Please help re flat deposit

EagerLearner

Hi Gerryh, I have heard that 192.com doesn't have very up to date info - someone has offered to help me here on MSE which hopefully will dredge the landlady out of the woodwork.

Any other detectives are most welcome - just PM me :T

irnbru_2

EagerLearner wrote:

Hi irnbru - it's AIDA district council in Shoreham - the lady was very understanding but still a dead end for us.

Can't find it. Is it Adur?

Anyways, the post by musey indicates you have the right to this information. You just need to identify which person to complain to in your local council about their refusal to give it. Your CAB should help.

If you're taking time off you need to account for all your costs as you can seek to have these reimbursed (against the LA if not the LL).

Can you confirm if you gone through the land registry?

gerryh_2

Hi. If 192 provided no info, you could look in electoral register, Adur Council or Library, have paper records that are open to public scrutiny. Was the rented propert on Shoreham Beach, or in town. I have several flats that I rent @ EQ & may know of your WW. ps what is PM ?

saver_sam

EagerLearner your mail box is full and i might have an answer an address for your l/l. make some space please!

irnbru_2

gerryh wrote:

what is PM ?

PM = Private Message.

EagerLearner

irnbru wrote:

Can't find it. Is it Adur?

Anyways, the post by musey indicates you have the right to this information. You just need to identify which person to complain to in your local council about their refusal to give it. Your CAB should help.

If you're taking time off you need to account for all your costs as you can seek to have these reimbursed (against the LA if not the LL).

Can you confirm if you gone through the land registry?

Hi - it may be Adur - the number I called was 01273 263111 for council tax dept. However they stated the could not give the address. I may call again and ask for fax number to send written request.

I have searched land registry and obtained her name for the ground floor property of the building, which she owns the lease for. No address shown, could not find our (top) flat or the 2nd flat on registry, only the ground floor one. At least we have the correct name now.

EagerLearner

gerryh wrote:

Hi. If 192 provided no info, you could look in electoral register, Adur Council or Library, have paper records that are open to public scrutiny. Was the rented propert on Shoreham Beach, or in town. I have several flats that I rent @ EQ & may know of your WW. ps what is PM ?

Have sent you a PM gerryh

EagerLearner

saver_sam wrote:

EagerLearner your mail box is full and i might have an answer an address for your l/l. make some space please!

Thanks for your PM Sam - as discussed, it's sadly not the one but with her home number being a 01444 code it's bound to be Burgess Hill or Haywards Heath so at least that's one step closer.

Many thanks for everyone's support to date :beer: - we'll get her somehow!

EagerLearner

Hi all,

Just an update to say I'm getting so many warm and fuzzy feelings from all the help on here - the support has been superb - from offers of debt collection, to searching records and even making calls - thanks so much :beer:

Today is our first day of real action against this woman - we're sending the first of 3 Special Delivery letters, each allowing 7 days before the next letter.

We have the court forms and if going to court, will serve notice on the c/o address as yesterday the Letting Agent have confirmed this is the address she gave them for serving notices and is also the address she currently receives statements at for the other properties they manage for her. It was the Director of the LA that called me, so clearly me cc'ing ARLA with e-mails got some fire under their bum.

We expect an angry call from the landlady - any advice on how to handle that...

She can be really patronising and blows hot & cold so we want to be careful.

PS if going to court should we mention:

- She increased our rent twice within Nov 05 - Feb 06;
- Agreed we could stay on IF WE PAID AN EXTRA £60 PER MONTH when our flat purchase fell through in May 06 - we were cornered so agreed - and then she canceled within 30 mins of us attending the LA to sign contract;
- She decided to rennovate the bathroom whilst we were still in the flat rather than waiting until we had left (during our last month) - took 2.5 weeks and made a mess - never reduced rent or apologised - then did not install shower, mirror or cabinets so we would not get the benefit in our last week.
- Then has the gall to charge us for paint scuffs and cleaning, prob caused by her completely gutting the bathroom
- She measured up for carpets 3 weeks before we moved out, without even being able to see complete carpet as all our stuff was there, showing she intended to replace it all.
- In our last month she asked our advice on 'what young people like' in order to modernise and refurbish the flat. Asked us to pick items from a catalogue that we would like and makre recommendations.

Hot & cold as you see - now we just wait for the call...

Thanks

irnbru_2

EagerLearner wrote:

We expect an angry call from the landlady - any advice on how to handle that...

"Thank you for calling ... all our lines are busy"

Only accept written correspondence.

EagerLearner wrote:

- Then has the gall to charge us for paint scuffs and cleaning, prob caused by her completely gutting the bathroom
- She measured up for carpets 3 weeks before we moved out, without even being able to see complete carpet as all our stuff was there, showing she intended to replace it all.

These are pertinent.