But this was a roommate situation. I doubt most people sign any formal letters when hiring a roommate, as most people don’t come from a legal / business background.
He also handed a check instantly to people who were desperate for money...
He also handed a check instantly to people who were desperate for money...
"He signed the check in a messy scrawl" but not a contract.
In the UK (and many other parts of the world) a contract is (almost) always signed before anyone moves in. Handing a checque means nothing is not bulletproof. One can claim that it was a payment for a selling an old computer (and then the courts will have to do the talking).