APARTMENT WAS ROBBED AND ONE VICTIM WAS RAPED (FL)

JACKSONVILLE FL,

ON DEC 30TH A RESIDENT AND A COMPANION WERE APPRACHED BY A MALE FROM BEHIND AT GUNPINT IN THE BREEZEWAY, WHILE ENTERING THEIR APARTMENT. THE APARTMENT WAS ROBBED AND ONE VICTIM WAS RAPED. THE COMPLEX INFORMED US YESTERDAY THE 5TH. NOW I WANT OUT MY LEASE!!. I AM 25 AND A SINGLE PARENT WITH A VERY NORMAL PATTERN EX: LEAVE AT 8:30 HOME AT 6:00. I NO LONGER FEEL SAFE AND I WANT OUT OF MY LEASE (IS THIS REASON FOR ME TO GET OUT MY LEASE?) KIMKIM.K7@GMAIL.COM

[sunlover]

I am sorry no it is not. Unless your Landlord was rapist he is not responsible for the attack. You can talk to him tell him of your fears and request you be released fron your ocntract but he has not obligation to do so and if he does agree it might cost you some money as well

This is interesting, as there was a very similar case on Judge Judy recently. The landlord was found liable, and he was forced to pay $4000 in restitution.

Don't believe all the answers you receive on this board. Contact an attorney. Your apartment is unsafe, and as such, you have very compelling reason to break your lease and move.

[130smartchick]

You may also want to check with your police dept on violent crimes in other nearby apt complexes. I think you will be quite surprised.

[sandyclaus]

Originally Posted by Unregistered This is interesting, as there was a very similar case on Judge Judy recently. The landlord was found liable, and he was forced to pay $4000 in restitution. Don't believe all the answers you receive on this board. Contact an attorney. Your apartment is unsafe, and as such, you have very compelling reason to break your lease and move.

Yes. DON'T believe all the answers you receive on this board - particularly THIS ONE.

YOUR apartment is not necessarily unsafe. The LL/management cannot be held personally or financially responsible for all of the evildoers in the world, or the community surrounding your complex. Unless LL promised you specific safety measures in place that were not enforced when the crime occurred, or the LL/management actually committed the crime themselves, they CANNOT be held liable for the commission of said crime. Who knows what the circumstances were in that Judge Judy case this poster is talking about? Very unlikely that these will be the same circumstances you find yourself in.

That being said, you may ASK that LL let you out of your lease, but they are under no obligation to do so. You'll have to deal with this by taking extra precautions for your personal safety, just like all the other prople who live in the community affected by this crime. Perhaps getting together a neighborhood watch program in your building would be a good thing to do. Get to know your neighbors, have everyone watch out for each other to provide you with some better level of security and comfort in your complex until your lease term expires. Then move - but be sure to check with local police on the crime statistics before moving elsewhere.

Do you believe everything you see on TV? TV is not the real world! TV judge shows are ARBITRATION, not real court cases. The litigants agree to abide by ANY decision they hand down. The same decisions would never happen in real court cases in front of real judges. Those "judges" don't read and follow the state laws for those cases. They rule in a manner to make good television. Read the fine print at the end of the shows. All persons are paid out of a fund to appear on the shows.

To the OP, I'm sorry you feel unsafe. But you are truly not safe anywhere in this world. There are rapes even in prisons, surrounded by guards. A feeling of safety, and peace of mind, is an illusion. The LL has a responsibility to provide locks on windows and doors, lights outside doorways, etc. He is not a security guard. If he has provided these safety features, he has met his obligation. Unfortunately, crime is everywhere. You must protect yourself. The suggestions above are great. I suggest you implement some of them.

Judge Judy rocks! LOL.

Judy Judy, despite her entertainment value, is no longer a real judge. She is an arbitrator for a television show. Nothing more. What she rules is not law, it is an agreed decision.

She may not be an active judge, she may be a retired judge, but she is a "real" judge. She has many more years education, professional AND life experience than you do, I'm sure.

She's no longer a real judge. Judges are elected. She's not in office anymore and therefore is no longer a judge. Now she's just some old mouthy broad on daytime TV.