Estate Agent refusing to pay Judgement costs to me

tpbullets

Hi Guys,

could really do with some help right now.

I took my previous landlord to court over a variety of problems and money they owed me. They didn't respond to my claim and after a long wait, I had the opportunity to request judgement. Which I have done and it has now been served to them.

I am asking for £5,900 plus the £400 or so of my legal fees, so £6,300 total.

My concern is, I won't get a penny from them. They have refused to cooperate during the whole process of this. So I have no doubts that they won't 'Voluntarily' decide to now pay me. Therefore, I am left with just a couple of options to try and get my money back.

The main one is - getting bailiffs. My understanding is, I have to pay a further fee and then I get a max of £5,000 back. And let's be honest, if you can't take assets which they need for their job, there's not really anything you can take from an estate agents.

Therefore, is there any alternative routes I can take to ensure I get my full amount back?

I feel really let down by the laws regarding this, that they can just carry on going about their business making money, but I can't get anything off them.

nidO

One obvious question I have from this is:

Who did you take to court, and who do you have a judgement against? Your post switches between an estate agent (I assume you mean a letting agent) and your landlord, which is it?

tpbullets

Sorry, the judgement is against the estate agent.

Reason being, is that I was never provided with the details of the landlord. My contract had the details down as the agency.

Pixie5740

So you were awarded £5,900 plus court costs because the letting agency failed to provide you with the landlord's contact details within the allotted timescale (30 days?)?

I think you can ask an officer of the company to attend court to give details of the accounts but since the letting agency didn't responded to your original claim I doubt they would do that. It could be possible to make them bankrupt but that could be expensive for you.

Is the letting agent a member of one of the redress schemes? If so have you contacted the scheme about their conduct?

stator

If they are still trading send in the Bailiffs. Would be interesting to see them cope if all their computer equipment and photocopiers are sezied

Stevie_Palimo

stator wrote: »

If they are still trading send in the Bailiffs. Would be interesting to see them cope if all their computer equipment and photocopiers are sezied

You better hope they have money in an account as at best a few pc's and a printer maybe worth the back end of a couple hundred pound at most.

vuvuzela

Stevie_Palimo wrote: »

You better hope they have money in an account as at best a few pc's and a printer maybe worth the back end of a couple hundred pound at most.

And as if said they are tools the agent needs to work then they can't be taken.

adouglasmhor

vuvuzela wrote: »

And as if said they are tools the agent needs to work then they can't be taken.

Only up to a value of £1,350 anytjing over that is fair game
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/1894/regulation/4/made

molerat

If they are personal "tools of trade" they cannot be seized but if they belong to a business they can even if essential to the day to day operation.

adouglasmhor

molerat wrote: »

If they are personal "tools of trade" they cannot be seized but if they belong to a business they can even if essential to the day to day operation.

See my post above, yes they can.

DTDfanBoy

Who is actually named in the judgement, an estate agent or an estate agency ??