Please help re flat deposit

dancingfairy

Wahooooo! Congratulations.

You will, you will, get her, you will, you will, get her (sang to we will rock you).


Fantastic news -I'm so pleased for you. She's in serious trouble now- she knows your homing in on here. Here's hoping she ends up spending some time at her majestys pleasure and you get your money back plus money for all the stress and time and hassle soon.

What will we all have to do all day with no ongoing saga to read? We might have to do some work.

EagerLearner

Hi all,

Barnaby-Bear you'll be pleased to know I just called the Tax Reporting hotline and gave them details for both Gloria and the landlady. I also said she has 3 other properties in Brighton, one of which I know is a private tenant paying her directly. The lady was very helpful and will pass it onto the investigation team.

Vert satisfying!

I just have to hope we get justice in one form or another, whether cash or just satisfaction someone got her - even if it's the Tax man!

glitterygert

:j :beer: :beer: :j

EL you go girl, I'm so glad you are feeling more positive, I felt really down for you the other day, glad you're not throwing the towel in.

EagerLearner

Thanks GlitteryGert!

PLAN OF ACTION

Tonight will be spent on the floor, 3 piles:

Pile #1 is for ARLA complaint.

Pile #2 is court documents.

Pile #3 is court documents (letting agent copy).

We then number each document in each pile.

We then highlight relevant passages in each pile (damn, forgot to get yellow highlighter at lunch).

We then create a summary sheet showing what each numbered item is and why it is relevant.

Place summary sheet onto each pile.

Create a letter to go with each pile.

Post 1 and 3, hand deliver 2 - all tomorrow.

Fun, fun, fun!

glitterygert

wow, you're so organised, my head would be numb by now.

Mrs_pbradley936

Have you found out if you can submit to the Court or have you postponed until after your holiday? Sorry if I have missed that bit!

EagerLearner

Should I send 1 & 3 via Recorded Delivery?

Anyone want to do a quick summary of main points we should mention to make sure we don't miss out anything

The ones I have so far:

Opening statement:

We are here because of a dispute about a rental deposit paid to the Letting Agents as the agents on behalf of Mrs JW, the landlady.

We have asked the letting agents to return our deposit because on check-out in June we left the flat in good condition and spotlessly clean.

The letting agents have declined to return our deposit and instead say that they have given it to Mrs JW on the production of bogus invoices/receipts, even though they knew full well that the matter was in dispute.

In addition they have not provided an address for Mrs JW that would have enabled us to serve legal Notices some months ago, rather than only in September through our own investigations.

We were not sure if we ought to have been paid the deposit by the letting agent or Mrs JW and so put both on the claim.

We have now been awarded judgement against Mrs JW and are here to see if the letting agent were acting correctly throughout the entire matter. We are young an inexperienced and put ourselves in the hands of a professional letting agent because we thought that they had certified ARLA status and could be trusted to act professionally for both parties. Indeed their website says "We recruit only the most conscientious and highly trained staff who provide a level of expertise acutely needed in a market where clients demand ever-higher standards."

Breakdown of events:

- June 5th - Letting agent did not permit us to be present at checking-out

- To date Letting agent has still not provided us with a copy of the check-out inventory

- 14th -26th July - Claimant wrote letters and e-mails to letting agent chasing return of deposit.

- 1st August - Letting agent did not attempt to resolve dispute and suggested we liaise with landlord directly as they were not managing the property. Letting agent stated a c/o address was the only address they had on file for landlady and did not assist us further. This was not satisfactory for court action.

- 3rd & 10th August - Letting agent and landlady were sent letters by the claimant stating court action would be taken if the dispute was not resolved.

- August 14th - Letting agent only supplied breakdown of costs on 14th August, deposit was due back 5th July. Letting agent and landlord did not take into account items mentioned on moving-in inventory, when calculating purported deductions to deposit. Letting agent permitted handwritten notes and estimates to be presented by landlord as actual expenses. Letting agent permitted a purported invoice from the landlord's address to be deducted from deposit.

- August/September - Claimant therefore researched online over several weeks and incurring more costs, discovered landlord real address - court action was commenced against her and also against letting agent, due to us being unsure about their status in this matter, in order to recover deposit from either party.

- 11th September - Once court action was commenced, the letting agent wrote a letter to claimant stating the landlord wished to resolve the dispute amicably Claimants were confused at re-involvement of letting agent.

- 2nd November - Once court judgement was awarded in claimants defense, claimant requested deposit in writing from letting agent via letter.

- 3rd November - Claimants received letter from letting agent stating that the disputed deposit money had been refunded by letting agent to the landlord on 15th August 2006, despite the dispute and despite questionable purported deductions and purported 'receipts and invoices' for such deductions.

The claimants are confused as to why on 1st August the letting agent claimed to no longer be involved, yet on the 11th September the letting agent offered to negotiate on the dispute - yet they had already seemingly given the deposit back to the landlord on 15th August (as per their letter of 3rd November).

I will fill in more dates later - any thoughts so far?

EagerLearner

Hi P - yes, I can hand deliver the court docs tomorrow, and post a copy to letting agent.

barnaby-bear

EagerLearner wrote:

Hi all,

Barnaby-Bear you'll be pleased to know I just called the Tax Reporting hotline and gave them details for both Gloria and the landlady. I also said she has 3 other properties in Brighton, one of which I know is a private tenant paying her directly. The lady was very helpful and will pass it onto the investigation team.

Vert satisfying!

I just have to hope we get justice in one form or another, whether cash or just satisfaction someone got her - even if it's the Tax man!

:T :T :T :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

EagerLearner

barnaby-bear wrote:

:T :T :T :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

:cool: :cool: :cool: :T :beer: :j