I rented a house and signed the lease, and now the landlord called me and said that there has been a mistake about the rent and he wants to raise the rent. Can I refuse?
If both the landlord and tenant have signed the lease, then you have a binding contract and the terms cannot be changed without agreement from both parties.
HOWEVER, unless prohibited by law in your jurisdiction, if you have not yet taken possession of the property (meaning you paid your deposits and got the keys), either party can cancel the contract. So if you refuse, the landlord can simply cancel the lease. Then he can put the property back on the market at the higher rent.
You should contact your local landlord-tenant agency or a landlord-tenant attorney for advice that is valid where you live.
What was the strangest piece of evidence ever shown to a judge in a courtroom?
In 1983, an unusual scene took place in court in Florida. Three female dancers were on trial. Undercover investigators had allegedly observed the women showing “too much” while working in a nightclub.
The charge was indecency.
The dancers had violated a county ordinance that prohibits nudity in places where food and drink are served. The women’s attorney pointed out to the judge that the women’s panties had been too large to reveal the body parts that the undercover police officers claimed to have seen.
So the lawyer asked that his clients be allowed to show the dance. The judge refused to allow a dance demonstration in chambers, fearing for his rather young career, but allowed a demonstration in court. He later said that he had not expected the women to follow through with this in court.
The court photographer’s picture shows what happened that day in a Florida courtroom.
Two of the three women turned around in front of the judge and presented their rear ends to him. The judge then ruled that their panties were indeed of sufficient size. This unusual evidence exonerated the dancers