Panic, debt shock, no sign of original bills

Cashby

Just picked up a letter at my rental property from Property Debt Collection Limited. With some frightening figures on.
They have been instructed to collect my ground rent.
I have always paid this on time.
But the ground rent company, Haynes Security, have stopped writing to me at my home address so I was not aware of the debt building up.
I have the previous demands that I have paid with my home address on as the stated delivery address.
The last one for 2017.
I have several properties so I had not noticed the demands had stopped.

What recourse do I have please as they have made no attempt to contact me since 2017 at my home/delivery address?
I do not know where their letters have been going and my tenants have never passed on any letters.

WhenIam64

What recourse do I have please as they have made no attempt to contact me since 2017 at my home/delivery address?

errr.... none. Read your leasehold agreement.

I have several properties so I had not noticed the demands had stopped.

When you purchased all those properties (assume leasehold), your solicitor will have informed you of the terms you were obliged to meet. Have you been back to your solicitor about this?

You'll be happy to know that PDCL do court for these debts.

boo_star

You know you haven't paid them so despite their lack of communication (which isn't an excuse for you not paying them anyway) why don't you, you know, pay them?

tlc678910

Hi,
Are the "frightening figures" mostly charges and fines rather than the actual ground rent? Do you feel that the company are deliberately trying to scam people by not attempting to collect the money so they can then add huge charges? If so that sounds unfair to me. Post a bit more detail so people can give better advice but perhaps CAB/ Legal advice ?

Cashby

I bought the flat in 2003. I have never lived in it.
I always paid the ground rent demand every year and it was sent to my home addresses.
The last demand I received was in 2016 for the 2017 rent. I paid this by bank transfer. I have my bank statement to show this. I have called the bank to try and get further proof that I paid ie sort code & account but they cannot give me any further detail.
The bill from pdc includes ground rent for 2017 (that I paid) the two years previously, which I think I paid (and if I didn’t why didn’t they mention it in the 2017 demand) and bills for 2018 & 2019. So 5 years in total 2015-2019 (of which 2017 I paid).
Then there are a load of their charges on top that double it.
But no contact from the original company except the 2017 demand which I paid.
I do not dispute that I should pay my ground rent.
Is there no obligation for the company that I owe it too to actually send me a bill for it though?
I’ve never moved house & the bill for 2017 had my home address on it. So they know where I live.

getmore4less

You are running a business

Standard budget and audit procedures would have spotted that the ground rent payments had not been made.

Cashby

I don’t think I am running a business, I’m a private landlord & I file my own tax returns.
Does the ground rent company have no requirement to send me the bill? Am I supposed to guess how much I owe?
Feels like an entrapment.

boo_star

Cashby wrote: »

I don’t think I am running a business

I’m a private landlord

You're a landlord, therefore you are running a business.

elsien

Being a private landlord is running a business. With all the legal obligations that entails. Perhaps from here on it it would help if you start thinking of it like that so you don't miss anything else you should be doing.
How can you do your tax returns properly if you don't know what you've paid and when?

Cashby

My husband does the tax return. We simply missed this because the ground rent company stopped sending the bills.
Is there no obligation to send the bill?

boo_star

Cashby wrote: »

My husband does the tax return. We simply missed this because the ground rent company stopped sending the bills.
Is there no obligation to send the bill?

Does the ground rent change from year to year?

If it doesn't then I don't see why a bill would be required, you'll have been told when purchasing the property how much is due and when.