is it standard to require rent in cash here?

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Member since 17 December 2010

nycjulesMember29 May 2011 06:43:41

i do have receipts for all payments, but i've never had to do this before. they also require rent on the 25th (for checks to clear by the first). there are other "interesting" things going on and they have a month's deposit, plus my deposit to the electric company ($100) so i want to know that i'm covered. i have a 6 month lease which is until september, but b/c of their bizarre behavior recently, i think i'll find another place rather than renew here. just wondering about others' experiences. they are long-time expats who supposedly own this building, but they've now moved out. is there any way to research property records. two tenants who were here before i moved in moved out without notice (they were surprised they weren't here and offered me one of their apts - their are only 4 apts in what was a house). part of the benefit of this building was that they would drive the 2 remaining tenants to shopping centers that are harder to get to which no longer happens. any feedback on any point would be appreciated.

NomadLawyer Serial expat

Member since 27 September 2010

NomadLawyerSerial expat29 May 2011 19:55:36

693

Based on the limited facts you provide, I don't see anything fraudulent about your landlords' behavior. Whether or not it violates the terms of your lease is another question.

To research if they actually own the property, you'll need to physically go down to the Property Registry for San Juan and try to look up the lineage of the property. Keep in mind that, depending on when they may have bought the property, it may not appear in their names yet at the Property Register because deeds and mortgages often take between 2 to 10 years to properly record here in PR (if they are ever properly recorded). This is because the property recording system in PR is so arcane and dysfunctional. There are some legislative initiates to modernize the system but nothing has been passed yet.

Generally speaking, people in PR do not take their rental contracts seriously. Breaches are common and often do not result in litigation (although deposits are lost, obviously).

I'm not sure why your landlord would hold your electricity deposit. Are you sure you have your own account with the electric company? Or is the account in the landlords' name?

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

(Please note this communication does not consist of legal advice or create an attorney-client privilege. It is provided for educational purposes only.)

nycjules Member

Member since 17 December 2010

nycjulesMember29 May 2011 23:16:18

thank you, nomad. i would still like to know if it's standard practice to require rent in cash. i need to know how to get my deposit returned from the electric company - the acct is in my name, but i could use the $100 for another deposit. and my bill has only been under $5/ month. i guess i will have to consult an atty here with the differences in laws.

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