• 01616 966 229
  • Request a callback
Stephensons Solicitors LLP Banner Image

Services
People
News and Events
Other
Blogs

Goodwill to all men?

  • Posted

A Wigan company has offered to pay a couple's rent for their family home whilst their four and a half month old Daughter, Emilee Jayne, is in hospital. 

Emilee was born at just 27 weeks and the couple have been by her bedside ever since. Unfortunately, this meant that Emilee's father, Lea Cooper, had to give up work. As a result, Emilee's parents have been unable to pay their rent for their privately rented home and have fallen into 12 weeks of rent arrears totaling £1,126.00.

Emilee's parents have been extremely lucky as a local company stepped in to pay the rent arrears for them after they received a notice seeking possession from their landlord.

This means that the family home has been saved.

At this time of year with all of the festivities and present-buying the rent can be a struggle for many people. However, it is important to remember that rent still needs to be treated as a priority, particularly with private landlords who can almost certainly get a possession order from the Courts for rent arrears.

Whilst Christmas is a time for giving and goodwill to all men this will not always be the case from a landlord's perspective. Whilst nobody can argue that Emilee's parents deserved help, they could have been at real risk of losing their home. If their case had reached Court it is likely that a possession order would have been made. A Court may have concluded it had no option where a tenant of a private landlord reaches two months arrears, regardless of the circumstances. There are some situations where arguments against a possession order can be made, but these require expert legal advice. 
 
If you are struggling to pay your rent then it is very important that you seek legal advice as early as possible. If you are eligible then Legal Aid is still available to assist you with possession proceedings. 

Comments