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Looking through news reels yesterday I came across this. A woman in Colorado family got her rented into a senior apt complex. The woman unexpectedly passed away and the management company Greystar, one of the largest in US sent the family a bill for over $4k plus they were keeping her security deposit as her death constituted early lease termination!!!
Apparently this was buried somewhere in the lease.
Greystar is right up there as a predatory corporate blood sucking goons. The founder Robert Faith is a billionaire.
I know people feel government should stay out of business but who else has the power to reel these predatory corporate bloodsuckers in?
Grey star has several lawsuits in a few states pending over their predatory practices.
READ READ then read again your lease before you sign it, especially if you're a senior or if you rent from Greystar.
No matter why you leave, you have to pay for damages and if you died, your estate has to pay for the damages. I'm not seeing anything unreasonable about that. Strangers do not pick up your debts for you when you die. From your note, it sounds like the family is the one who got the contract and made all the arrangements, so they don't get to shove the care of family off on someone else and expect that someone else to pick up the deceased person's expenses.
There is nothing predatory, blood-sucking, or goonish about enforcing a contract that someone agreed to and for which the estate becomes responsibile. Penalties for early lease termination are quite common, and not unreasonable at all.
And a security deposit has nothing to do with early lease termination. Those are different charges for which the renter or the estate are responsible for.
So with just the information provided, nothing unreasonable at all. If you can't read the lease or abide by its terms, then don't sign it. Just because you don't like something does not make it unreasonable.
One other possible factor is the length of time between the tenant passing and when the apartment is cleaned out and ready to be re-rented.
My MIL’s death was not entirely unexpected and it still took us about a month to get everything moved out. We paid the rent at least through that day (don’t remember exact details), not the date of her death.
I am not currently a landlord, but when I have been, my lease agreements included the obligation for the renter to pay through the end of the lease. If a renter moved out prematurely, he/she was still obligated to pay. But. If I was then able to rent the property to someone else, I would not charge the previous renter from that point on. If I was not able to rent to someone right away, then the orginal renter was still obliged to pay.
And many years ago, when I was the renter, I fully appreciated the management companies that released me from my obligation from the point where they have rented the unit to someone else. To me that is more than fair.
But some companies don't do that, and they are still within their rights. I recently had to pay $300 early termination on my DISH account when I sold my home and relocated, even though the new owners immediately signed a contract with them. Meaning DISH earned double for the overlap period. That is legal, and I paid the penalty, but I don't have to like it.
So, yes, we should read and understand any leases or contracts we sign, and be prepared to pay the penalties if we fail to fulfil the terms of the lease or contract.
One other possible factor is the length of time between the tenant passing and when the apartment is cleaned out and ready to be re-rented.
My MIL’s death was not entirely unexpected and it still took us about a month to get everything moved out. We paid the rent at least through that day (don’t remember exact details), not the date of her death.
That is entirely understandable and reasonable. I also looked up my home state of NJ stance on this.
40 day notice with apt surrendered at 35 day mark rent paid for the 40 days. I also find that reasonable, it gives family time to clear out apt. Anything beyond that like making estate pays months of rent to me is predatory and unreasonable
In the case of Colorado Greystar sent an invoice only a few days after her passing.
That is entirely understandable and reasonable. I also looked up my home state of NJ stance on this.
40 day notice with apt surrendered at 35 day mark rent paid for the 40 days. I also find that reasonable, it gives family time to clear out apt. Anything beyond that like making estate pays months of rent to me is predatory and unreasonable
In the case of Colorado Greystar sent an invoice only a few days after her passing.
Colorado Greystar followed contract and Colorado law.
Your personal take on this is irrelevant.
Looking through news reels yesterday I came across this. A woman in Colorado family got her rented into a senior apt complex. The woman unexpectedly passed away and the management company Greystar, one of the largest in US sent the family a bill for over $4k plus they were keeping her security deposit as her death constituted early lease termination!!!
Apparently this was buried somewhere in the lease.
Greystar is right up there as a predatory corporate blood sucking goons. The founder Robert Faith is a billionaire.
I know people feel government should stay out of business but who else has the power to reel these predatory corporate bloodsuckers in?
Grey star has several lawsuits in a few states pending over their predatory practices.
READ READ then read again your lease before you sign it, especially if you're a senior or if you rent from Greystar.
I'm aghast that someone feels contracts need not be enforced. So, it's ok to obey some laws and some contracts, but not the ones you don't like?
The woman died. The landlord is due his contractual monies. Do you think that if the woman's funeral was on Monday morning, the management company was able to rent the apartment on Monday afternoon?
From your description, it appears as if the family stashed her in the apartment ("Colorado family got her rented into a senior apt complex").
The family has already decided that they want to keep as much money as they can. The family agrees that the lease says they are responsible for paying rent, but that they don't agree with the lease (which they signed willingly) and they won't pay. They don't care about the law.
"Legally, it appears, the company is in the clear. Colorado law says if the lease stipulates that tenants are responsible for fulfilling the terms even in case of death, that’s enforceable. The family, though, says there are moral considerations that outweigh the rules of law and it does not intend to pay."
It is typical to pro-rate rents upon early vacancy. True, often the outgoing Tenant remains responsible for rent through the end of the current term, HOWEVER it is not NORMAL to "double dip" by collecting rent from outgoing and incoming for the same days! The LL has an obligation to make a "good faith effort" to re-rent the unit, and once it is rented, the outgoing Tenant's obligation ends.
As other posters stated, the actual "security deposit" is a separate issue. In many jurisdictions it can ONLY be used for damage REPAIRS. It can usually be used towards the payment of past due rent and fees AFTER repairs have been completed and accounted for. Be sure to get itemized accounting of damage items, and there should be documentation of conditions at move in AND at move out, detailing conditions respectively.
If local law allows the LL to include in the Rental Agreement that tenant must pay the full term in spite of re-renting the unit, effectively creating a windfall for the LL, well, that is just wrong, and a great reason to READ your agreements and ask questions before signing!!!
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Family won't obey the law they don't like.
