Office Politics!

[chaosmonkey]

Hello, I'd really like some (free!) legal advice about offices...

My business just signed a contract and moved into an office building, and moved in a few months ago. The building manager asked us if we'd mind if a local business rival moved into the same building - we said yes, it would be problematic.

The building manager then told us a week later that the rivals had signed a contract and they have in fact moved in.

As this means we'll not be able to discuss strategy in the future, and will need to massively increase security (locking all doors, even if you just go for week, only discussing strategy off-site etc) we've made the decision that we need to move.

Would it be likely that we could pursue the office management for the cost of relocation? (this will be fairly minimal - prob £250 van hire and £50 for cost of moving phone lines etc. plus any additional costs of signing a new lease etc) - fortunately, we had negotiated a short lease, so can move with a month's notice, so have handed in our notice and are looking for new options...

Any ideas on if we could ask them for a contribution towards the costs either legally or morally would be great!

Thanks

[chaosmonkey]

shameless bump...

[MellowAutumn]

Unless you had an exclusion or exclusive clause in you lease i cannot see any reason why they should give you anything.

[flowery]

Does your contract say you have right of veto over other tenants?

I can't imagine being bothered if one of my business rivals was in the same building as me, although I appreciate I don't know what your business is, perhaps it's notorious for corporate espionage.

Plus surely you lock doors anyway if you're not there, don't you?

[pluCaChange]

Bet the building manager is delighted by this outcome!

I also bet this doesn't happen again!

[chaosmonkey]

Thanks all - I didn't think there was, just wanted to check that I wasn't missing a trick here!

Yes - it's very likely that this particular rival will be physically unpleasant - they have form for it - hence us having to move to keep our staff safe. Obviously the building manager knows this, and has agreed to evict them if they attack a member of staff, but I'd rather not put staff members in that position in the first place.

Ooh, I see I said week, I meant wee, no wonder you all did the face

[itiswhatitiswhatitis]

Good lord what sort of business are you in if your staff could potentially be attacked by your competitors

[AlpacaYourThings]

Are you in debt collection?! I'm that your rivals may be violent!

[CleanLinesSharpEdges]

Im also intrigued as to what kind of business youre in that you could potentially be physically attacked by competitors?

[flowery]

Good lord! Physically attacked by a rival?!

[pluCaChange]

Estate agents? All those handy FOR SALE boards to whack people with...