A DISABLED pensioner who has spent the last 40 years in her family home faces being kicked out because of a dramatic ground rent increase - of almost 3,000 per cent.

Pauline Smith, aged 70, who lives in a leasehold property in Milcote Close in Greenlands, moved into the house with her parents in 1971.

After her mother died in 1981, Ms Smith, who has special needs, inherited the property and at the time the ground rent was £35 a year.

It was later raised to £120 a year.

However, the vulnerable pensioner, who lives alone, was recently contacted by the land owner’s solicitor saying that from May the rent will increase to a shocking £3,500 per year.

Ms Smith, who has lived in the house for more than half her life and feels close to her late parents there, said it would be impossible for her to pay the new rent or the court costs associated with fighting it.

“I don’t want to leave - I want to stop here.” She said.

“I have lived here for 40 years. The thought of having to move from my home is extremely upsetting.”

Her niece, Tina Loveridge, has been attempting to find a solution with the owner of the freehold.

She said she had no idea what would happen to her elderly aunt should she be forced to leave her home but explained that she would need care services.

“She’s got no money; the family unfortunately can’t have her so she would have to go to the council for support and be homeless and find somewhere to live that way,” she admitted.

“Pauline has said it before - the only way she is leaving is in a coffin.”

In 2003, Spalter Fisher LLP solicitors for the land owner, proposed an increase from £35 to £2,500 but as the family could not afford to pay this the firm agreed they would only demand £10 every month - £120 a year for the next 10 years.

This was put off until 2005 and then after 10 years the rent would raise to £3,500.

Julian Spalter, from the solicitors, said: “Yes, the increase is dramatic, there is no getting away from that, however this is our contractual entitlement and in deferring the increase for 10 years we have, on any view, been more than accommodating.

“We were quite entitled to insist upon the increase being effective from the 25th March 2003, but we did not."

Mr Spalter, who said he was unaware Ms Smith was a vulnerable person until he engaged with Tina Loveridge, added: “A better line of enquiry for Ms Loveridge would be to consider a negligence claim against the solicitors instructed when the property was purchased because advice ought to have been given as to the nature and effect of this review clause.”

He said that the firm had proposed deferring the payment of the rent arrears and the increase, in line with current open market value, for a further period of about five to six years (making a total of 15/16 years) but withdrew the offer.

Labour's Parliamentary Candidate for Redditch and Greenlands Councillor Rebecca Blake has been assisting Ms Smith by providing research - with the help of Redditch Council - to see what can be done to help.