problem with Unite accomodation, please help!!

Debt_Robot

I am forcing myself not to burst into tears right now.

Any help is deeply appreciated.

Situation: I was living at Unite accomodation in Bristol and had paid for a summer let. I paid my rent for my room and paid cash for the summer let, thinking all was well.

I then got a letter on the 24 of July about additional charges to the flat, made by other tenants who were disgusting. I
did not read the letter fully as I literally assumed they would deduct the additional charge of £137 from my £250 deposit.

I got an angry email from my mum today saying that a creditor agency had written her a letter on the 31st of July 2008 saying that £137 was outstanding.

I was so shocked and worried of course because I thought it was going to be deducted from my deposit.

I called the people up and was told that the deposit is transferred to my next booking (which is the summer let). As it turns out, this was on the letter but was not clear at all.

Anyway, accompanying the letter was another sheet about disputing charges or accepting the charges.

It said they must hear from us within 14 days or they will assume we had accepted the charges.

Technically, 14 days was up as of today so I do accept the charges but the recovery letter to my mum and me was sent on the 25th of July, one day AFTER i received the letter asking me if i wanted to dispute or not. I went to the Unite office and it said so on the computer that the letter was issued out on the next day.

Are they allowed to send out letters the day after even when they said they need to hear from us within 14 days?

This just feels wrong.

I am so worried and confused. I am working 2 jobs at the moment and I get paid weekly for one, which ballsed up my pay for last week, paying me only for 2 days instead of 6 days. I also have an emergency credit card so I will pay the charges but I feel like Unite have been extremely malevolent about this whole issue.

Why say 14 days when the recovery letter was issued one day afterwards? That is just plain wrong.

The lady from Unite said she would call me this week to see what is going on and as she was confused as to why I had been sent to the creditors when I had paid my rent for my room.

How can they do this???

RachelRa

I hope this works out for you

melancholly

i would take all correspondence to a rep at the university accommodatio office or in the students union. unite may be more likely to be reasonable if they are involved.

sounds like a nightmare though..... it may also be worth having all communication in writing with them from now on, rather than phone calls, just to be on the safe side.

Debt_Robot

thanks for all your advice.

I just feel so confused right now.