Word for the Week

Forfeiture for non-payment of rent

Week beginning: 1st September, 2019 | By Andrew Myers | St Albans

…"A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed. He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed. He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out.

"Then the owner of the vineyard said, 'What shall I do? I will send my son, whom I love; perhaps they will respect him.'

Luke 20:9b-13 (NIV)

Jesus addresses here a common problem faced by lawyers acting for landlords: tenant default. Rent (in the form of fruit from the demised vineyard) is demanded, but not paid. Three servants in turn come to collect the rent, but are sent away empty-han