neighbour being evicted, HELP!

jenhug

Hi.
I will try and be as brief as poss.

Next door is rented, privately but on HB.

Letting agent cocked up with regards to getting the correct rent off tenant, so LL issues eviction notice. Council investigate, was miscommunication error between LA and HB office. Arrears paid LL withdraws notice, tells her they won't be evicting, happy for her to stay.

Letting agent then say Tenant still owes money, so pays off arrears. Then they say she has paid too much their mistake (but don't pay back the over payment)

LL has got fed up (I think) of the messing around and is evicting neighbour any way. She wrote to LL via LA asking to stay, LA has come back and said no you have to go.

Found out today she has to be out in 3 weeks, she is a single mum of 2 who's just come out of hospital after major surgery. Turns out it went to court and she wasn't notified.

Is there anything we can do? She is the longest standing tenant that we have had and she is lovely. She doesn't want to move, and we don't want her to move either.

If anyone has any suggestions we would be really greatful.

RAS

Hi

Starting point is she has not got to move in 3 weeks; in fact if she does many LAs will treat her as intentionally homeless.

She needs to speak to Shelter, with all the documentation that she has, urgently. They will need the details which you just will not have.

p_joker

can she speak to someone at the council who sort housing benefit? she can't be chucked out of her house with 3 weeks notice. Shelter aren't much help they weren't for us anyway get her to talk to someone at the council should be able to find out for the internet.

jenhug

the council are phoning the letting agent this morning to see what is happening, but I will tell her to speak to shelter too.
It was all done officially at the end of last year to get her out with the appropriate notice, then it was withdrawn. I feel the issues have arisen due to the letting agent making mistakes (they never told her she was in arrears for 18 months, despite doing a periodic inspection every 6 months.) When she queried this they said they didn't have her contact details?!

Brb

Don't have her contact details ? LMAO best one I've heard for a while!!

If landlord went to court whilst she was in hospital and got a possession order then get her to also ring court and explain about the hospital (she may need to provide proof). Up until the moment baliffs arrive I believe she can ask that for it to be put-aside and ask for a hearing. It will only give her a few more weeks though (claiming hardship).

Has she gone through her post ? should be something from the court there. Whether or not LA is at fault if LL has used S21 process there is no defense (other than S21 being incorrect in itself).

jenhug

I have forwarded this message to my neighbour, hopefully she can answer some questions more fully. If there is anything we can do to stop her leaving then we are going to try, she is the best neighbour we have had. Our kids have a bond, she is so clean and tidy and respectful of other neighbours feelings, from our experience of rented in that house she is a minority and we want to keep her!

DON79

Can't you write the landlord a letter of recommendation yourself to him explaining how she is an excellent tenant and that he would be an idiot (phrase it more poliltely lol) to let her go?

jenhug

thats exactly what I am planning on doing today Don79. I don't know if it will make a difference but it is worth a go. Before she moved in it was empty for several months, as its priced at the top end of the market for the area. I know its several hundred pounds more than my mortgage!

DON79

sounds like he definitely needs to wake up then as to throw out a good tenant like that - well enough said really! why take the risk of the house being empty with someone not willing to pay the level of rent that he is already receiving... not exactly clever....

Brb

jenhug wrote: »

I have forwarded this message to my neighbour, hopefully she can answer some questions more fully. If there is anything we can do to stop her leaving then we are going to try, she is the best neighbour we have had. Our kids have a bond, she is so clean and tidy and respectful of other neighbours feelings, from our experience of rented in that house she is a minority and we want to keep her!

Can totally understand where you're coming from. I have exact same opposite feeling for my neighbour and wish her LL would evict her!

dancingfairy

It sounds like it is the letting agents fault. I also noticed that you said she wrote to the landlord via the letting agents and the letting agents replied. Now it may be possible that it's not the landlord but the letting agents trying to get her out. She may be pointing out the fact they are useless and they don't want people knowing so are trying to get her out. They probably also want to get more money out of the landlord for tenant finding services, getting a new tenant in etc.
Has she got the landlords actual address and not just sending it via the LA?
Has she put in a complaint and got paperwork from the LA with regards to what's happened and why?
df