Documents Show Tenant Knew Lease's Expiration Date

In late 2001, a tenant moved out of its space before its lease ended. The owner sued the tenant for rent and other charges due through the end of the lease, which, according to the owner, was Sept. 15, 2002.

A California appeals court ruled that the tenant had violated its lease and ordered it to pay the owner more than $118,000 in damages and attorney's fees. The court rejected the tenant's argument that the lease had actually ended on July 31, 2002. The court noted that the tenant had signed an estoppel certificate acknowledging that Sept. 15, 2002, was the lease's expiration date. The court also noted that in court documents filed for the lawsuit, the tenant had admitted that Sept. 15, 2002, was the lease's expiration date [KWI 6380 Wilshire Blvd., LP v. Law Offices of Robin Jacobs].