renting from family member- breakdown in agreement

[mildred_45]

We rent from my fiancées Grandma. She lives in a council flat elsewhere. She asked us to move in after her husband died and she couldn't cope in the house anymore. We have paid her rent every month by direct debit. The house had been neglected and needed work so we did it ourselves as she said we could do what we liked. We have no tenancy agreement (stupid I know). Now she has moved on with her life and wants to sell the house. She offered us first refusal but we cant get a mortgage due to the debt we are in from previous relationship and the debt we have gone into by renovating the house. She says we have left her with no choice but to sell it. When we asked for a contribution to the renovation costs she has refused as she states she didn't ask or expect us to do them. We have never troubled her for repairs to any aspect of the house apart from guttering which she replaced last summer at a cost of £300.00. Initially she said she would compensate us 12k for the work as we have made it a family home that should make it more appealing to the buyers but now she has reneged and is refusing to give us a penny. So much so that I cancelled the two viewings booked for last night and I am refusing to let anyone into the property until its resolved. We have offered to co-operate if she acknowledges the compensation. I have agreed to show prospective buyers around and leave the house immaculate once sold with all our renovation work in tact. Pleas help, where do I stand. CBA have advised a solicitor but I dont think financially we can afford to take her on? I know we have been idiots so you dont need to tell me that but she is his Nana and it was never supposed to turn out like this.

[Onlylawsite]

We rent from my fiancées Grandma. She lives in a council flat elsewhere. She asked us to move in after her husband died and she couldn't cope in the house anymore. We have paid her rent every month by direct debit. The house had been neglected and needed work so we did it ourselves as she said we could do what we liked. We have no tenancy agreement (stupid I know). Now she has moved on with her life and wants to sell the house. She offered us first refusal but we cant get a mortgage due to the debt we are in from previous relationship and the debt we have gone into by renovating the house. She says we have left her with no choice but to sell it. When we asked for a contribution to the renovation costs she has refused as she states she didn't ask or expect us to do them. We have never troubled her for repairs to any aspect of the house apart from guttering which she replaced last summer at a cost of £300.00. Initially she said she would compensate us 12k for the work as we have made it a family home that should make it more appealing to the buyers but now she has reneged and is refusing to give us a penny. So much so that I cancelled the two viewings booked for last night and I am refusing to let anyone into the property until its resolved. We have offered to co-operate if she acknowledges the compensation. I have agreed to show prospective buyers around and leave the house immaculate once sold with all our renovation work in tact. Pleas help, where do I stand. CBA have advised a solicitor but I dont think financially we can afford to take her on? I know we have been idiots so you dont need to tell me that but she is his Nana and it was never supposed to turn out like this.

Hi,

From the facts, it appears that you first did the works and she later agreed to pay you the £12,000.

In the abscence of an agreement it is unlikely that she would be liable for the £12,000.00, one possible route to resolve the matter would be to mediate,

The mediator is professionally trained and independent. His or her sole interest is in helping the parties to find a solution. However, they do not give legal advice or make any decisions or judgments in your case. Your private discussions with the mediator from the moment that you were first contacted will be treated as completely confidential and will not be disclosed to the other side without your express approval. Furthermore, all discussions with the mediator or the other party will be ‘without prejudice’, which means that nothing said can be referred to in any court action. The mediator will not impose a solution in the event of disagreement between the parties, the mediation will simply not settle.
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