Got a letter from my landlord this morning...

alasia

No, Ive been getting cheques every month from the council for between four and six pounds, that will be why then; I did wonder!

So the landlord is in fact getting the full rent paid...I worked the arrears out to be £805 or round-abouts, so I still dont get why 2 weeks ago he said I owed £918-something, and now hes put on the arrears form that I owe £300 less than that amount

I phoned the council to see if he had any backdated rent at any point and they refused to tell me, so should I just keep quiet and pay him the £607 - and hope he never asks for anymore - or phone the LL and ask if hes made a mistake?

Im sort of tempted to just take it that he must have got the £607 figure correct as Im sure he has got it from his records, and it helps me as its means I will have the deposit for a new place sooner than I thought.

kidcat

LHA payments are paid based on average of rents in an area, and based upon the number of bedrooms required. So there will be a maximum figure Alasia can claim for a two bed property in her area, if her rent is less than the LHA figure she is entitled to the extra upto a maximum of £15 - and it looks as though that is the overpayment the LL is receiving.

Alasia - as the LL has sent you a statement that is the figure you should be repaying, its likely he hadnt fully worked out the figures invlved previously when he wrote, or even that your rent has been paid since he wrote by the council.

Congratulations on the job, and good luck getting sorted.

ViolaLass

I would take the view that if your LL bothered to write down what he has been paid when, then you can trust the final figure (all the more so as it's lower than what he previously told you).

I just wanted to echo what other people have said about saving £10 a week for your children's birthday's. This is a large chunk of the amount you have coming in and as it is, you don't have any spare money. Why not use the money to pay the LL off more quickly, or buy your son's shoes or some more knickers for yourself etc. There are so many things that are more urgent than your children getting another toy - when you say that they won't understand why they're not getting toys for their birthday, you assume that children are born expecting toys. They aren't! Just spend a special day with them, feed the ducks or run around making silly noises or give them piggy backs or whatever they want to do. They will treasure that far more and if it contributes to them having a more stable childhood (because you spent the money on something more urgent instead), then that will be the most positive thing you can do.

You seem to be slowly coming to grips with your situation but you need to think far more long term than presents for their next birthday.

And as has been said before, you most certainly do not need a TV licence if you do not want live TV so if you don't use the TV, you don't need a licence. Stop paying it immediately! Yes, they will send you threatening letters and just maybe they'll visit you but that's all and it's harmless really provided you really aren't using the TV. I've had these letters all my life as I've never had a TV. The letters are annoying but they are harmless. You're strong enough to be able to bin them!

(just to prove that TV letters follow you everywhere, I moved to Italy this summer and my first piece of post was from the TV people correctly accusing me of not buying a licence. I have ignored it - it's not that hard!)

BitterAndTwisted

I think you'll find that just actually owning a TV means you are obliged to buy a license. Not actually using the TV doesn't count. The OP will have to sell the TV and be able to provide proof that she has done so.

ViolaLass

Bitter and Twisted, I know from experience that it's fine as my parents owned a TV when I lived at home but we used it only to watch videos and therefore did not need a licence. We checked with the TV authority people and received a letter from them confirming that this was fine. We were visited a few times over the years but nothing more ever happened.

clutton_2

even my accountant says it is next to impossible to agree figures with LHA income and spasmodic payments by tenants... i also have never been able to balance their accounts to the correct penny when they leave...

if he asks you for a lower amount, write and accept it immediately, and put forward a payment plan and STICK TO IT and start saving for your next deposit this week - and dont take one single penny out of it until moving day) .... if necessary sell something you no longer use.... do a boot fair with a friend...

good on ya.. you are coming through this very difficult time with flying colours - having taken a lot of stick, some from me, and others, and yet you have never responded with nastiness or abuse... well done, and i apologise if i have been too abrupt - it was not meant harshly....

"being with" kids is much more important than giving them stuff ....


re TVs - i got taken to court a few years back, after i had rented my house out to an acquaintance, and he had sublet it to someone else who did not have a license.... the TV man called when i was home and wiht the set on... he charged me with Watching an unlicensed piece of apparatus capable of receiving a tv-signal set and installing an unlicensed set.. I managed to get the installing charge dropped, as i could prove that it was not my set and that i had not installed it.. but i got fined for watching it...

the nice TV man said... "even if you were a baby sitter i would prosecutte you as the offence is Watching an unlicensed set - whoever you are "

Having said all that OP can put off paying for her TV license.. they will go a year of writing to you before coming out to visit.

bw

alasia

haha clutton thats the nicest post Ive read from you so far thanks. And no, you were never too abrupt.

You know the only reason I was bothered about the toys for the kids birthdays?
Because they have none. Well I tell a lie; they have a pink musical chair thing, a baby born horse with no batteries and a walking dinosaur thing, but thats it.
The poor little lambs look lost most of the day and resort to either bugging me (meant in a nice way! lol) or rolling a candle I have along the floor - no joke!

I guess though, they are still young and if I can get myself sorted then from next year onwards they can be spoilt rotten (ish!).

I will get a payment plan sent off to the LL this afternoon, although I guarantee he has made a mistake somewhere and will ask for the extra £300 at some point...I will start saving now as you said clutton, although I have nothing to sell apart from the tv

I appreciate everyones advice; oh and btw I want everyone to know I am not deliberately not using punctuation; the apostrophe/atsign button on my keyboard isnt working.
I hate bad grammar and punctuation on message forumns, so I hope I havent annoyed anyone with my missing apostrophes! :rotfl:

Thanks again for the advice all.

chris_m

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

I think you'll find that just actually owning a TV means you are obliged to buy a license. Not actually using the TV doesn't count.

Wrong. You only require a license if you have a TV (or video, etc) INSTALLED - i.e. able to be used by just turning it on.

Just owning one gives you no obligation whatsoever. For example, I have an old TV in the loft and another in a cupboard in my junk room. If I didn't have a newer TV and a PVR installed in my lounge I would not need a license for the two which are not plugged in to either power or an aerial.

sooz

alasia wrote: »

You know the only reason I was bothered about the toys for the kids birthdays?
Because they have none. Well I tell a lie; they have a pink musical chair thing, a baby born horse with no batteries and a walking dinosaur thing, but thats it.
The poor little lambs look lost most of the day and resort to either bugging me (meant in a nice way! lol) or rolling a candle I have along the floor - no joke!

.

Well done for getting that statement from the LL &trying to get back on track.

The kids don't need lots or expensive toys. The more you have, the more clutter in your house & the more stressed you & they get trying to tidy up (I say as I run round the house with a charity bag yet again, trying to create order ).

Take them to the library & borrow some books. It's free :T
You can also get books with tapes or cds for them to listen to, & turn the pages as they read.

Or have a look out for your local NCT sale, or next school fair. I've sold loads of toys at the NCT, in great condition, for between 50p & £3 pounds. The £3 ones were huge expensive presents that probably cost the giver over £30. Played with for 6 months, then abandoned for the next fad.

At our local school fair, all books are sold off for 10p. My children love going round with 50p & chosing a new selection to buy.

The point is you don't have to try to save loads to buy them a big present or presents for birthdays. They don't care if it comes in a box, or isn't new. It's new to them.

BitterAndTwisted

alasia wrote: »

You know the only reason I was bothered about the toys for the kids birthdays?
Because they have none. Well I tell a lie; they have a pink musical chair thing, a baby born horse with no batteries and a walking dinosaur thing, but thats it.
The poor little lambs look lost most of the day and resort to either bugging me (meant in a nice way! lol) or rolling a candle I have along the floor - no joke!

Pop round to your local charity shop and see what they've got there. Just because it may not be new doesn't mean it won't be new to your kids.

Have you tried Freecycle and maybe put a "wanted" request on there with your children's ages?