Warrant of entry

torbrex

How do you know its the gas meter they are after? and if it is then they definitely need to get into the actual flat to ensure that everything is safe before the disconnect the meter.

Its good to know that you think someone is going to go to all the bother of forging a warrant of entry when they could have just smashed the door down when they were first there, your neighbour must be involved in some high level stuff.

chanz4

As the warrant wont be to your property , but the other flat you don't have a right to see the warrant. However if they have to drill the com lock, and change it you will need to collect a key from the police station.

torbrex

chanz4 wrote: »

As the warrant wont be to your property , but the other flat you don't have a right to see the warrant. However if they have to drill the com lock, and change it you will need to collect a key from the police station.

Wrong
If the warrant is used to gain entry through the communal door then all residents are entitled to see the warrant and challenge it if they wish to.

chanz4

they don't have a right to see it, show mw where in the rights of entry act

ValHaller

chanz4 wrote: »

they don't have a right to see it, show mw where in the rights of entry act

It's hardly a state secret is it? FGS

If you tell us who has rights to see a warrant, I would be very surprised if everyone behind a communal door does not have a right to see it if it is used to pass that door. Certainly, if it were a single dwelling, then I would expect everyone on those premises to have rights to see the warrant.

As I see it, the warrant is an authority to demand entry, so it would be quite harebrained not to show it to people behind the communal door if you were hoping they would open up.

[Deleted User]

The logistics of getting all the flat dwellers to peruse the entry warrant would be ridiculous. OP, just let the men in through the communal door and let them get on with their vital work. after all , the flat dweller in question may well be bypassing the meters risking explosions/fires in doing so. Its to your benefit to assist the warrant holder

chanz4

The property that it relates to only, the communal area is just that. Of course discretion can be used, but their isn't a right.

ValHaller

sacsquacco wrote: »

The logistics of getting all the flat dwellers to peruse the entry warrant would be ridiculous. OP, just let the men in through the communal door and let them get on with their vital work. after all , the flat dweller in question may well be bypassing the meters risking explosions/fires in doing so. Its to your benefit to assist the warrant holder

What would be ridiculous is having every single dweller behind the communal door see the warrant and make a democratic decision to open the door.

What is reasonable is that any resident behind the door has the right to see it. It makes sense if you are hoping that resident will open the door.

Wywth

bouicca21 wrote: »

I live in a flat in a large Victorian house. We have a communal front door to the street then each flat has its own front door leading off the communal space.

I strongly suspect that one of my neighbours has done a runner. Bailiffs were after him about a month ago and there are piles of uncollected post. Today someone from a utility company came round and said they are coming back tomorrow with a warrant of entry unless he pays his bill pronto.

I work at home so the chances are that I will be here and probably the only person in the building. If they ring my bell, do I have to let them in through the communal door so that they can get to his door? How do I know they are genuine? I have no idea what a warrant of entry is or what it looks like.

Any bailiff will carry identity. The bailiff will also have a copy of the court warrant granting entry.

It's up to you whether or not you let the bailiff in, but the bailiff will be entering whatever you decide. Why not let them in (as you presumably would with any other service such as the postman, meter reader, etc)?

Otherwise the bailiff may well put the door in ... although usually they use a locksmith who will gain entry.
Either way, chances are you will be inconvenienced by the forceful entry and your neighbour will incur yet more costs.

undaunted

Sorry but why on eart do you want to make an issue out of this?

It isn't your flat they are wanting to enter, they will have identification as well as a warrant (they probably wont have a lock smith or the police with them - unless you create a problem for them in which case they may be called) so if you're in surely it's easiest for you to just let them in through the communal door, do their job & leave. It won't affect you in any way so what is the problem?