Landlord changed lock

[Arim77]

Hi All

I would be so grateful for some urgent help re a matter of the locks being changed to my business premises as my landlord believing I was moving the company out of the due to non-payment of rent - this is so far from the truth it’s unreal.

The facts are this, I and my business partner moved into a 3 floor large office block taking up 2 of the floors, we spent a couple of months modernised the place costing around £9,000 and because of this the landlord said she wouldn’t charge us any utilises for a 12 months.

After about 5/6 months the business didn’t take off as expected and we asked to downsize due to costs, the landlord was fine and allowed us to start moving thing the very same day. We now (did) occupy two offices (office one 216sq feet, server room 70sq feet).

 

We pasted our 12 month agreement in July last year but didn’t receive any new terms so continued under the same terms, however, in November we received a back dated invoice for service charge of £900. We paid this but in Jan 09 we received a bill for £343 for electric for the period of Dec, we raised this with her as all we have in the office is a server and a couple of PC’s. I couple of days after the electric bill we received a gas estimate for £1960 for 4 and a half months (£430per month) and an electric estimate for £518, I emailed and called the landlord and to ask what was going on and she told me as we’re the only company in the build we have to pay it. I told her I wouldn’t pay an estimate and the estimate was extremely high for three rad’s. I also mentioned the fact I’d emailed her in the past as the heating and hot water hadn’t been working properly during the winter so understand the electric may be high as we’d been using electric heaters.

I decided to stop paying the rent until this was sorted out, however, I’ve since paid the rent but I haven’t paid the gas or electric of about £2800. She has tonight without any notice changed the locks to the front door and broken into my service room and office and concluded that I’m trying to move out without paying her.

Today a truck smashed the aircon fan off the side wall and ripped the unit from the server room wall. We cleared the cardboard boxes from the server room and tidy our office so we could get the unit replaced. All our equipment and pc’s are still in the office and we have no intention of moving out. The alarm was raised to my business partner as the server stopped responding so he went to the office to sort out, however, the locks had been changed and upon call the landlord was told the news she “kicked us out” due to us trying to vacate the premises without the rent. She told him that once we paid we could have our equipment back and that she wouldn’t be switching it on until the electric is paid.

I’m now totally perplexed as to what to do as we haven’t received any bills only estimates and I’ve raised the amount as is stupidly high and the fact it’s not individually metered.

What should I do – please help

 

Alex

[Goldlady]

OMG, a similar thing happened to us a few years ago. Ours was because the landlord had terminated the lease early as he was offered megabucks for the building. We had a small amount of rent arrears which he had lived with since foot and mouth and he was supposed to pay us 20k compensation for terminating the lease. He locked us out because we refused to pay any more rent as we could not get a guarantee from his solicitors that we were going to get our 20k. Just won against him in court - six years later, but that has not made up for the loss of business we suffered.

 

Are the utility bills issued by the landlord or the utility companies themselves?

 

If you have now paid the rent she has no right to restrain on your possessions. I don't think she can do it for utility bills. And how can you be expected to foot the bill for the whole building?

 

I think you need a solicitor fairly quickly.

[Arim77]

hi Goldlady,

 

the utilty bills are via the landlord - I can't put into word the total shock of the situation.

 

Thanks for your comments I'll be speaking with a lawyer tomorrow.

Alex

[Goldlady]

Did she change the locks herself or has she got bailiffs to do it?

 

It makes me feel sick reading your post as I know what we went through when it happened to us. We couldn't even contact the staff as all their details were locked in the building.

 

If your business is still viable can you not appeal to her? After all she is unlikely to find another tenant in the current economic climate.

 

I know commercial landlords can distrain for rent arrears, from bitter experience, but not sure about disputed utility bills.

 

Hopefully you can find a sympathetic solicitor who can help you out.

[Arim77]

Should we pay an estimate? Also, the rent for the building is only £130 per month which is why I wasn't happy about the gas and electric amounts

[Goldlady]

Seems ridiculous. Are there lights for communal areas? Is the whole building heated still?

 

And more importantly, did you manage to see a solicitor today, or have you managed to access your office?

[Arim77]

Hi, yes we have seen a lawyer today and he's made contact with her solicitor who's amazed at what she has done.

 

Hopefully we shall reach an agreement tomorrow, however, we've lost a day of business and looks like the same tomorrow.

 

I'll keep you posted.

 

Regards

Alex

[Goldlady]

OK, well I hope tomorrow is a better day for you.

 

Presume once you have resolved this she will be losing her last tenant:eek: