Ex Partner trying to claim a share of the rent

Frustrated_1

Hi, I'm hoping someone can help me. In Jan 2014 I moved in with my ex, we signed a standard 12 month tenancy agreement. The direct debits were set up from her account and I used to transfer money to her to cover some of this, the rest of my salary went on travel, food etc.

In April 2014 she became unstable and threatened myself and my 2 children who stayed at the house 3/4 night per week. She urged me to leave and advised she could afford the rent payments alone. I left in the May and moved into a different rented property.

She has recently moved out of this house and the rent was paid up to date, she has also received 100% of the damage deposit from the landlord, which I've never questioned. She has emailed me telling me she intends to take me to court for half the rent payments over the last 7 months. As I understand it this was a normal tenancy agreement with a joint and several liability. It has been paid so the landlord is happy and the terms of the agreement have been satisfied. I am inclined to ignore her email as she has previously turned up at my new home in the early hours of the morning and physically attacked me, prompting me to call the police who advised me to ignore her.

I think this is just a last ditch attempt to maintain some kind of contact, but could someone please put my mind at ease?

Thanks so much.

richy999

I don't think she has a leg to stand on. I would take the previous advice of the police and ignore her.

rpc

Ignore her. There is potentially a claim there - if one tenant absconds, they can be held liable to the other tenant for their share.

However the police reports would hopefully substantiate this bit:

In April 2014 she became unstable and threatened myself and my 2 children who stayed at the house 3/4 night per week. She urged me to leave and advised she could afford the rent payments alone.

Which would be your defence (along with a counterclaim for 50% of the deposit).

Ignore for now, only if you receive a pre-action letter would you send a rebuttal. She is almost certainly trying it on.

Frustrated_1

Thank you very much for the responses. I really don't know what to do as I'll be on tenter hooks waiting for a letter to come through the post, I really can't see how a court could decide that someone has to pay money to someone who no longer lives at a property, for rent which has been paid in full. There was no agreement made to divide the rent liability, it was a joint and several liability agreement which has been fully satisfied.