Emails and the law

5 replies

nannyme · 16/11/2006 19:38

Can anyone please tell me whether emails are sufficient legally in place of typed, signed and posted letters?

I have read some stuff on this and it seems that a pragmatic approach is generally taken but that a recipient's email address showing in the header is not classed as a signature. However, a typed name in the body of the email is.

Also, I need this to be applicable in France/EU.

The reason I ask is because ongoing landlord disputes have got to a stage where landlord is saying all the email correspondence, including the 2 months notice we gave, is invalid legally.

I think she is wrong, but if she is right this gives her more chance of pursuing me for 2 month's money.

Thanks.

OP posts:

KBear · 16/11/2006 20:41

put "email and the law" into google and you will some info that will help. I work for a law firm and we save all our emails as they do form the basis for many trades we are involved in. good luck

Original poster

nannyme · 16/11/2006 20:51

Thanks KB

I've been reading a ton of stuff on a site called out-law.

Seems to say that I am able to 'count' my emails as contractual/whatever the phrase is.

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 16/11/2006 20:59

DH says that normally in the initial contract, you specify what counts as communication.

He says email does count as legal communication, and you should be fine. (I didn't expect him to say that!)

DH isn't a lawyer, he's a computer expert who often ends up dealing with computery things. Is the landlord an individual or a corporation?

Original poster

nannyme · 16/11/2006 21:22

My OH says the same as he is a computer person too but I wouldn't say it's something he is massively expert on!

The landlord is a individual

OP posts:

NotQuiteCockney · 16/11/2006 21:50

Sorry, meant to say, DH is a computer expert who often deals with legal issues. He's not an expert in computer law, exactly, but he's not far off, I think.

DH does say, you should talk to a solicitor - he says a good solicitor would give you a half hour free to discuss the case and see what they can do. CAB would also work. Or if you have a mate who's a lawyer, they can send a rude letter?

You can just not pay and see what happens, but it's probably best to get professional help first ...

Flip