Just this week, i think it was Wednesday, we had a meeting with the council regarding this entire issue. It was more or less to set up when they are coming around to inspect the property and i guess to have a general discussion about it all.
This meeting went surprisingly well, and overall we are now pleased to have some sort of rapport with the council now, or at least on talking terms.
Regardless of what has been said and done, the overall consensus is this:
Always Read and Understand ANY contract or agreement BEFORE you sign it.
The above message is of high importance, in almost any situation, not just in tenancy agreements, but in pretty much anything you sign up to, for or with. To an extent, it also covers websites. On some sites, just the action of entering the site is enough to bind you to their rules. There are a number of ways to call it….Terms and Conditions, Rules, TOC, AUP, Privacy Policy…and so on. Each of these are basically rules that you agree to. Even blogger, which hosts this blog, they have rules and a privacy policy, no website should ever be without them simple ones at least.
This doesn’t mean you should take home the complete law book on rules and regulations just to be able to understand them, but what it does mean, is…that if you have any questions, it’s better to ask them BEFORE you agree to the rules, rather than after.
If however, your already in a contract, long term, short term…and term…..and you do have a dispute, then you should always know your rights. I’m referring here, to the general public of the United Kingdom, since i do not know any specific regulations in your country, that’s if your outside the UK.
I shall say it again though, to clarify: Know Your Rights. Regardless of any rules, you have a right to challenge them, if you think they are wrong. Even if your in the contract, you can still challenge them, although this can and will take time and effort, and of course, a lot of legal paperwork.
I would guess that most of the time, if it’s a simple enough problem, it can be resolved out of court. Example, our case, it was resolved out of court….there was no need to go to court and make an issue out of it, when it was easily corrected.
Sometimes though, when things get really nasty, that’s when the courts have to step in to balance the argument. If this happens, you can be assured that your case will be dealt with independently and without any favour to any side. So, on the bright side, it’s going to be dealt with legally and honestly.
Finally, something i have learned from all this NEVER Give Up. This is the hard bit, since most legal cases can drag on and on for years, it can seen debilitating and demoralising to everyone. There will be days you feel like giving up, but that’s what the other side want. We are British, we never give up. Well, that’s what i was told anyway, and so i kept going and going, I'm like the energiser bunny…no offense to you Duracell.
So there you have it folks, a beginners guide to how to keep sane..in an unpredictable world.
