If my landlord leased a house to myself and my ex-fiancé, can he sue only me?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

If my landlord leased a house to myself and my ex-fiancé, can he sue only me?

My ex and I got a house together; both of our names were on the lease. The landlord didn’t fix any of the issues we were having, so I left the house. Is he allowed to sue only me if we both were on the lease?

Asked on April 20, 2017 under Real Estate Law, Alabama

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 6 years ago | Contributor

Yes, he can sue only you. Whenever more than more person may be liable, or resonsible for, a cost or payment or other obligation, the person to whom they are liable could choose to sue one, the other, or both--it is the plaintiff's (person suing's) choice. So a landlord could choose to sue just one of two (or more) tenants. However, if there were two tenants on the lease and only one is sued, that tenant could bring the other tenant into the lawsuit on a "cross claim" to require her to pay her share of the money (i.e. to indemnify or reimburse him for part of whatever he ends up having to pay to the landlord). The mechanism for doing this is for the tenant who was sued to file a cross claim in a complaint against the other tenant.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption