Landlord's assistant Mary Hurley has made us pay $9000 in rent arrears for previous tenant. We were guarantors for previous tenant up to April 30th when our guarantee ceased. This is stated clearly in the lease. Landlord entered into a new agreement with previous tenant from May lst 2008 to 0ctober 3lst 2008. On this new lease we were NOT listed as guarantors, nor would we have agreed to be. The previous tenant did not pay the rent for the above months and landlords assistant has insisted we pay these debts. They issued us with an official complaint form which was very foreboding in itself. We have paid the above arrears because this is a store and we were fearful that if we did not pay, a new lease to us would not be granted and our store would therefore have to close, putting us and our staff out of work. The landlords assistant also informed us that because we had paid the arrears we would not be liable for their and our lawyers fees. She has now gone back on her word and is making us pay BOTH fees. I have read the laws on extortion and feel that the above fits the bill perfectly. We feel we have been blackmailed into paying these arrears of rent and feel totally dejected that we have had to pay someone elses rent arrears. Surely this cannot be correct. Why should we pay someone elses debts, when the lease clearly states we are not liable to do so?
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