'Accidental' landlords seeking legal advice - FLAC

Zamboni

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0715/462508-flac-legal-rent/

The increasing number of people who have had to rent out their homes to meet rising mortgage payments has contributed to an increase in calls to the Free Legal Advice Centre.

In its annual report for last year, FLAC says there was an increase in the number of calls coming from what it describes as "accidental" landlords.

The centre says that these landlords do not understand their rights or responsibilities because they rent out their properties in a hurry to meet their mortgage repayments.

The report also reveals that over 25,000 people contacted its phone lines and centres last year.

FLAC says that family issues, employment problems and money worries continue to dominate the agenda - constituting about half of all its inquiries.

The organisation welcomed the passage of the Personal Insolvency legislation last year, which aims to give people an opportunity to resolve their indebtednesses.

The funniest part of this (in a tragic way) is that the taxpayers is now obliviously paying for legal advice for private citizens who entered the landlord business.
This won't be a headline on RTE though...

Pawwed Rig

Zamboni wrote: »

The funniest part of this (in a tragic way) is that the taxpayers is now obliviously paying for legal advice for private citizens

That is the purpose of FLAC

KTRIC

The irony of FLAC is the regional manager who is an ex friend of mine thought nothing of breaking a lease and f*cking off early out of a house we rented.

Zamboni

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

That is the purpose of FLAC

To clarify:
The taxpayer is providing free legal advice to privately owned business.

Pawwed Rig

Zamboni wrote: »

To clarify:
The taxpayer is providing free legal advice to privately owned business.

The taxpayer is providing free legal advice to citizens (taxpayers) who cannot afford legal advice.

Some of these citizens are landlords. These are not businesses in that they are not limited and there is no profit motive.

This is the purpose of FLAC.

Ray Palmer

Zamboni wrote: »

To clarify:
The taxpayer is providing free legal advice to privately owned business.

Being LL is not classified a privately owned business in the Ireland. Considering the taxes paid by LL it seems fair they can at least get something for it.

Mrs OBumble

Zamboni wrote: »

To clarify:
The taxpayer is providing free legal advice to privately owned business.

Yeah, and we're providing all sorts of business advice to private businesses via county Enterprise Boards (or whatever you call 'em now), Enterprise Ireland, etc.

FLAC advice to accidental / unwilling landlords sounds like good value to me, if it can get them to treat their tenants according to the law.

Sala

This is a bit sensationalist. The lawyers are volunteering for free there.

Zamboni

Sala wrote: »

This is a bit sensationalist. The lawyers are volunteering for free there.

I did not know that.
Thanks for the info.