RobertJeffrey
New Member
My jurisdiction is: Mecklenburg Country, Charlotte, NC
I'm not really sure what you might need to know and what you don't, so I'll give you the question and then the background behind the question. If the first doesn't contain information you need, the background probably will...
The Question:
Due to no longer having a job, and hostility between him and me, one of my roommates is moving out (tomorrow). Both of our names are on the lease, and the lease isn't over yet. Am I now responsible for all utilities and rent payment? If I am now solely responsible, is it because I am still living in the apartment? If this is the case, I have plenty of people willing to have me live with them, and if I too choose to move out before the lease ends, how will the rent/utility responsibility then be distributed when neither of us live in the apartment?
The Story:
I moved from VT to NC to work for my brother who was opening a few restaurants. After living with him and his family over the summer, I began to look for my own apartment. Two of my friends from back home (who happen to be brothers) were looking for both a job and a place to live so we all decided to move in together. They applied and were given positions at my brothers' restaurant. We signed a nine month lease on a three bedroom apartment and it went off without a hitch. After the lease ended, one of my friends moved back home and me and my other friend decided to get a two bedroom apt at the same apartment complex. We both signed a 12 month lease. After we moved in, we both became assistant managers of the stores we worked at. In the manager agreement, we agreed to a code of conduct including (but not limited to) refraining from the use of illegal drugs (as defined by state law). I had suspected him (my roommate) of abusing illegal substances, but didn't feel the need to push the issue because I'd never see him actually do it, and even if he had, to my knowledge he had never let it affect work. One day, however, he chose to smoke marijuana with one of my employees at our apartment out on the patio while I was home. I called my brother/boss and informed him of it. I confronted my roommate about it and after he showed no remorse for it and no intention to stop doing it, I updated my brother on the situation. He decided that they should have a meeting to discuss it. They reached an agreement that if he violated his contract again, he would be terminated. After not only violating the agreement again by showing up "under the influence" to work (last week) and admitting it to other employees, today he threw food on the kitchen floor and left the store in the middle of his shift and refused to fulfill his manager duties (end of shift paperwork and such). Today was by far the worst case of his neglect so far, but most definitely not the first time he had neglected to complete his manager duties. After talking with him about it, my brother ended up firing him for walking out and leaving the store unsupervised and not returning to finish the shift or paperwork. My roommate decided that he wanted to move out tomorrow.
Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give me, I appreciate it greatly.
I'm not really sure what you might need to know and what you don't, so I'll give you the question and then the background behind the question. If the first doesn't contain information you need, the background probably will...
The Question:
Due to no longer having a job, and hostility between him and me, one of my roommates is moving out (tomorrow). Both of our names are on the lease, and the lease isn't over yet. Am I now responsible for all utilities and rent payment? If I am now solely responsible, is it because I am still living in the apartment? If this is the case, I have plenty of people willing to have me live with them, and if I too choose to move out before the lease ends, how will the rent/utility responsibility then be distributed when neither of us live in the apartment?
The Story:
I moved from VT to NC to work for my brother who was opening a few restaurants. After living with him and his family over the summer, I began to look for my own apartment. Two of my friends from back home (who happen to be brothers) were looking for both a job and a place to live so we all decided to move in together. They applied and were given positions at my brothers' restaurant. We signed a nine month lease on a three bedroom apartment and it went off without a hitch. After the lease ended, one of my friends moved back home and me and my other friend decided to get a two bedroom apt at the same apartment complex. We both signed a 12 month lease. After we moved in, we both became assistant managers of the stores we worked at. In the manager agreement, we agreed to a code of conduct including (but not limited to) refraining from the use of illegal drugs (as defined by state law). I had suspected him (my roommate) of abusing illegal substances, but didn't feel the need to push the issue because I'd never see him actually do it, and even if he had, to my knowledge he had never let it affect work. One day, however, he chose to smoke marijuana with one of my employees at our apartment out on the patio while I was home. I called my brother/boss and informed him of it. I confronted my roommate about it and after he showed no remorse for it and no intention to stop doing it, I updated my brother on the situation. He decided that they should have a meeting to discuss it. They reached an agreement that if he violated his contract again, he would be terminated. After not only violating the agreement again by showing up "under the influence" to work (last week) and admitting it to other employees, today he threw food on the kitchen floor and left the store in the middle of his shift and refused to fulfill his manager duties (end of shift paperwork and such). Today was by far the worst case of his neglect so far, but most definitely not the first time he had neglected to complete his manager duties. After talking with him about it, my brother ended up firing him for walking out and leaving the store unsupervised and not returning to finish the shift or paperwork. My roommate decided that he wanted to move out tomorrow.
Thanks so much in advance for any advice you can give me, I appreciate it greatly.
