Potential tenant problem

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by MsFancyPants

I own a small condo that I rent out. I ran a Craigslist ad. Long story short, a woman wanted it. I emailed her an app and a lease and had her fill out everything at once b/c she was going on vacation. We emailed back and forth. She had bad credit. I agreed I wouldn't disqualify her just on that. Things happen. I asked for references. Neither called me back. I asked for previous landlords. Two of the three she said she had problems with. I still said I'd give her a fair shot at the condo. The one she did have a number for didn't know the property address or the amount of rent. Sounded like a friend posing as a previous landlord. I asked her for rental receipts. She said she faxed them but I never got them. I finally decided to select another tenant. I felt bad b/c this lady was trying to get out of an abusive relationship but not one single thing checked out. So I told her I had to select another tenant. Now she's threatening to sue because she said I "offered" her a lease. She only filled it out. I never signed it. No money changed hands. I never told her she had the condo. I only said I'd get back to her after I checked everything out. Am I legally bound to rent to her now? This is crazy? I know not to take legal advice from the internet but wondered if anyone had had this happen to them? Thanks. I told her to give her atty my phone number and I'd talk to him. He hasn't called yet.

I don't see that you have any problem...what would be the reason for her to sue you...none, only to scam you...she is bad news and I had people like that, although they never told me they would sue me but i denied them on grounds of not able to show references and one person i offered to rent it to but than the security deposit had to be first, last and 1 month rent as sec. deposit so the minute they would default I could go and evict them, but they never called me back since they couldn't come up with that amount of money...it is your investment and you can rent to who ever you want as long as you don't discriminate and handle all tenants the same way.

Just ignore her and save all your emails, times of calls and the references you had for her...some people use the word "sue" in almost every sentence they use and probable have tried to get a bailout that way, before...you know the people who throw water on the floor of a grocery store and than slip and start to sue them..that kind of people...

[ShaneSA]

I've been through the same thing...sorta. I had a house for rent and a black single woman applied. Nothing could be verified. She offered to pay cash for the deposit and rent. I decided against her and let her know. She made all kinds of threats about sueing. She called and wanted to meet to discuss the rental. I said theunit was rented b ut would meet her.
I asked the new tenant to be avaialable to discuss the issue. The new tenant, after hearing the story, agreed.
The rejected possible tenant showed up and I intriduced her to the new tenqant. I explained that her credit did not check out and her previous LL referances did not check out and the unit was rented. She immediatly gave up and left.
My good luck was that the new tenant I did rent to was a black single woman. My new tenant was mad that the reject was pulling the race and gender card.
We had a good laugh over the issue. She became a long term excellent tenant until she got married and moved with her husband.
Even if I had not had the fortune to have rented to a black woman, the reject had nothing to use to sue. She was trying to scare me into letting her rent the place.
It;s the same situation with FancyPants. It's a bluff to scare you. You are not obligated in any way to the rejected prospect. She did not pass the admission test. Forget it.