Please help re flat deposit

irishjohn

Hi Eager
In reality you ave done more or less everything necessary to go to court with LA - and all that is left is to appear before the court and simply tell how you have been dealt with and ask if the court feels the LA has been fair in their dealings with you - The stress of getting this far is a big cloud but try and step out from under that cloud and ask what else you need to do - I realise that the risk of this costing more money and delivering nothing is a risk that only you and hubby can decide on but whatever you decide - is right for you - and you can make your decision and move on. Whatever the decision - rest assured you have a mass of people who would have no difficulty in deciding who to give their last rolo to - even if the LL stood there looking as if she had not eaten in a month.

We all want you to walk away the victor - with money in your pocket - but if its less of a victory then as long as you come out of it feeling good about you thats what counts.

Make yourselves a nice supper, list the pluses and minuses of carrying on - add them up and see if you come out in credit or in debt.

Then say yes or no and mean it. Good luck whatever you decide.

IrishJ

EagerLearner

Thanks guys - I am feeling better today as the headaches finally stopped like I said, so we will see about it tonight.

I think that moving it to January could be a real option, once we're back with renewed vigor.

Hubby absolutely loOOoooOOves Rolos so that will make him laugh!

Auntie Clutton - I knew you didn't really wrap my knuckles...

clutton_2

i like being an auntie !!! - some of my tenants would say i have been their fairy godmother also !! !






blows own trumpet unashamedly !

EagerLearner

Feel free to blow trumpet :T

Right - we looked through all paperwork last night. God, that was a horrible task!

Anyway here is the summary:

- Receipts and 'invoices' are laughable -

Her 'receipt' for cleaning is on a handwritten scrap of paper, with 2 names - 'Suzanne & Julie', no address or contact info - £120. £35 of this is cleaning of oven, hob and hood - we cleaned it within an inch of it's life :mad:

The 'receipt' for cleaning windows is also a scrap of handwritten paper, this one just with 'For cleaning windows', the amount and a name - Fergus O'Donnell. £28.50.

The 'receipt' for carpet installation from 'Carpet Right' seems to be on a comp slip - handwritten - with a total amount including fitting, but no date, no VAT etc - must have been something obtained at a counter. This is presumably a quote only as it doesn't say 'paid' and presumably such a document would be far more professional if it were showing the services had actually been rendered. £329.33, of which we were charged half. It means she charged us half of the carpet for the entire apartment presumably (as the handwritten note just says 'goods and accessories'), rather than just half of the living room (which we should have to pay if it's wear and tear).

The 'receipt' for supplying and fitting the radiator panel is an ESTIMATE and clearly says so on the paper, it is not an invoice, nor a receipt proving the item has been paid. £97.70.

Her 'invoice' for the Ikea blinds is just two product pages printed off from the Ikea website, not a proper till receipt proving she bought the blinds. £12.99 x 2, and another printout for a £15.99 blind. We marked 2 of them slightly, but not enough to warrant 3 new blinds.

Then, last but not least, is the receipt from the 'decorator' Gloria. Shows a total of £150 labour and £58.39 materials = £208.39. Basically says in 2 lines 'For making good damage to decoration in kitchen, sitting room, hall and bedroom. On walls, ceiling and paintwork'. It makes it sound like we were hellraisers! In fact, the walls were no different to when we moved in as we only put 2 nails in the place.

Strangest of all - Gloria's decorating receipt address is the SAME address we have recently been given by the LA! Our recent attempts at finding out info on that address came up with nothing - is there any chance someone can give it another go for us?

In any case we think that address is a dead end as it's Gloria's address - not necessarily landlady's. However, we're starting to wonder if they live together but landlady is 'under the radar'.

barnaby-bear

EagerLearner wrote:

Gloria

Does she exist. I think receipts have to have a full name anyway.

If she does is she paying her tax, could you query whether the recipt is valid for tax - perhaps with HM REvenue+Customs, given someone seems likely to have earned £300+ cash in hand
http://www.direct.gov.uk/MoneyTaxAndBenefits/Taxes/ContactOrDealWithTheInlandRevenue/ContactOrDealWithIrArticles/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=10010579&chk=KPU9JS

You can report this type of fraud by calling the Business Anti-Fraud helpline on 0800 788 887, open Monday to Friday from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm. This is a confidential service and you don’t have to give your name.

If you know someone whose business is not registered for tax call the Tax Evasion Hotline on 0800 788 887, open Monday to Sunday from 8.00 am to 8.00 pm and HMRC will do something about it. You don't need to leave your name and address.

Some businesses deliberately avoid registering for VAT, thereby gaining an unfair advantage over their competitors. Others may either be bogus or may lie about the amount of VAT that they owe.

You might know that a business is not declaring all the VAT they’re charging, or you might think that they’re not because they:
ask you to pay them in cash and are reluctant to provide an invoice You can report this by phoning the Customs Confidential hotline, 0800 595 000, open 24 hours, seven days a week.You don’t have to give your name or any personal details

---

I'd also contact them regarding the LLs personal affairs, full details of all her properties, rental agents, the dodgy repair receipts - via the personal tax division - can't help getting to departments interested. But then I'm a nasty vindictive person

---

I think that receipts a bit of a killer - if you go to court with LA - can again prove being given run around, ask for court for LA to provide proof of her ID and address because by being her address they are her agent. Add in the stress, extra work etc.... PLUS their september offer to discuss the issue.

barnaby-bear

EagerLearner wrote:

Feel free to blow trumpet :T

Right - we looked through all paperwork last night. God, that was a horrible task!

Anyway here is the summary:

- Receipts and 'invoices' are laughable -

Her 'receipt' for cleaning is on a handwritten scrap of paper, with 2 names - 'Suzanne & Julie', no address or contact info - £120. £35 of this is cleaning of oven, hob and hood - we cleaned it within an inch of it's life :mad:

The 'receipt' for cleaning windows is also a scrap of handwritten paper, this one just with 'For cleaning windows', the amount and a name - Fergus O'Donnell. £28.50.

The 'receipt' for carpet installation from 'Carpet Right' seems to be on a comp slip - handwritten - with a total amount including fitting, but no date, no VAT etc - must have been something obtained at a counter. This is presumably a quote only as it doesn't say 'paid' and presumably such a document would be far more professional if it were showing the services had actually been rendered. £329.33, of which we were charged half. It means she charged us half of the carpet for the entire apartment presumably (as the handwritten note just says 'goods and accessories'), rather than just half of the living room (which we should have to pay if it's wear and tear).

The 'receipt' for supplying and fitting the radiator panel is an ESTIMATE and clearly says so on the paper, it is not an invoice, nor a receipt proving the item has been paid. £97.70.

Her 'invoice' for the Ikea blinds is just two product pages printed off from the Ikea website, not a proper till receipt proving she bought the blinds. £12.99 x 2, and another printout for a £15.99 blind. We marked 2 of them slightly, but not enough to warrant 3 new blinds.

Then, last but not least, is the receipt from the 'decorator' Gloria. Shows a total of £150 labour and £58.39 materials = £208.39. Basically says in 2 lines 'For making good damage to decoration in kitchen, sitting room, hall and bedroom. On walls, ceiling and paintwork'. It makes it sound like we were hellraisers! In fact, the walls were no different to when we moved in as we only put 2 nails in the place.

Strangest of all - Gloria's decorating receipt address is the SAME address we have recently been given by the LA! Our recent attempts at finding out info on that address came up with nothing - is there any chance someone can give it another go for us?

In any case we think that address is a dead end as it's Gloria's address - not necessarily landlady's. However, we're starting to wonder if they live together but landlady is 'under the radar'.

If they aren't genuine receipts - it is fraud and criminal rather than civil.

clutton_2

so EL after this wholly unwholesome review of this wholly unwholesome person - are you carrying on this fight ?

EagerLearner

Hi all,

Gloria is real - we met her on several occasions - suspiciously, she was always seemed to be by the landlady. We are now wondering if they live together, as the note they wrote to LA says 'we are moving soon'. Although Mr EL says this could be landlady and her daughter, but we doubt it - either Gloria and landlady are sisters, or they are a couple, just with different surnames.

The address we now have, is the same address Gloria was at in August (as shown on her 'invoice' - showing she had already moved to this 'new' address, presumably in early August. THEREFORE surely the letters we sent to the landlady at the previous address in July/August would have been received, as you always check for mail a month after moving?

We are going to pursue this, I am just waiting for 10am so I can call the court and ask if we can still submit documents for the 13th now, or whether we have to postpone for January. Have all the documents with me at work to photocopy.

Should I do a summary sheet explaining each item that is enclosed (and highlight in yellow all relevant bits on photocopies), or just include all the items with yellow highligher on relevant bits?

I will call the taxline and enquire about Gloria, as it's the only fixed address we have.

Edna_Bucket_2

EagerLearner wrote:

...The 'receipt' for carpet installation from 'Carpet Right' seems to be on a comp slip - handwritten - with a total amount including fitting, but no date, no VAT etc - must have been something obtained at a counter. This is presumably a quote only as it doesn't say 'paid' and presumably such a document would be far more professional if it were showing the services had actually been rendered...

Everything sounds dodgy about these "receipts" you've listed, but this one is at least from a legit company. Is it worth popping in to the branch of Carpetright and asking whether this is the sort of thing they produce or not?

If you mention the magic words that it relates to a Court case and potential tax fraud, I am sure they'll be more than willing to help!

EagerLearner

Just called court - they say we can present documents tomorrow. Having just spent an hour photocopying (no-one is in today) - I now have to photocopy all the docs again to send to the LA as well... aaargh.

I asked if I could do a summary sheet with each item numbered and they said yes.

I also copied docs to send to ARLA as we're going to file a complaint against the LA with them too. Any ideas as to whether we should do this now (so that ARLA may contact them before the court case and hopefully get them bricking it) or whether we should file it later?