Breakups are never a fun experience, and what can make things worse is dealing with the ‘who gets what’ if the couple is living together when the split happens. That said, a gay New Jersey couple is going through a tough breakup and figuring out how to split their belongings, including finances. While there’s much to unpack, one central point the boyfriend is making is that he refuses to move out unless his now ex pays him or “buys him out of the lease.” “It would basically just be cash in his pocket for leaving the apartment,” the one staying protests. “That feels incredibly unfair to me.”
“On the other hand, he’s made it clear that if I don’t pay him this amount, he’ll refuse to move out, and I really don’t want to keep living together,” the other ex-boyfriend groans. And who could blame; why would anyone want to keep living with their ex after a breakup, as it would only cause more problems and unnecessary drama? On top of that, their New Jersey landlord has said the current lease cannot be modified to have one person removed, “so technically, my boyfriend would remain on the lease even if he moved out,” the other BF explains.
“If he leaves but remains on the lease, he could legally decide to come back in the future and reclaim his spot in the apartment. That’s a terrifying thought, especially if we’re no longer on good terms,” the New Jersey boyfriend tells Reddit worriedly. Another weird part is that OP’s mother is helping to pay for the rent, but the now ex-boyfriend is ‘claiming’ it for some bizarre reason. The top commenter on the Reddit post believes, “He is entitled to stay, but YOUR mom is no longer contributing to his portion of the rent. His rent should be going up $500 a month. No buy out.”
“Yeah its YOUR mom, YOUR suppose to benefit. Not him, you BF is a shady AF,” another person says in agreement. A third chimes in with the same sentiment: “Yes, he’s basically scamming OP. He can leave free and clear, but he is asking OP to pay him to leave in addition to covering the lease. Honestly I’d do small claims court for this.”
Simply put, until the lease expires, both OP and his ex-boyfriend are legally obligated to pay until it’s all over. “This is the risk people get if they’re on the lease,” as one Reddit user puts it. Still, the fact the ex is attempting to get OP to “buy him out” is very suspicious; OP might have dodged a bullet with this breakup.
