Rent free property

Dau

A story cut short.

I have a leasehold contract with landlady for more than 20 years now, she stop taking rent from me after 5 years of the contract and just wanted me to help her maintain the building, so i have been rent free on this business premises for around 15 years, I have regularly contacted her without any response, but she did pop in to check the premises once every year without mention about us re-paying the rent, very nice old lady with a Harley Davidson.

Current situation:

Just 2 years ago, the landlady's daughter and her lawyer contacted us saying her mother had passed away a few month before she contacted us, and that her mothers assets are passed over to her.
She now demands all of the rent that was unpaid from the time her mother made the "verbal agreement" with us for the past 15 years...
She forced us to sign a contract to confirm this.

But someone told us that the business could have been ours, if we maintained it for that long..

Any help would be appreciated.

Pixie5740

This sounds more like a question for a solicitor rather than an internet forum. How did she force you to sign a contract? Did she hold a gun to your head? Waterboard you for a couple of days first?

Guest101

Dau wrote: »

A story cut short.

I have a leasehold contract with landlady for more than 20 years now, she stop taking rent from me after 5 years of the contract and just wanted me to help her maintain the building, so i have been rent free on this business premises for around 15 years, I have regularly contacted her without any response, but she did pop in to check the premises once every year without mention about us re-paying the rent, very nice old lady with a Harley Davidson.

Current situation:

Just 2 years ago, the landlady's daughter and her lawyer contacted us saying her mother had passed away a few month before she contacted us, and that her mothers assets are passed over to her.
She now demands all of the rent that was unpaid from the time her mother made the "verbal agreement" with us for the past 15 years...
She forced us to sign a contract to confirm this.

But someone told us that the business could have been ours, if we maintained it for that long..

Any help would be appreciated.

No, adverse possession would not apply, you were maintaining it in exchange for housing.


But neither could she demand back rent, what exactly did you sign and why?!

G_M

Dau wrote: »

She forced us to sign a contract to confirm this.

Always makes me laugh...:rotfl:

So what exactly did this contract say?

i have been rent free on this business premises for around 15 years

So you've been running a business from this property, not living there?

As it's a commercial lease (either verbal, or originally written, or now written), I doubt this forum has the expertise/knowledge to help. Consult a solicitor.

Dau

Thank you guys, I wasnt really forced but she rushed me to get it signed otherwise she'll take further action, i had my solicitor look over the contract and he asked me to sign it as well.

fairy_lights

What exactly did the contract she made you sign say? And why on earth did you sign it if you didn't agree with it?