You are Sol, a solicitor. You have been directed to a voicemail message left by one of your clients. Your client, Chanda, has left you a message asking you to work on two issues involving her architecture business.

Your task for this TMA is to advise Chanda.

Message VM5/23

Hi Sol, its Chanda here. A couple of things have come up at work and I’m a bit worried. Can you help, please?

The first problem is that I’ve been really overworked recently because I took on a big project working on the redesign of a shopping centre. But an old client of mine, Djembe, asked me to design his kitchen extension. It was a profitable job because he is wealthy and willing to pay well for good work. So I agreed to do it even though I knew that it would be difficult to fit in. The contract was for £60,000 and we agreed I would provide the plans by the end of September so the builders could start work – they had other projects that they were tied to, so had a limited time they could carry out the work.

Well, unfortunately I let the work for Djembe slip because I was under so much pressure with the shopping centre. I let him know that I wouldn’t be able to finish by September and he was really nice about it – I think he knew how much pressure I was under – and he immediately offered me another £20,000 to cover the overtime for me and my staff so we could meet the deadline. I worked day and night with 2 of my staff and we managed to get the plans to him by the original deadline.

Djembe then said he wouldn’t pay the extra £20,000 and he thought I should be happy with the original price because he was an established client and he knew it was a fair price. I’m going to struggle with my business without that extra money. The shopping centre job is for good publicity but I won’t make any profit on it and my business is struggling. How can I get him to pay the extra money?

On the subject of my business struggling, I persuaded the landlord of my office space to reduce the rent from £2,000 a month to £1,500 a month for six months, when they realised I was going to give notice on my tenancy and work from home instead. Now they are saying I have to pay the £3,000 for those six months because I shouldn’t have pressured them into reducing the rent. It’s ridiculous, I didn’t put any pressure on them, it was just a fact that I couldn’t afford the rent. I know it’s only £3,000 but I could really do with keeping the money. Can you advise me on this as well as Djembe’s payment?

Thanks, bye for now,

Advise Chanda on whether:

a.Djembe is obliged to pay her the extra £20,000; and

b.She is obliged to pay her landlord the extra £3,000.