QUESTION: Dear Legal Wiz,

My granny rents one room to a male tenant and he owes her lots of money. The house is in an inner-city community. She’s trying to get the title sorted. Now the tenant threatened her then reported her to the police that she, my granny threatened him. When she went to the station to report him, no one believed her story so they ran her out. She rung me up to tell me that he actually told her that she lives alone, so she shouldnt cause no problem. I need someone to help her to get him out. She has a lawyer assisting her, but says it is only to get the title transfered to her name. The lawyer only told her to report the threat on her life to the police and instructed her to go to Sutton Street to take out a summons to remove the wicked man from the property.

Anmarie Samuels

RESPONSE: Dear Anmarie Samuels,

First thing is you should try and get someone to live  with your granny until everything is sorted out, and ask her to get someone to keep all the documents relating to the house in a safe place. The lawyer perhaps need to be paid further to assist her with getting the man out through the Court. She can also go to the Legal Aid Clinic for assistance, if her budget is low.

Otherwise, if she wants to handle the matter herself, she need to first give the man a valid notice. When the notice has expired, she will then have to take that notice to the Court to get a summons. The summons must be served on the man, so he knows the date to appear in Court. 

In the meantime, she needs to go to the police station and speak with a senior person, a superintendent or inspector and get some proper assistance from the police.

Legal Wiz