Should I sign a contract if I don't understand what it is saying?

Absolutely NOT. You never sign ANYTHING you do not understand because when you sign, you become bound to those terms whether you understood them or not or whether you agree with them or not. Should you later have a disagreement on the contract you signed, the court, or arbitrator will see your signature on the document as a sign that you read, understood and agreed to the terms. You will need to hire an attorney to review the initial agreement to see if they can refuse mediation as well as to look at the new contract and let you know what it says and whether you should sign it or not. I am a contracts attorney and if you you would like my services, you can contact me on the contracts counsel website.

You are on the right in getting the DA involved. However, your issue is very specific and you need someone with experience and expertise to assist you going further. I encourage you to post your job to the website seeking a lawyer licensed in the state you are in and who has experience in handling cases such as this so that you will have an experienced advocate by your side in getting to a resolution. All the best Donya Gordon

Early in law school we learned that any bargain for consideration can be legally binding, meaning anything even written on a cocktail napkin can be binding if it contains the elements necessary to deem it a contract. Although I am answering this as a hypothetical and not as your attorney it is very possible for an agreement to be deemed legally binding when done via email if it can meet the threshold of being a contract. The basic elements for a contract or legally binding agreement are offer and acceptance, adequate consideration, capacity and legality of the contract. If an email contains all those elements it can be an agreement that was made through the course of the communication. I would certainly recommend speaking with your divorce attorney or a family law attorney licensed in your state if you are concerned about any possible liability. *The answer above does not constitute legal advice, nor create an attorney-client relationship.*

I often go to my clients if they are in Houston or the surrounding areas.

You should go to VRBO terms and conditions. The document should list where disputes should be held. Since both you and the owner are users of the site, you are both bound by the terms. If your review was based on your experience, another option is to do a cease and desist, but I would need to discuss the matter with you in order to fully assist. you can reach out to me via Contracts Counsel. All the best Donya Gordon