roommate unpaid rent civil suit
I had been living in an apartment with 2 other roommates from August 07 – December 07. The lease was signed for 1 year which means from August 07 – July 08. However, when we signed the lease I had made–name removed–verbal agreement with my 2 other roommates that I wouldn’t be staying in the apartment from Jan 08 – July 08, and therefore I wouldn’t be paying the rent for those months. We had verbally agreed that they would split the rent between the 2 people that are actually living in the apartment for the months from Jan 08 – July 08. The landlord has been getting his full rent payments for all of the months. However, the 2 roommates want to take me to court to collect on what they claim are rent payments they have been paying for me, even though we had agreed last year that they would split the rent between the 2 people that are living there.

So, what I would like to know is what they can legally do to me?

My name including the two roommates’ names are on the lease. However, the landlord has nothing to do with the suit because he has been receiving his full rent payments.

How can my roommate sue me because the lease agreement is between the tenants and the landlord.