residential-lease
Fraudulent Lease
<p>I live at an apartment complex in Texas that has cut and pasted the Texas Apartment Association's logo onto their leases, but are not now or possibly never was a member. I was always suspicious by the way it looks, but now my suspicions have been confirmed by TAA. Is that fraud? Also does that make the leases they are using invalid?</p>

<p>It is on the fringe of fraud, but probably does not cross that line.   If they have never been a member, and have misappropriated the form, it is, as others have said, trademark infringement (AFAIK it does not even matter if the TAA has protected its trademark) - if they were previously a member and its an old form the law would be less clear.</p>

<p>If this form was used to deceive you in some way then I'd say this would be covered under forgery laws.</p>

<p>It would probably not invalidate the lease, unless you can demonstrate that you relied on them being a member of the Texas Apartment Association when signing the lease.</p>
