I moved out of a shared house half way through contract that stated I had to give them 30 days notice, billing me for contract

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Hello, I lived in a fraternity house this last fall, but since my room mate stayed up until 3-5am every night I moved out, without telling anyone. The advisor of the fraternity just sent me a bill in February after moving out in January billing me for the remaining 2500$ for the spring semester for not telling them. I am obliged to pay this correct? I mean if your room mate stays up to ungodly hours and doesn't let you sleep and is inconsiderate this isn't an out right? Also a large downstairs window was broke for 2 months of winter and the temperature was like 40 degrees inside, and the bedroom window wasn't large enough to fit a person escaping so they had to fix that. They waited until the end of the school semester to do this. Are these reasons to back out also? Many thanks.

2 Attorney Answers

Best Answer
Take your contract to an attorney to see what it requires and also to determine whether the conditions you describe are helpful to your argument. One thing that will be helpful is if you provided notice to the advisor of the conditions that made living in the house impossible, if those conditions were not repaired after adequate notice to the advisor, and that your only alternative was to move out of the house.
Best Answer
I'd agree with the above advice. Obtain a copy of the lease that you signed with the fraternity or the university and consult a real estate lawyer. I would think you would be able to get a free consultation in Columbia with someone. If you need recommendations for an attorney in that area, feel free to e-mail me at jcrowfoot@ycrlaw.com. As a preliminary matter, the South Carolina Residential Landlord Tenant Act does not apply to housing at "public or private institutions" or "fraternal organizations," so an attorney assisting you would likely look to South Carolina common law as it relates to residential leases.

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