Would You Give This Widow Her Money Back?

Twostep said:
There are always three sides to such stories. Opening a restaurant and going on vacation?
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I wondered about that vacation thing too. I also wondered if he used that time away from his wife to be with a mistress.
Inept said:
... plus voluntarily moving to a country they knew had no social safety net? They put all of their eggs in one basket. They may just as well have bet their life savings on a poker game.
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You're right Inept. I think younger people don't realize that it's possible that one of them won't be around to see their dreams come into fruition. They think they have decades and might be overly optimistic about pursing the American Dream. I've heard so many stories about ex-pats who came here with only a few dollars in their pockets.
Aunt Bea said:
I’m old and cynical enough to think that they realized they were in over their head and the man committed suicide.
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So he staged his suicide by calling his wife in a panic, to come pick him up, then ripping his shirt, making sure to be seen by a witness, then jumped off a bridge? If that is the case, making a suicide seem like murder may have been so his family could get his life insurance payout (if he had insurance).
MACKTEXAS said:
"Would you give this widow her money back?" - yes, I would, because I couldn't live with myself knowing she had met with such unfortunate circumstances and now faces potential homelessness, but most landlords enforce contracts, and their position is generally upheld by the courts.

The news story did say, "Moskowitz’s lawyers said they would hold Manon responsible for the entire 10-year lease unless she signed a ‘surrender agreement’. Manon has since signed the surrender agreement but has launched a GoFundMe campaign in order to support her family."

Being as she signed the agreement, maybe it has been resolved to the satisfaction of both parties.
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Bless your heart! Your response is more in line with the way I thought about this, even though the landlord is not legally required to refund the money either in whole or part. The standard advice is not to make any major decisions after the death of a spouse or other close loved one. I imagine her mind was reeling, she was scared and perhaps, being it was NYC, didn't know where to turn for legal advice (or couldn't afford it). She probably signed the under surrender agreement under duress (and perhaps pressure).
 

OneEyedDiva said:
She probably signed the under surrender agreement under duress (and perhaps pressure).
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She was smart to sign the surrender agreement.
Otherwise, if she was a cosigner, she would be liable for the entire ten year lease.

Do you really think she should not have signed?
 

OneEyedDiva said:
So he staged his suicide by calling his wife in a panic, to come pick him up, then ripping his shirt, making sure to be seen by a witness, then jumped off a bridge? If that is the case, making a suicide seem like murder may have been so his family could get his life insurance payout (if he had insurance).
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"A passerby later reported seeing him on the night he disappeared wearing a “completely torn” T-shirt. CCTV captured him falling off a bridge in the town of Bayonne. His body was fished out of the Adour River 12 days later"

MSN
 
Wow, this story gets stranger and stranger. If that was him falling off a bridge in Bayonne, did he (supposedly) die? If so, how did his body get to a river in France? If he survived the Bayonne fall, what was he doing in France all alone?

I suppose anything is possible, but this sounds to me like someone is trying to write a mystery whodunit, and didn't think through all the details.
 
Laws are different in many states. There some options here, depending on the laws and the requirements written into the contract.
Did both husband and wife sign the contract? If so, the lone signer may be responsible for only one-half of the remaining monies to be paid. The other half would come from the deceased’s estate. In some cases, it could be zero.

It may also be possible that if both parties signed the contract and one party dies, the remaining party could request a new contract with only one signer.

The lone party could also request the owner to sit down and negotiate a settlement, if all else fails.

I have been involved in hundreds and maybe thousands of contracts. I can’t keep in mind all 50 states requirements for breaking a lease. My recommendation is to consult an attorney in that particular state. I think the lease in this case is kind of in a pickle.

Good luck.
 
That Lady in PA said:
He kept the down payment and the Jan and Feb rent.

Legally he could have held her liable for the entire 10 years lease IF she was a cosigner. But she was released from any further payment.
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That seems a reasonable compromise to me - he is not out of pocket, he will get another tenant and she has received a fair partial refund.

Regardless of how he died - that is mysterious but doesn't change how much refund is reasonable.
 

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