Greedy Letting Agent Charging Me for Access to My Own Garage!

Kinkajou

Hi All,
I own a house where there are rented garages at the rear.
To the back of my own house, there is a shed/garage that's mine and at the side of the house there is an access road that goes round the back
When I first moved there, a lettings agency managed those rented garages and they put up an electric gate(which is attached to my house) and issued residents with keys to the gate for a tenner.
Now another agent has taken over, is changing the lock to the gate, wants to charge £95 to draw up an agreement to allow me access over the access road to my own property and then wants to charge £1.50 a week for the privilage of on foot access to the back, and £5 a week if I want to drive my car around there.
The deeds to my house show that I have access to that road. How can they try to charge me just to access my own property, when their gate is attached to my home? I'm fuming! Has this happened to anyone else? Not sure if need to contact a solicitor on this one. :mad:
Thanks,
Kinkajou!

blued

You'd be better asking in the property forum than in here.

Kinkajou

Thanks Blued,sorry I posted in the wrong place. I don't know how to move it so I will do it again,
XXX Kinkajou

Judas

Kinkajou wrote: »

Thanks Blued,sorry I posted in the wrong place. I don't know how to move it so I will do it again,
XXX Kinkajou

Well firstly if there is no legal agreement for access in place at the moment then the £95 could prove a steal.

£5 a week works out at £260 a year. If this includes alll maintainance etc then its not exactly excessive as long as the road etc are kept in good condition.

Harry_Flashman

Do you have to let him attach his gate to your house?

maninthestreet

Why did you allow the electric gates to be attached to your house???

Hammyman

maninthestreet wrote: »

Why did you allow the electric gates to be attached to your house???

Indeed. In fact, I'd be sending an invoice to the company for rental of the use of your wall. £500 a year seems reasonable. Heck, make it £1k seeing as they're making money out of it.

If there is prior use of the access road to gain access to the back of your property, they can't stop you from doing this. I would also be taking a very close look at the property deeds and figuring out where the boundary is and also if the access to the rear is mentioned.

Actually, thinking about it, I'd be removing the gatepost from your wall at the earliest opportunity and telling them that under no circumstances do they have permission to attach it.

sarahg1969

If the deeds say you have access over the road, then you have access. He cannot deny you access if you don't want to pay him. You need someone to take a proper look at your what your deeds say.

neilmcl

Such as a solicitor.

wazza

Just wondering if your car is in the garage and trapped in a way that you can't get out can you get the police involved?

Entrapment??

peter_the_piper

He seems to be acting very similarly to a clamper. I'm with posts 6&7.