Abusive landlord, violated my rental rights , opening my mailbox (invading my privacy, threatening me with a 3 day notice.

You are right, you need a lawyer as it appears your communications are not getting you anywhere. Perhaps a well detailed and pointed letter from...

Harassment, extortion threats, unlawful entry.,

Your post is unclear as to what exactly is going on. Santa Cruz has associations that help tenants so I suggest you find one as soon as possible...

Is our commercial lease agreement valid?

While you did post a lot of facts there really isn't enough here for any real ability to point you in the right direction. In fact, you have a...

While not sure about SM other rent controlled jurisdictions still allow evictions based upon nuisance. However, one must ensure that nuisance...

I'll add this, and this is what I say to my clients: "One should not become a landlord if they are not prepared to hire an attorney to evict a...

What if you never had a rental agreement/etc with the landlord..after the original person had died i just started taking over th

In a transfer of ownership the new landlord steps into the shoes of the prior landlord. While you have no written lease there must be some sort of...

How do I go about opting out of my lease without penalties?

First, it is good that you are OK. Second, sorry to hear about your situation. You present a very interesting issue and I'm afraid it cannot be...

In CA, if a year-long lease ends before the end of the month, do you pay a prorated amount?

Technically speaking, a tenant should not pay rent on a unit when they are no longer a tenant, right? On 6/26/14, you are no longer a...

I was wondering if I could move my son into the house as a working tenant instead of rent he would do work like fixing up house

Whew. You have a myriad of issues. I can honestly state there is no way an Avvo board can help you parse out certain issues for clear...

Early termination for rent lease due to unexpected circumstances

Well, the beginning point would be that all parties realize that a lease is a contract. The parties to a contract are obligated to perform...