In short: Rasheed ran a shop in a London tube station for 25 years without a single problem with the law. Then his rent was hiked, and not long after, he was told to shut on health and safety grounds. A lawyer quoted him £2,500 just to start. He used HAQQ to fight his case instead, and he won. His shop is open again.
Twenty-five years at the same counter
Rasheed has run a shop in a London tube station for 25 years. He loves the work, and he loves the people most of all: the commuters who pass his counter every day. In all that time, he never had an issue with the law.
He came to the UK as a migrant. He has always followed the law, he is grateful to this country, and he never wanted any problems. At 65, he had started thinking about retirement.
The letter
Then a letter arrived. Rasheed received it, and so did the other vendors in the station. Their rent was going up, by an amount he calls extortionate.
Rasheed had rent protection. Two of the other vendors did not, and they had to leave the stalls that provided their livelihood.
Rasheed thought he was in the clear. Not long after, he received notice that he was being forced to shut, for health and safety reasons. His shop had routine visits and had always passed its inspections. He felt the notice was a tactic to make him give up the shop.
Two months with no income
He refused to give up. For two months he kept paying his rent and his bills with no income coming in.
He looked for legal advice. The quote was £2,500 as a base, plus £250 an hour, and £500 for a letter. He simply could not afford it. He did not have a wide network to turn to either, and he says there were times he felt extremely lonely and helpless.
Finding HAQQ
Then he came across a post about HAQQ on Facebook. He says the person who posted it was like an angel. The name mattered to him too: haqq means truth, and that felt symbolic.
He uploaded his information to HAQQ and used it to fight his case. He won, and his shop is open again.
What he wants others to know
Rasheed's one wish is about his neighbours. He wishes the other vendors had found HAQQ in time. Today he recommends HAQQ to anyone in his community who needs legal support.
Too many people face a legal problem with nobody to help them, because the first quote is out of reach. Rasheed's was £2,500 before any work had started. HAQQ is built for that moment: to help people understand where they stand and prepare their case when paying a lawyer is not an option.
Rasheed's story is his own experience, shared as he told it to us. Every case is different. HAQQ is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice; for a serious dispute, speak to a qualified lawyer where you can.
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