Tenant In Distress – Mowing The Lawn

Reply to the comment left by "Mark Alexander" at "28/11/2016 - 12:21":

Mark, thank you. My old landlord inherited his mother's property back in 1985 thereabouts I believe. He then started letting the property, so I was not his first tenant. I've just replied to Rachel and explained fully, which before anyone says how bizarre or odd my story is, perhaps might like IF they have the time or inclination read it. The reasons I find myself in this position after years of having a good career, is due to the fact I moved away from where I was living, London, I was born in Chelsea and sadly fell in love with a bit of a rogue, always had my doubts about him, but love causes us to act on emotion and not always logic..yes, I'm a flawed human being and paying for it. He did not come from the same background as me, so a bit oil and water really on reflection, caused tensions, our goals, aspirations were different and I suspected he always cheated. I "suspected" behind my back he arranged to take a new position in Oxfordshire " Hostage intervention officer" for the government. And sprung it on me one new years eve he was leaving, if I wanted to remain in the relationship I could move with him. I was devastated, I couldn't believe someone would be so selfish as not even to discuss it with me. I discussed it with my family, my mother, and everyone seem to think IF I didn't go I might always have an IF. We were due to buy a house together, which we did, but he wanted to pay the mortgage whilst I did the bills, however, he also didn't want us to have joint ownership. Another shock. Why oh why did I not listen to my gut instinct. After moving, he was away five days a week upon returning he was out with male friends, either I could tag along or stay behind. I became more and more isolated, lonely, depressed which after about five years I couldn't cope and needed emotional, professional help. He was indeed seeing others, I became just a housekeeper. He wanted me to leave so he could bring his new tattooed, pint drinking girlfriend in. As I did not have equal ownership I was not entitled to be bought out for half, I was being offered approx what I had put in. He was emotionally abusive and then became physically abusive in an attempt to get me to just leave. My solicitor had to warn him of his behavior and his solicitor too, that injunction would be taken out to ensure he kept away from me. As I was standing my ground, as by now I was emotionally low I could not work. He then brought his girlfriend into out joint home to live with me in the next bedroom. I had to stomach this for 4 months whilst my solicitor fought for the best financial deal for me to get me out. I got 25K which I lived off as I needed to rent whilst being treated, my father then died, then my mother so I was at all time low. My father was very wealthy but married again and lived in South Africa and left everything to his wife and their children. So before people judge me and my situation, I'm aware I'm paying the price for stupidity and the lack of balls for not leaving him before I allowed him to change my life forever. I took up counselling as a profession to help others, gained my diploma and work for very little compared to the type of work I did many, many years ago. I'm an open and caring woman, but sadly that does not provide a HOME in this day and age.

Is this a script for a TV soap? it's certainly better than eastenders or corry. (not that I watch them of course)

Reply to the comment left by "Jack Craven" at "28/11/2016 - 17:40":

Jack, thank you for making me chuckle so much..love your take on the situation. Perhaps I should turn into a script 😉

Reply to the comment left by "Jill Harding" at "28/11/2016 - 18:01":

Hi Jill. I'm wondering if you can ask my previous questions - up a few posts from here I think.

Jill,

I do sympathise so much with your situation. It's terrible to have such low rent and some usually-excluded services included for so long. But I think I've found the solution(s):

1. Your new landlord is clearly just a rich, greedy bastard out to exploit you. Also, in renting the house to you he is clearly 'thieving' it from an owner-occupier. You say he isn't cut out for landlording and doesn't care for the house. If you love the house so much, and can buy it, surely the obvious solution for all concerned is to buy the place yourself?! That way, you can be an owner occupier so beloved by the govt, AND you get the pleasure of paying a gardener yourself for the maintenance of your own garden. Don't worry, many other heavy bills as an owner occupier will also be heading your way.

2. If as you say, the house is 'damp' then a simple contact to the local council should see an inspection, enforcement, possible free upgrades and now, even, protection from future eviction until the works are done. You really have been such a lovely, kindly and understanding tenant to put up with such misery whilst doing nothing whatsoever in 14 years to get it sorted out. My tenants get most if not all problems solved within an hour, so after 14 years you are owed some joy.

All the best!

Reply to the comment left by "Dr Rosalind Beck" at "28/11/2016 - 12:59":

Rosalind, I'm not sure how you arrived at a 50% cut for example on the growth of the property within the market for a tenant at the end of a long term rental. I find it unbelievable that people conjure up and make comments that to attempt to "improve" the private rental section is somehow wrong. IF there is not some changes over the next decade as people will need to turn to renting more, then landlords might find themselves with more abusive tenants, tenants that take no interest in the properties or don't pay. And from what I gather this is costing the British landlord a lot of money to evict tenants, whilst losing money during the whole process.

When people feel listened to, feel they have an input and there is some balance that both parties, not just landlords or tenants, but where both feel " it's a WIN, WIN situation, then you have happier tenants and landlords that will have their properties looked after better. If landlords restrict, make so many rules like living under the rule of the Gestapo, and some of the agreements are not about having a home - no wonder "some" tenants" don't feel invested.

It's why we have BREXIT, because for so many years no one has listened, ignored those who were not gaining so much out of the system by being in the EU...we are now in the situation we are in. So back to what I was suggesting and it certainly wasn't 50%...perhaps a 2-3K on top of their deposit if they have been in a property for 7-10 years or more. I'm sure you will pull me up on the figures, but again Rosalind, it's a suggestion, not written in stone and I'm sure the Landlords Association has many members that could put their heads together and bring about some changes to the archaic housing act of 1985. I have more comment I have to reply to then I'm leaving this topic as I'm sure everyone has now had enough of my renting problems. Thank you for your input.

Reply to the comment left by "James Fraser" at "28/11/2016 - 21:13":

James, thank you for your posting, love the photo!

Thank you for sympathizing, not a rosy outlook at my age, but I guess we have accept that decisions we make sometimes have a way of coming back and biting us. I have owned property before but many years ago so well aware of what goes hand in hand with owning properties. Even IF I had the money to buy the property I rent, I wouldn't - it would need at least 30-40K spent on it to bring it up to a good standard, and that is not for me. Additionally, the property is about 275K, although having said that a similar property in the same road has been up for sale since January at 265K and not sold. And that has CH. The property has a large garden and I don't like gardens, so I wouldn't buy a house to pay a gardener a few hundred pounds for something I will never use. Besides, Homewise who I will try to use do not assist with buying homes that you already live in.
As I have stated the only reason I ended up in my current property over another is due to having the assurance the garden was being taken care of..and for 14 years it has been.

I will be looking at a newish property 10-15 years old, built in cotswold stone ( a lot in Oxfordshire) and a low maintenance garden, mainly paved, nice raised decking area, lots of nice tubs. No massive green areas of lawn that take hours every week or borders and bushes you have to constantly tend to. Life is too short for gardening..if I wanted that, I'd live in a field.It's quite surprising how many properties do now have the kind of garden I refer to, but as yet I don't have anywhere near enough money to jump ship from here, but it's my aim over the next12-18 months. It's why I go without and just survive opposed to live. It's my goal and I shall persevere.

I think someone somewhere on here mentioned me having low rents for 14 years..maybe it was you, but may be not. I've not had low rents. Now before I leave you, the council, environment people, yes aware I can do that, but as I've constantly been told it's being dealt with ( Damp) I have not used my " rights card" I always prefer to work with people, and can you imagine trying to have a nice, warm, friendly relationship with a landlord after threatening him with perhaps court action or having him instructed to act immediately. There would be a complete breakdown of trust and I'm sure it would be ultimately come back on me. However, it may be my get of jail card so to speak, if I once decide I'm on my way and have nothing to lose. But who wants live like that, I don't. I pay my rent on time, decorate and keep his property in pristine condition, paid for three leak repairs this year, one the overflow from the loft tank, the garden looked like a swimming pool. A leaking toilet cistern, had that repaired and a pipe from the kitchen that takes the water outside the house split, so the kitchen flooded, so I had that done too. I think when I'm gone he will realize that may be a £360 bill to deal with the garden was not such a bad compromise to keep a happy stable and reliable tenant. His loss I think ultimately. Thank you for your posting and advice but I think I shall now leave this subject behind as I'm sure everyone has had enough of my renting plight. Thank you.

Reply to the comment left by "Jill Harding" at "28/11/2016 - 23:43":

Hi Jill. Are you suggesting the 2-3k gift to tenants regardless of the costs the landlord has borne during the tenancy and regardless of whether the property has increased or reduced in value? Where do you think the landlord would find that money when the house has gone down in value? What other businesses are required to gift profit (or claim compensation for a less successful business venture) to customers who have used their services? Surely this is a private matter for the business person and no other person has a claim on this.

My question was also aimed at challenging your assumption that properties can only increase in value and that landlords' investments are risk-free.

Hi Jill

Please don't leave just yet.

I told you about my Deed of Assurance but you haven't responded to that yet.

What did you think of the idea? I am genuinely interested in your views?

I see where you are coming from in many of your replies to James and I certainly think you ought to be invoicing your landlord for the water leaks and suggesting a contra arrangement against the gardening. So long as you've kept the invoices I think you would have a good counter claim on that basis if your landlord ever decided to take the garden maintenance bill to the Small Claims Courts.

Whilst I accept that some of the responses posted might have come across as being mildly aggressive it would also be nice if you would respond to more of the questions raised. Without wishing to cause offence, I feel your own comments have resulted in some of our members suspecting that you might be one of the anti-landlord nutters found regularly posting in the comments sections of National Newspapers, particularly The Guardian. I am "on the fence" in that regard but either way I am finding this thread an intriguing read as you are polite, even though many of your experiences are similar to the morons who post elsewhere. Your comments are a polished version of theirs, perhaps hence the confusion caused as they have been posted on a Landlords Union website. The equivalent might be a victim on NHS abuse posting on a forum for senior NHS workers.
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Surely this whole thread is a spoof ? ? ???