The Lease Notice With Three Deadlines
Pēteris, 38, is preparing for naturalisation and has a mock writing task at B1 level. He rents a flat in Riga for €450 a month plus utilities. On 3 March he receives a letter headed 'Īres līguma uzteikums' from his landlord. It gives 30 days' notice, claims €120 unpaid for water, refers to clause 5.2 of the contract, and sets a 10-day deadline to respond. The deposit is €900. Pēteris's bank statements show the water payments were made, but one was three days late because of a bank holiday. He wants to reply by email the same evening. He is angry and has drafted: 'You are lying about the money. I will not pay. See you in court.' The exam task asks candidates to read a short formal notice, identify the key facts, and write a formal reply of 120–150 words. The centre's rubric rewards task achievement, register, and accuracy, not legal argument.
1. Before writing, what information should Pēteris extract from the notice, and why?
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Extract five fields: (1) the date of the notice and the start of the 30-day notice period; (2) the claimed amount (€120) and what it is for (water); (3) the contractual clause relied on (5.2); (4) the 10-day response deadline; (5) the sender and the required response channel. He must separate the notice to end the tenancy from the debt allegation: accepting that a notice exists is not the same as admitting the debt. He should also note the deposit (€900) and assemble bank statements showing payment dates. This matters because the reply must be timely, factual, and limited to what he can prove; the exam rubric rewards task achievement and register, so a clear list of facts is more useful than a legal speech.
2. Rewrite his opening into a formal reply. Provide a model opening and explain the register choices.
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Model opening in Latvian: 'Labdien! Saņēmu Jūsu 3. marta vēstuli ar īres līguma uzteikumu. Lūdzu precizēt 120 EUR maksājumu par ūdeni, jo saskaņā ar bankas izrakstiem maksājumi ir veikti. Viens maksājums tika veikts trīs dienas vēlāk bankas brīvdienas dēļ.' English gloss: 'Good day. I received your 3 March letter with the notice of termination. Please specify the €120 water charge, because according to bank statements the payments were made. One payment was made three days later due to a bank holiday.' Register choices: formal address (Jūs/Jūsu), neutral verbs, no accusation, a specific request, and a factual explanation of the late payment. The opening does three jobs: acknowledges receipt, disputes the amount without admitting fault, and shows evidence will follow.
3. What should he not do, and how should he handle the late payment?
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Do not send 'You are lying' or 'See you in court'. Accusations and threats damage register and may weaken his position. Do not ignore the 10-day deadline; a late reply can be treated as non-response. Do not pay 'under protest' without a written reservation, and do not admit the debt to keep the peace. Instead: reply within the deadline, attach the statements, acknowledge the three-day delay factually, ask for a written reconciliation of the €120, and request confirmation that the notice is suspended while the account is disputed. If the landlord persists, keep copies and seek tenant advice. The judgement is to be firm on facts and soft on tone.