Spirituality.

Hi P.,
Do you know if any of their friends or family could contact the media or a lawyer about getting out of the lease? If the media got a hold of the story, maybe the apartment complex would be shammed into releasing them from the lease. Just a thought.
After I read the other responses, looks like this was suggested already. Great. I think WFAA is a good place to start. I'd be happy to be one of many to call the Mansions offfice and complain about letting them out of their lease.
They may need to call the owners or corp of the management team.

I say there is nothing like bad publicity. I would run an ad in the paper asking for the publics help or bombard the office with calls from as many people as possible. If this becomes a public issue I would bet they will just want to get rid of them. So...
get everyone you know to call and express there disbelief
in the Mansions insensible policies. I will pray for God to give the owners wisdom,compassion and that his will be done.

God Bless you

P.,
First read your lease that you signed very carefully to see what you agreed upon. Nine thousand dollars sounds very high. Visit the following link: http://www.tenant.net/Other_Areas/Texas/tenants.html. You can also contact the Texas State Attorney General regarding your rights as a tenant.

If you have not contacted the head of the management property to explain your situation I would do that as well.

Good luck to you. My prayers are with you all.

L.

Hi P.,
Back in 2003 my husband and I had to break a lease because of no jobs. The worse that can happen is that it will go on their credit report.
What they can try to do is find someone who wants to rent their apt and have them fill out a rent app. They need to give the apt 60 days and move. Most apts will ask about the circumstances and will rent to her later.

Saw the report on WFAA - Way to go - Pray that all work out for this family!

My prayers go out to this family. When they sign the lease, whatever it states about them moving out before the lease expires, they will have to abide. My brother had to move out before his least expires and had to pay them several hundred dollars. The Texas Apartment Association website is attached for more information.

http://www.taa.org/renterinfo/faqs/?catID=8#question34

Alright, I read the responses and now I have one: why don't they just move out and not pay the fees? Just ignore them, leave no forwarding address and such? Yes its dishonest, but thousands of people do it daily and get away with it. At least this family has a real reason for doing it!

At a time like this sometimes you just can't play by the rules. They will be in my prayers! And I'm going to call the Manisons tomorrow and complain about this!

I was just looking at the radar on wfaa.com (channel 8)and this story is on the website under local news. I did not watch local news this am or last night so I don't know if it was on air or not.

Kudos to someone for getting the media involved. Maybe the negative publicity for the apartment complex will help this family in need.

Our prayers will be with them as well.

S

www.usdoj.gov/eoir/probono/freelglchtTX.htm
This website above is one of many that you should be able to find if you google "free lawyer service around Dallas, Tx".
It would be worth checking into to see what help is available.

Good luck!
S.

I do not like the Mansions!!! We lived there. While we lived there, they had our car towed because they claimed we did not registar it with them. It was our only car which had our only car seat in it so it made it very difficult to get it back. They even towed an employees car that night. When we were trying to move we tried scheduling a time for them to come look at our apt so we would get our deposit back. They never did. They ended up keeping our entire deposit plus actually sent it to the credit burrow asking for more. They claimed they need it to repaint our apt and recarpet which after talking to a few people I heard apt complexes need to repaint anyway when one moves out. While we were moving out I heard lots of rumors that they are scetchy when it comes to keeping deposits and asking for more money. Another couple when they moved in the Mansions promised to recarpet their apartment, but never did. When they moved out they charged them for recarpeting when it was that way the day they moved in. Good Luck, on getting those fees gone!

I would NOT suggest what one poster suggested... just walking away and not leaving a forwarding address.... in other words walking out on the lease.
There is something called a CREDIT REPORT. And walking out on the lease and still owing $9K is something would stay on the mother's credit history for YEARS and would damage her ability to ever own or rent again... ever buy a car ... ever get another credit card. Many companies are now looking up your credit history before they hire you for a job. And it looks like she really needs her credit to be in good standing, especially if she'll be a struggling widow in a year w/6 kids.

I don't have any legal advice but has the wife called the apartment manager? or owner? I would think that they have some kind of exception to the rule for situations like this. I mean, my gosh, the dad is dying. I think if it were me and the apartment was giving me a hard time I would contact a news station. The threat of bad publicity often does wonders. I will offer my prayer for this family.

P., I am not sure of exactly what their lease says, but, from what I've heard in the past, the apartment complex can make them pay out the lease, but, if they do that, the are not allowed to rent the apartment to anyone else, since, in effect, if they are paying out the lease, it is still their apartment.

I know some apartment complexes will work with you if you can find someone to "sub-lease"- the apartment.

Best wishes for you and your family.

Hi P. - unfortunately I can't give any advice, but I can offer prayers. I will pray for this family and their situation.