An unforeseen and uncontrollable event that excuses a party to a contract from performing his or her duties under that contract. For example, a landlord can bre... (more...)

An unforeseen and uncontrollable event that excuses a party to a contract from performing his or her duties under that contract. For example, a landlord can break a lease if the property she agreed to rent accidentally burns down before the tenants move in.

FIERI FACIAS

Latin for 'that you cause to be done.' This is a court document that instructs a sheriff to seize and sell a defendant's property in order to satisfy a monetary... (more...)

Latin for 'that you cause to be done.' This is a court document that instructs a sheriff to seize and sell a defendant's property in order to satisfy a monetary judgment against the defendant.

SERVIENT TENEMENT

Property that is subject to use by another for a specific purpose. For example, a beachfront house that has a public walkway to the beach on its premises would ... (more...)

Property that is subject to use by another for a specific purpose. For example, a beachfront house that has a public walkway to the beach on its premises would be a servient tenement.

ESCHEAT

The forfeit of all property to the state when a person dies without heirs.

SUBLEASE

A rental agreement or lease between a tenant and a new tenant (called a sublessee) who will either share the rental or take over from the first tenant. The subl... (more...)

A rental agreement or lease between a tenant and a new tenant (called a sublessee) who will either share the rental or take over from the first tenant. The sublessee pays rent directly to the tenant. The tenant is still completely responsible to the landlord for the rent and for any damage, including that caused by the sublessee. Most landlords prohibit subleases unless they have given prior written consent. Compare assignment.

USUFRUCT

The right to use property -- or income from property -- that is owned by another.

CO-TENANTS

Two or more tenants who rent the same property under the same lease or rental agreement. Each co-tenant is 100% responsible for carrying out the rental agreemen... (more...)

Two or more tenants who rent the same property under the same lease or rental agreement. Each co-tenant is 100% responsible for carrying out the rental agreement, which includes paying the entire rent if the other tenant skips town and paying for damage caused by the other tenant.

FORM INTERROGATORIES

Printed or 'canned' sets of questions that one party in a lawsuit asks an opposing party. Form interratories cover the issues commonly encountered in the kind o... (more...)

Printed or 'canned' sets of questions that one party in a lawsuit asks an opposing party. Form interratories cover the issues commonly encountered in the kind of lawsuit at hand. For example, lawyers' form books have sets of interrogatories designed for contract disputes, landlord-tenant cases and many others. Form interrogatories are often supplemented by questions written by the lawyers and designed for the particular issues in the case.

FRIENDLY SUIT

A lawsuit brought by two parties, not as adversaries, but as collaborators in order to resolve a legal question that affects them both. For example, two compani... (more...)

A lawsuit brought by two parties, not as adversaries, but as collaborators in order to resolve a legal question that affects them both. For example, two companies might bring a friendly suit to court in order to clarify a legal interpretation of a contract between them.

SAMPLE LEGAL CASES

Rios v. Carrillo

... In 2000 the plaintiff landlord leased a residential apartment to the defendant tenant for a term of two years. ... Not long thereafter, some courts extended this 113 reasoning to the issue of landlord's [sic] duty to mitigate, concluding that a landlord should indeed have such a duty ... ...

MATTER OF YITZHAK" JAMES" PASTREICH v. NEW YORK STATE DIVISION OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY RENEWAL

... The August 1991 rent stabilized lease entered into by tenant and landlord recited a monthly rent of $5,747.52, but included a rider, denominated "Rider to Preferential Lease Agreement," providing for a "preferential rent" of $3,000 on condition that tenant accept the apartment in ...

MATTER OF 508 REALTY ASSOCIATES, LLC v. New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal

... The Rent Stabilization Law (Administrative Code of City of NY Â§ 26-501 et seq.) provides that if the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (hereinafter the DHCR) finds that a landlord, after a reasonable opportunity to be heard, has collected an ...

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