasoning states that this is not the situation. Another possibility is that it is her dad who actually owns the property. I reason that this is the most likely case. Anyway, the ad that was placed advertising the house was "For Sale or Rent", and when I talked to Suzie she was very nice and unreluctant to rent in out vs. selling it.
Now here's my question:
IF I sign a lease with Suzie and she is NOT the legal owner of the property, what can happen in the worst case scenario? Should I demand to see proof of ownership before signing the lease? Can the lease be voided as an unenforceable contract? What precautions do I need to take in making this agreement?

 

[HomeGuru]

What is the name of your state? NC

Okay, my wife and I are getting ready to sign a lease agreement with Susie Smith (names changed to protect the possible innocent). Susie is getting ready to get married to Bob and they already have another house. They are getting ready to finish moving out of the house we are going to rent from them.
I know for a fact this lady is getting married, so I do not believe she is currently married. However, when I check with the county office for tax and real estate listings, Joe Smith came up as the current, correct owner of the house. Now I assume it is possible that Suzie had a husband which has passed away recently, as in our county property listings are completed Jan.1 each year. However, logical reasoning states that this is not the situation. Another possibility is that it is her dad who actually owns the property. I reason that this is the most likely case. Anyway, the ad that was placed advertising the house was "For Sale or Rent", and when I talked to Suzie she was very nice and unreluctant to rent in out vs. selling it.
Now here's my question:
IF I sign a lease with Suzie and she is NOT the legal owner of the property, what can happen in the worst case scenario? Should I demand to see proof of ownership before signing the lease? Can the lease be voided as an unenforceable contract? What precautions do I need to take in making this agreement?

**A: the lease would stil be enforceable if Susie was not the legal owner but was the authorized agent of the owner. For your protection, request that the legal owner also sign the lease.