Tenant/ Contractor breech of lease agreement in Bethlehem PA (real estate, rental)

[Beingreasonable]

In April 2019 I agreed to rent my house in Bethlehem PA, to my neighbor's father. My neighbor was one who approached me asking to rent the house for his father who lived in the Bronx at time stating he would like his father to live close to him. The house needed repairs, I told when the repairs were completed my rent for the would be $1200. He told he was a contractor and he would do the work if I rented his father the house for $1000 a month for the first year and $1100 for the first six months of the following year, and $1200 for remaining six months of a 2 year lease. I agreed, he said materials would $900 which I paid him. The lease agreement was signed on April 16, 2019. A months rent and security a total of $2000. At time he knew he had 2 weeks complete the work which he assured me was no problem. I kept checking with him on the progress of the work, all he kept saying its a lot of work but he took job knowing he had other jobs he was obligated do. The contractor did not complete the repairs so his father could move in on May 1, 2019. Now is June 1, 2019 the son is saying the father is not paying June rent because the his father did not move in on May 1,2019. I tried to be reasonable and suggested that I would prorate the rent giving a extra week to complete the work. He still refuse to let his father pay stating I am taking disadvantage of the father. His father speaks very little English so he is the one dictating what is being done. The lease clearly states May 1, 2019 and there is also an attachment stating our agreement for the work that was done, which is signed by both of us.
Watch action can I take to straighten this matter out, he is threatening to put a mechanic lean on my house.

[flyonpa]

You need a Real Estate Lawyer... Not City data ....

[Suge night]

I would've kept the lease and work order completely seperate and honestly the whole lease agreement sounds like a shade tree deal.If you want to be technical the work and an inspection need to be accomplished before anyones allowed to move in.You shouldn't haven't even started the lease till the house was move in ready, which clearly its not, if the contractors still repairing it! So in answer to your question , no, I can't see how your obligated to any money from the father for the last month.

[wharton]

Stop wasting time getting opinions here, or anywhere else. The other party is acting in bad faith, and playing games. You need an aggressive lawyer who can show these clowns the door, and make this mess go away. You need to be rid of both the father and son, permanently! Sad to say, but you are being played by a grifter, and don't seem to recognize that. He is running circles around you, and you are looking for ways to accommodate him. You are going to get hurt, now and for years to come, if you don't end this now.

A lawyer can possible stop all this, and void the contract, since the other party is acting in bad faith. A lawyer might also be able to prevent a lien from even being filed. There is literally no reason to be asking anybody's opinion online, at your kitchen table, or when talking to your neighbors. You don't need opinions, you need professional legal advice. I've been around a long time, and done many, many millions worth of investing and transactions in PA. I have seen amateur landlords in PA. get their butts handed to them by tenants who were street smart, and knew the game. PA. law is extremely tenant friendly, and I have watched friends and associates get screwed by tenants, AND the court system, in ways that would blow your mind.

For example: Ever imagine that a tenant of yours could be a known and successful drug dealer, who flees town, one step ahead of the cops? You discover this since the cops tell you that your front door is wide open in December, and there are hood rats circulating through your now abandoned house. You get out of bed and secure your rental home. You repeatedly attempt to contact the tenant, but hear nothing from them, no calls, no answering letters. You then change the locks on the abandoned property and spend a few hundred cleaning the place out. A month later, your tenant (yea, the drug dealing ghetto rat) serves you with notice to appear in court. He then weaves a glorious tale for the judge, while be represented by his free housing rights lawyer, and you stand there slack jawed. The judge then tells you to hand the keys over to the tenant you harmed, and pay the man $5000 in damages.................................

You could find yourself in the same mess. While this clown tells a judge that he is a simple working man, trying to help his elderly father to find a safe affordable place to stay, and YOU are the evil one here. You're in over your head here. Get help.