My mum's a pensioner and leaseholder of her flat.
The upstairs flat is owned and occupied by the freeholder of her flat.
A while ago my mum took over and started using some space, being used by the freeholder, as she thought it belonged to her, following information she received from her solicitor who told it belonged to her....he didn't respond to her in writing at the time, it was just verbal.
My mum then claimed that space.
Now the freeholder has served her with legal action and is suing her for damages, 'loss of rent', as he claims it legally belonged to him. He wants £30k.
The leaseplan and freehold plan do not coordinate regarding this space, so my mum's solicitor should have settled this confusion when she first bought the flat.
She has notified the legal ombudsman of her solicitors negligence.
The freeholder himself is not ethical, and has done a number of questionable things, siphoning electricity, causing damages to mum's flat from a leak and not allowing her to claim on building insurance, not maintaining guttering causing massive damage to rooms in my mum's flat, filling the front porch with his stuff when the porch area is not in his lease demise.
We would like to know who can help my mum with this legal action against her?
She is a pensioner, with no income.
She has been to citizens advice, who have said they can't help her in litigation matters.
Is there any free legal aid for pensioners in this situation?
Also worried that while all this goes on, she wouldn't be able to sell her flat if she needed to move out to more accessible accommodation.