Please help re flat deposit

clutton_2

get everything by letter if possible - its better evidence if you have to go to court.

redsquirrel_3

ive been advised to take photos of everything when i move into a flat next week, just to prove after that stuff was like that when i moved in.

clutton_2

""a young single lady that is pregnant there at the mo, 5 flights of stairs""

i doubt she will stay very long either with 5 flights, baby, shopping, pram - and then the landlady from hell will have to start all over again !!

Tassotti

Any update on this? When's the court date?

EagerLearner

Hi all, I'm writing, printing and signing letter #2 tonight, as despite her asking for our e-mail address on Monday, we've had nothing via e-mail or post.

Letter #3 (next week) would be the one containing the copy of the court forms, I'm hoping she won't be daft enough for it to go that far as surely a judge would not side with her on the time she's taking on this.

clutton_2

go for it !! these sorts of landlords always make it very hard for the rest of us Q

Mrs_pbradley936

Hello,
You do not send her the court forms - the court contact her with details of your claim. Then she can do one of three things 1. Admit she owes the money 2. Dispute that she owes the money. 3. Ignore the court. If she chooses option 1 you may get paid quite quickly. If she chosses option 2 you both have to turn up at the court and say your piece. If she chooses option 3 you can apply for judgement against her. One more thing she can do is option 1 but say she has no way of paying - unlikely in the case of a property owner but cross that bridge if you come to it.

EagerLearner

Hi all - pbradley we were advised to include copy of court forms in letter #3 as it shows we're serious - this was on landlordzone.co.uk which has advice from landlords and people with legal advice - maybe we shouldn't include them so she can't see what we're planning to claim for, I don't know anymore...

Either way she's not showing any real keenness to get this sorted fast so maybe court summons will work the trick as you say (option 1).

Anyway - latest news:

She texted OH again earlier today to say radiator cover cost is £97.70. I have said to OH not to text anything, just like last time.

Despite asking for our e-mail address, she has not e-mailed us at all.

I checked the tracking on the Special delivery letter we sent last Thursday (letter #1) and it says it's still not been signed for and that they left a card on
4th August.

Also, on the post I have on landlordzone.co.uk the advice is that we don't need to spend money on Special Delivery with these letters, apparently the court consider it sent even by 1st class post.

So maybe letter #2 will be by normal 1st class - saves money and she will get it straight-away, rather than collecting from sorting office (or not collecting in order to ignore it!)

hjb123

So she hasnt picked up the letter huh? Bet she wont either! Will the card that was left for her say who had sent it?

EagerLearner

hjb123 wrote:

So she hasnt picked up the letter huh? Bet she wont either! Will the card that was left for her say who had sent it?

Hi Helen - nope, card won't say - but I reckon she suspects something if cards in her name are being left at her 'notices address', rather than her home address!

She's texted today but did not request a reply, so maybe she won't think it weird that OH hasn't answered her last 2 texts as they were 'information' texts. Only information we want is - where is our money!

I tell you, we used an agency as we thought it 'safer' than private re getting deposit back - NOT the case. Next time at least with a private landlord you get a real address & you can go knock on their door with a friend or two called 'Tiny'!