Can someone help me?

[PatrickCJ]

I signed a lease with my landlord on January 1st. A few days later he lost the building to someone else (I don't know how) and he never told me about it. For five months I paid him the rent until the one day I ran into the actual landlord, who had no clue I was living there. Would what my first landlord did be considered fraud? He also wont pay me my security deposit until I pay the last two months of the electric bill that is under his name. Since our lease is considered void because he actually doesn't own the building, do I have to pay him the electric bill and does he have to pay me my security deposit?

I don't live there anymore because the place was a crap hole, so once I knew I wasn't bound by a lease me and my girlfriend got out of there.

 

[Gail_in_Georgia]

Have you considered discussing the idea of suing him with an attorney, not only for the security deposit but also for the five months you paid rent to a person who didn't own the property?

What does the current owner wish to do about this?

Gail

 

[tpajet]

Yes, YOUR landlord was comitting fraud. You need to file a lawsuit.

These sorts of things have been happening a lot especially in Florida, but they noramlly are with houses. The house will get forclosed on by the bank, and the tennant is now SOL and has to move out. But the landlord cannot legally continue to collect rent since they no longer own the property.