Query re my rented workshop

[gobbypunk]

Hoping someone might have a bit of legal savvy as I'm having issues with my yard. Unfortunately, the owner of the property is now in her 80's so she employs an asset management company to handle her affairs. She's lovely but they ain't! Anyway, as the lease is between us and her, not us and them, do they have the right to tell me that I can't contact her to speak to her in person? Would be grateful for any info!

[treequip]

Clearly the management company would like you to deal with them but the only person that can tell you to deal with the management company is the owner

[eggsarascal]

Hoping someone might have a bit of legal savvy as I'm having issues with my yard. Unfortunately, the owner of the property is now in her 80's so she employs an asset management company to handle her affairs. She's lovely but they ain't! Anyway, as the lease is between us and her, not us and them, do they have the right to tell me that I can't contact her to speak to her in person? Would be grateful for any info!

 

I'd guess it depends on what your contract says?

 

I used to rent a barn and some outdoor space that I tided up direct off the farm manager, and paid a few shillings over in cash every week. One day the land agent got wind that I was there. Things changed rapidly, to the tune of the rent going up fourfold. I left soon after, that barn has stood empty ever since.

[10 Bears]

Well, I believe the answer is 'perhaps', but it depends on what she has set up with the AMC.

 

She will have signed a contract with them, that states they will administer her affairs in this matter. In a similar situation, I have seen a sub-clause on a contract that states the tenant must contact them directly and not the owner, so I presume this is the case here.

 

The issue is that this does not actually give them power of attorney rights over her affairs. It is only an agreement between the AMC and her. so, in their relationship to you, my understanding is they cannot enforce this situation on you with any rigour - only on to her.

 

They are informing you of her decision to 'agree' to this situation in her contract with them, and are basically using strongarm tactics to you in order for them to demonstrate their worth (and fees) to their client, ie we are the all powerful agent now, so the tenant has deal with us and not with the owner...

 

The only other issue I can think of, is if in your contract with her you have agreed to answer to her or her agents, which again is a common sub-clause. At this point, if this clause is stipulated on your contract with her, unfortunately, you will have also contractually agreed to honour her contract with the agent, and therefore, you have already agreed to only deal with them from this point forward.

 

Does that make sense?

[White Noise]

Your rent been put up by any chance ? Same thing happened to me a while back . I moved on .......... now my old yard is empty and has been for over 5 years ?

[matelot]

Hoping someone might have a bit of legal savvy as I'm having issues with my yard. Unfortunately, the owner of the property is now in her 80's so she employs an asset management company to handle her affairs. She's lovely but they ain't! Anyway, as the lease is between us and her, not us and them, do they have the right to tell me that I can't contact her to speak to her in person? Would be grateful for any info!

 

Did you have a good relationship with the owner? If you did I'd contact her directly.

 

Has the owner got family you could chat to?

[gobbypunk]

Cheers for all your comments guys, much appreciated. Fortunately, there's nothing in our contract that says we have to deal with the agent - our lease is with the owner not them. I'm just curious about whether it may be actually illegal for them to tell us we can't contact our own landlady? The corrupting influence of power and money eh?!

[Lazurus]

Go see her with flowers and a smile, bet she will tell the company to leave you alone.....

[Timbermcpherson]

Go see her with flowers and a smile, bet she will tell the company to leave you alone.....

 

and maybe offer to prepay or at least sign up for a few years ahead to keep em from pulling the welcome mat out from under you later

[treequip]

Cheers for all your comments guys, much appreciated. Fortunately, there's nothing in our contract that says we have to deal with the agent - our lease is with the owner not them. I'm just curious about whether it may be actually illegal for them to tell us we can't contact our own landlady? The corrupting influence of power and money eh?!

 

Its not certainly not illegal for them to say that you should deal with them.

 

However if the owner has appointed an agent and wants you to deal with the agent, then its that or the road.

 

Speak to the property owner and ask them if what the management company claims is true. If it is, you will have to deal with the management company. Its not beyond the realm of possibility that a person in their dotage wants a bit of peace and quiet.