madge33
07-06-2006, 12:28 PM
I purchased a commercial lease 7 months ago and it turns out the Landlord is a living nightmare! She has tried to sue us through the small claims court for non payment of Insurance which she refused to provide the correct documentation for. She gave us a letter from a broker of the breakdown. Our lease states a fair proportion as does our surveyors report, yet she has tried to charge us 3 different amounts the first of which was 101% even though she is the tenant in the apartment upstairs and the square footage is equal to our unit. We paid 50% of what she was asking to prove willing but wished to see the insurance docs which she has still not provided. While the case doesn't worry me as I have evidence of this and don't think she will get very far she is holding us to ransom over this matter and saying if we don't pay what she asks she will withold consent for air conditioning to be fitted. We need this to comply with recommendations from the office of Environmental Health which she has a copy of. We have even been reasonable and offered to pay the full cost even though the lease states she should contribute. It also states she cannot withold consent unreasonably. Without taking her to court over this which we cannot afford to do I'm not sure what to do next. We invited her to mediation through a consultancy agency when she turned us down personally but then received the small claims letter. Help! We also supply her with electricity as she failed to have a seperate electricity supply fitted for the apartment, she had a seperate meter fitted so we know how much each of us used but effectively as it goes on our bill aren't we her electricity supplier? If so, are we within our rights to switch it off until she agrees to be reasonable or would that appear too antagonistic? It's awful to have to think this way! Any ideas please help!?