any legal experts out there, please

[manicscousers]

we have been paying rent to the sports club whose land our plots are on, £25.00 pe plot per year
we have just received our bill for this year, it has 'donations'  , 8.5 plots @ 25.00 per year instead of rent
is this legal, surely it's not right to send a bill for donations, is it a 'cop out ' so's they're not our landlords any more ?
we've had lots of problems in the past and would like to be one step in front this time   
by the way, they lease the land from the council

[ACE]

Send them a donation of £1.00 per plot. Then sit back and wait for their reply.

[cornykev]

Ace is going over the top make it 50p. 

[manicscousers]

i suggested that, the committee were not amused 

[arphamoe]

If the club lease the land from the council, there must be something in their lease to allow them to sub-let to you allotment-holders. Speak to the Council, or better still, the councillor who represents the area where the allotments are - he should be able to verify the details without interfering with any 'negotiations' you may enter into with the club. If there are any problems revealed in the processes, let it come from the authority.
Or on the other hand, the expression 'donations' may just be their way of accounting!!

[valmarg]

Well, manics, I'm no legal expert, but to change from rent to 'donations' could mean that it has changed status from landlord to charity, thereby evading VAT.

Just a thought.

valmarg

[manicscousers]

thanks, guys, will pass our comments on, evading v.a.t., sounds like them 

[flytrapman]

If the council are not providing lotties in your area? could you not go down the route of getting six people to write to the council requesting lotties stating the council take back the land & lease it direct to you as lotties