Can you charge or evict someone in five days if there was never a lease agreement and you were asked to move in and take care of the house?

A couple of years ago my son and I were asked to move into a house my grandfather owned before he past. The house was given to his children after his death and no one lived in the home because they all had their own homes, so the house was just sitting and accumulating a lot of problems. I was asked to move into the home to have someone there to take care of the home. Basically to have someone there to make sure no one tried to break in again and keep it up to standards. When I came here there was a house full of furniture, things were broken and other belonging of someome else's throughout the house, which I was told would be moved but never was. Some of the items were then placed in two of the three bedrooms and the rest was left throughout the house. They said after someone move all the belongings, we would discuss how we would handle the house. Everything that needed to be fixed, I repaired it or got it replaced with my own money. The items were never moved but yesterday I received a letter, I guess from the magistrates office, stating my son and I have 5 days to give them $14,400 or vacate the premises. If my son and I are not out by Friday, we will have to pay the $14,400 plus any legal fees after they take me to court. We were not given a lease contract asking for $400/mo. so how can they charge me and put us out in 5 days? I would just like to know if I have any rights and what I need to do? We can not just up and find a place in 5 days.

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Submitted 117 days ago...

tomturkey

Brain (2,631)

I don't know what they are trying to pull on you. First of all they have to give you written notice to move.lease or no lease. then if you do not move out they can take you to court to get an eviction notice. I would take them to court and ask for what you put into the house. Where are they coming from thinking that you owe them 14,000.00 dollars. Did they say why. Aslo if there is no lease or contract their not going to be able to get money from you. I would either let them take me to court and then go in front of the judge and show them all your reciepts and state that you were ask to move in to take care of the propertly so the house would still stay maintained. Or you could beat them to the puch and take them to court. I would not let them get away with it.

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Submitted 117 days ago...

Hurrah554

New User (7)

You mention the Magistrate's Office? I'm not certain where you live, but in the State of California if you did not sign a lease or rental agreement , and you had no verbal contract (which would be difficult to prove "he said, she said") it is not likely that you would be required to make such a payment. As for having to leave the residence upon request you would be required to do so. The only time you would be required to pay legal fees would be if you actually were taken to court and in the unlikely event that a judge ruled against you. In which case depending on the records you've kept, you could deduct the cost of repairs and upkeep on the property. Probably the best action is to try and work something out with the owners of the property and find yourself a new place to live. Leaving the property may be all the owners really desire. Most people do not want to go to court, but the threat is sufficient to bring about some desired response. Even when one wins in court they still have to go about collecting.

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