Online House Hunting

Is notifying the police department of a new tenant necessary when the old one was involved n criminal activity?

Recently my fiance ran into an old friend of his family. Coincidentally he was looking for a tenant and we were looking for a place. He owns a rather expensive home that is way out of our price range but has offered us to live there rent free in exchange for cleaning it up to be put on the market. The lease he has written up states that we will be paying 2770 a month for 12 months to be paid before we occupy the premises in the amount of $32400. Him and his father own the home and they both run construction companies in the local area. I have looked them up online and it seems very legit. I wonder if there is more to it though. He does not live there because he is a prior convicted felon and his house was raided. They found a firearm and arrested him on a bad check charge. He was released from jail, but failed to appear in court and was issued a warrant. Basically he is on the run. He said he has had 2 other people stay in the home and the cops have came by looking for him and searching the house. He said to prevent this he is going to have his lawyer fax the lease to the police department to show it is being rented out now. Would this be correct procedure?

Public Comments

1. Walk away from this.
2. I don't like the sound of any of this....I am stuck on you saying that you will be living rent free but the lease is stating that over 32K is being paid up-front....Then him and his family own construction company's yet they need you to clean up the home.On top of this the guy is on the run--yet he has a lawyer to fax paperwork to the cops....Something is rotten in Denmark----do yourself a favor so you don't become a victim of his wrongdoings and pass on this arrangement.
3. You are going to trust this guy? It sounds like a scam- don't do it! I'd rather be homeless than have a felon as a landlord. The lease contracts states you will pay him $2770 a month. That is the legal obligation. You will pay $32,400 for a 12 month tenure. If you do not, he can sue and ask for damages. Spend $100, go to a real estate attorney, and have the lease looked over. If you do not, you will be very sorry you had not.
4. First of all, nothing is free and if you sign that lease, you are obligated to pay $2775 a month for 12 months. If there has been criminal activity I would RUN not walk away. This whole things sounds like a scam to me.
5. The correct procedure is to mind your own business and stop stirring the pot in things that don't concern you. It sounds like you and your fiance are looking for drama...and you may not like what you find. A lease isn't going to prevent a place from being searched if the police think that evidence is there...so I don't know where you two got that hair-brained idea but it's wrong.