Colleague of Martin Lewis threatened to write about me in the paper

comeandgo

If I received that letter I would read it as a threat too otherwise why bother mentioning her connections.

ceeme

comeandgo said:

If I received that letter I would read it as a threat too otherwise why bother mentioning her connections.

Exactly. Very unethical at the least. Surely this goes against whatever contract she signed with her newspaper; surely she can't use her position as leverage like that. 

ceeme

FYI: This topic has now been posted about on twitter, from an owner of another forum; Vanessa Warwick. Martin Lewis is tagged and the tweet reads:

*NEW* How ironic - Corporate landlord uses journalist connections to threaten tenant

Pollycat

What are you going to do with all these opinions you've asked for?

What exactly are you looking to get out of this?

Have you responded to the letter/email from your landlord to reiterate that you cannot afford to pay the rent and you are not a person or company looking to avoid paying rent because of covid-19?

ceeme

What exactly are you looking to get out of this?

To see if other people also think I was threatened. To perhaps get the attention of Martin Lewis, or a spokesperson of Martin Lewis to hear their opinion. 

Galloglass

You do realise that the rent is still owed even though you have cash flow difficulties at the moment. 

If you do not think you'll be able to pay the arrears, you might want to pop over to the Debt sections and see what your options are after this is all over. For example, some landlords don't send letters and send Statutory Demands instead as part of a process in making people bankrupt. 

You might want to consider how the future may pan out and plan accordingly. 

Hermann

I see the letter as wholly inappropriate, insulting and agree it contains veiled threats.

However the situation that rent is due exists regardless and your focus should be on finding a mutually agreeable solution.

Just view this as a clumsy, unsuccessful opening gambit and take a higher moral ground yourself and respond with a genuine realistic solution. 

It's up to Martin Lewis if he is ok with the references or not and it now seems likely he will be aware himself. Leave that element to him and focus on a solution to the rent issue.

ceeme

Andy_L said:

They can only bully you into paying them if you have the money. 

No. They can bully me even if we don't have the money. 

Undervalued

ceeme said:

Andy_L said:

They can only bully you into paying them if you have the money. 

No. They can bully me even if we don't have the money. 

Depends what you mean by "bully".

The can use any lawful method to try and recover any legal debt you owe them.

The newspaper can print what it likes about you, providing it is true and they have not broken the law in obtaining the information.

If someone has an "in" with a newspaper, then they may be more likely to get a story printed than somebody who does not. Nothing in itself unlawful about that.

unholyangel

Gonna-be-debt-free said:

I seem to be in the minority with this opinion, but I read it as a threat - pay me or you'll be in the paper.  Personally I think it is an abuse of her position for personal  gain and a very immoral thing to do.

If I found out anyone was using my name or connection to me in that manner I would be livid.

I've had the name dropping, my response is always along the lines of "If they're using my name then you can assume they're a stranger to me, as anyone who knows me well enough to actually use my name knows I wouldn't approve of them doing so". 

I would suggest suggest the message is a bit over the line on rudeness, but it doesn't come across as a threat. But you may find the landlord has had a lot of excuses off their tenants and their patience is wearing thin because they are a business too and suffering financially. Stress makes people a bit more irritable than they normally would be.