Hey guys, I would appreciate a lot if you could help me out on this one:
6 months ago I signed a tenancy agreement to live in the property. After I paid my 3rd rent, I received a letter from some sort of solicitor addressed to the occupiers asking to contact him. After I have spoken to that solicitor, he said that the property (the one I live in) does not belong to the person who I am paying my rent to (nor he is the agent of the legal owners). I asked my landlord about this issue and he said that the solicitor's client (the legal owner) does not exist and it is all a big fraud.
Next day I went to get an advice from Housing Rights Office and they advised me to download a copy of Land Registry, which should show the official owner of the property. I did that and surprisingly it had the solicitor's client's name on it. I asked my landlord about this and he said that there is an Ongoing Ownership Dispute regarding the right owners of the property since 2008 (25 months before I moved in).
All in all, my landlord says that the property belongs to him and I should pay the rent to his bank account and that other person does not exist. Whilst on the other side, solicitor's client's name is on the Land Registry Form and he says that my current landlord does not have any right to have rent the property to anyone. I am not saying that I believe any of them or I think that any side is fraudulent.
I am already looking for a new place to move in, but I just wanted to find out: can the property be rented to a private tenant if there is an Ongoing Ownership Dispute on that property? I mean, did the guy who I am paying rent to have a right to rent the apartment to me in the 1st place? Maybe he is not even entitles to collect my rent and I am entitled to get all my money back?
Please refer to some legal documents (if you can).
I am extremely thankful for people who will help me on this.
Kind Regards,
Thomas
6 months ago I signed a tenancy agreement to live in the property. After I paid my 3rd rent, I received a letter from some sort of solicitor addressed to the occupiers asking to contact him. After I have spoken to that solicitor, he said that the property (the one I live in) does not belong to the person who I am paying my rent to (nor he is the agent of the legal owners). I asked my landlord about this issue and he said that the solicitor's client (the legal owner) does not exist and it is all a big fraud.
Next day I went to get an advice from Housing Rights Office and they advised me to download a copy of Land Registry, which should show the official owner of the property. I did that and surprisingly it had the solicitor's client's name on it. I asked my landlord about this and he said that there is an Ongoing Ownership Dispute regarding the right owners of the property since 2008 (25 months before I moved in).
All in all, my landlord says that the property belongs to him and I should pay the rent to his bank account and that other person does not exist. Whilst on the other side, solicitor's client's name is on the Land Registry Form and he says that my current landlord does not have any right to have rent the property to anyone. I am not saying that I believe any of them or I think that any side is fraudulent.
I am already looking for a new place to move in, but I just wanted to find out: can the property be rented to a private tenant if there is an Ongoing Ownership Dispute on that property? I mean, did the guy who I am paying rent to have a right to rent the apartment to me in the 1st place? Maybe he is not even entitles to collect my rent and I am entitled to get all my money back?
Please refer to some legal documents (if you can).
I am extremely thankful for people who will help me on this.
Kind Regards,
Thomas