Signing AST question

suestew

moromir wrote: »

I have to say I'm not quite understanding the problem of going in to their office to sign... The cats will be quite content in their baskets for 20 minutes while you sign up... or if you're that worried ask if you can bring them with you in their baskets..

Honestly it sounds like you are being equally difficult..

I can see you are not an animal lover.

I am not being difficult at all, I would never dream of leaving them in the car. We have to park in a busy car park around the corner of the agency. Your other option is not particularly helpful, get 3 cats and their baskets out of the car, walk down the road with them into the agency. They will be distresed enough travelling 180 miles.

G_M

I suspect it is not really the legality of signing in the office that is the issue, it is practicalities.

Three things (at least!) need to happen:
1) sign AST
2) pay rent/deposit
3) hand over keys
(possibly 4) sign inventory, though don't do this till you've checked the property!)

You may be unhappy about paying over all that money until you have a legal contract (signed AST)

They will be unhappy about handing over keys till......

So in practice, all 3 happen together, which is best done in an office.

edit: they probobly want to check ID as well. There's a lot of scammers out there. Who's to say the signature is yours? Or you are who you claim?

alexanderalexander

suestew wrote: »

Hi, quick question about signing an AST, it is a legal requirement that you have to sign this in the EA office?

Reason i am asking is that we are moving next year and will be driving 180 miles with 3 cats in the car, and I asked if they could meet us at the property but they have come back with below:

Unfortunately due to legalities with a letting agent all paperwork has to be signed in the office on the day of move

As others have said there are no legal barriers, but it is standard practice to go to the letting agent's office to sign the documents and get the keys. I have rented several flats in the past via a letting agent and have never thought to question this procedure. The real reason is that it is inconvenient for the letting agent to make a special trip out to the property. There is an outside chance as well that they will be concerned that once they let you into the property with all your stuff (including cats) you will then refuse to sign the contract (unlikely but I imagine experienced letting agents have seen it all!).

Regarding the cats, no doubt they'll be a bit miffed at the long drive (and I have some sympathy with them -- I hate long car journeys too) but I hardly see that being taken into a letting agent's office for ten minutes or so is going to make things much more unpleasant for them.

However here's an alternative suggestion -- why don't you just sign the contract in advance and post/email/fax it to the letting agent? There is no legal reason why that is not equally valid as signing it in their presence.

chris_m

alexanderalexander wrote: »

Regarding the cats, no doubt they'll be a bit miffed at the long drive (and I have some sympathy with them -- I hate long car journeys too) but I hardly see that being taken into a letting agent's office for ten minutes or so is going to make things much more unpleasant for them.

Couldn't they be slipped a dose of moggiedon to calm them down?

G_M

chris_m wrote: »

Couldn't they be slipped a dose of moggiedon to calm them down?

What? The letting agents?

Good idea! :T

moromir

suestew wrote:

I can see you are not an animal lover.
I am not being difficult at all, I would never dream of leaving them in the car. We have to park in a busy car park around the corner of the agency. Your other option is not particularly helpful, get 3 cats and their baskets out of the car, walk down the road with them into the agency. They will be distresed enough travelling 180 miles.

Oh come on do calm down, making a completely baseless accusation about my supposed lack of animal loving to try and prove your point is silly.

I've grown up with animals of every size my whole life, from hamsters to horses (and a kitty). Since apparently you know more about animals than I do, you will know that they pick up on their owner's emotions, if you get stressed and hysterical, so will they.

In short, chill.

And on that note, your vet will be more than happy to discuss coping strategies for the cats on the journey, be it medication or natural remedies, try the pet board on MSE for advice.

You seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill just to be 'right' and quite frankly run the risk of the letting agent wondering whether they want to deal with you for the next 6.. 12.. months if this is how you react to reasonable requests... the letting agent is not being unreasonable by asking you to visit their office, as lots of posters in this thread have pointed out, they could have perfectly valid reasons for doing so.

I fail to see how carrying three cat baskets down the road is the trial you are making it out to be, for either you or the kitties.

Have you asked them if you could come in to the office one at a time so one of you can stay with the cats? I suspect you haven't.

There are plenty of acceptable solutions to this 'problem' but you appear to just want it your way.

Werdnal

I would suggest that you should be given a draft copy of the TA ahead of the signing day anyway. It is very difficult to fully read, assimilate and understand every vague clause and condition in such a comprehensive legal document, whilst the agent is hovering over you with a pen tutting at you for actually taking time to read what you are signing. I always send a draft copy of my agreements to a tenant in advance of signing day, for them to read through, ensure they understand, agree and can abide by everything in it, and suggest that if there is something they do not understand, they take advice on it.

That aside, in your situation, I would not take the cats out of the car - carrying them down the street even in baskets, will distress them even more. Cover the baskets whilst they are in the car to reduce their stress further - they will settle better if they cannot see out too much during the journey. Do you both need to sign the agreement? Would it be possible for one of you to nip around, sign and pay whilst the other stays with the cats, and then the first one return and the 2nd go in to just sign, and collect the agreement and keys. Might mean stopping for a few more minutes, but will stress the cats less than leaving them unattended in the car and you will have peace of mind knowing someone is keeping and eye on them.

LandyAndy

moromir wrote: »

The cats will be quite content in their baskets for 20 minutes while you sign up...

Of course they will.

Honestly it sounds like you are being equally difficult..

suestew wrote: »

I can see you are not an animal lover.


I am not being difficult at all, I would never dream of leaving them in the car.

They are going to be in their baskets in your car for hours for the journey. What possible difficulty is there in leaving them in the car alone for a brief period.

We have to park in a busy car park around the corner of the agency. Your other option is not particularly helpful, get 3 cats and their baskets out of the car, walk down the road with them into the agency. They will be distresed enough travelling 180 miles. Another 20 minutes won't make a difference

rethink of priorites needed?

suestew

G_M wrote: »

I suspect it is not really the legality of signing in the office that is the issue, it is practicalities.

edit: they probobly want to check ID as well. There's a lot of scammers out there. Who's to say the signature is yours? Or you are who you claim?

I do understand the practicalities of it and in normal circumstances have no problem going in to the office, just want to make is as stress free and smooth as possible I suppsose.

They have checked ID and have copies of our passports.

alexanderalexander wrote: »

However here's an alternative suggestion -- why don't you just sign the contract in advance and post/email/fax it to the letting agent? There is no legal reason why that is not equally valid as signing it in their presence.

I have a feeling they would not agree to this but worth a try, thanks for the suggestion.

chris_m wrote: »

Couldn't they be slipped a dose of moggiedon to calm them down?

LOL and I like the idea of slipping it the EA as well. I do have some of that spray feline, I can spray it over EA and grab the keys and run.

Werdnal wrote: »

I would suggest that you should be given a draft copy of the TA ahead of the signing day anyway.

That aside, in your situation, I would not take the cats out of the car - carrying them down the street even in baskets, will distress them even more. Cover the baskets whilst they are in the car to reduce their stress further - they will settle better if they cannot see out too much during the journey. Do you both need to sign the agreement? Would it be possible for one of you to nip around, sign and pay whilst the other stays with the cats, and then the first one return and the 2nd go in to just sign, and collect the agreement and keys. Might mean stopping for a few more minutes, but will stress the cats less than leaving them unattended in the car and you will have peace of mind knowing someone is keeping and eye on them.

thanks, I have asked for a copy but all I have received is the standard agreement without any of our details in it.

I think we will have to go in one at a time, just be nice if the EA could put themselves out a bit.

I don't trust them, they carried on marketing the property after we paid a deposit, when I questioned it she said it had been changed to let by which was not true. It now has been changed, funny that.

Thanks for all the helpful responses :T