Lodger Deposit

Lottie-B

I recently left a property (almost 4 weeks ago) where I was renting a room with live in landlord. The landlord still hasn’t returned my deposit. I paid by bank transfer and this is how I need my deposit to be returned. The landlord is insisting I have to agree to cash and I have to go and collect it. I’m no longer in the area, but even if I was, I would not wish to collect as he was basically behaving inappropriately towards me which is why I moved out. Now he’s being a bully and sending threatening texts when I say I will take legal action. Can he insist on cash? I really don’t want to have to go to court, but he’s saying I’m wrong. 

zagubov

We're in the middle of a plague.
I'm pretty sure you're justified in demanding only contactless forms of reimbursement.
He can post you a cheque unless you don't want him to know your new address (it should be virus-free by the time it reaches you), or he can return it the way he received it by bank transfer.
Ask him to tell you what's wrong with that.

DCFC79

Lottie-B said:

I recently left a property (almost 4 weeks ago) where I was renting a room with live in landlord. The landlord still hasn’t returned my deposit. I paid by bank transfer and this is how I need my deposit to be returned. The landlord is insisting I have to agree to cash and I have to go and collect it. I’m no longer in the area, but even if I was, I would not wish to collect as he was basically behaving inappropriately towards me which is why I moved out. Now he’s being a bully and sending threatening texts when I say I will take legal action. Can he insist on cash? I really don’t want to have to go to court, but he’s saying I’m wrong. 

Does your agreement not say how it must be returned ?

Living_proof

I have a lodger and was at pains from the start to put in writing the matter of a month's deposit. I only asked for it as a previous tenant had just given me a day's notice in the past which caused me financial pain. This time, I put the month's rent into premium bonds with the promise that if a winning number came up we would share the profits and the lodger knows the numbers of the bonds. Sadly, nothing so far!

greatcrested

Sounds like the LL is either deliberately being awkward cos he's nasty, or is avoiding tax and so using cash (though this seems unlikely if he accepted the deposit by bank transfer originally).

But unfortunately he is NOT refusing to pay you, so I suspect you have no valid claim. I suspect starting legal action might see you incurring irrecoverable costs.

I've done a quick duckduckgo search and not found a definitive answer though.

zagubov

i'm sorry I think i'm more full of questions rather than answers, but I'm a microbiologist reaching retirement in England during a pandemic that I've been anticipating for ages.

This moron's breaching all the acceptable rules. 

Does he somehow have the right to insist on a non-contactless transfer method at the moment?
Am I the only person here who is aware  that this man has received the money electronically in the first place?

And that we should be avoiding handing paper money to each other, or are all participants here except me located in Guernsey where COVID has apparently ended and we no longer have to worry about killing our neighbours?

Are there any fora or social media where this unsafe reimbursement system can be challenged within the law?

Is he happy for you to bring a housemate to witness the handover in a socially distanced situation?

greatcrested

zagubov said:

This moron's breaching all the acceptable rules. Moral rules yes. And Government guidelines, probably. But can you point/link to any legal rules?

Does he somehow have the right to insist on a non-contactless transfer method at the moment? Not sure why you say 'somehow', but basically I believe yes.
Am I the only person here who is aware  that this man has received the money electronically in the first place? That is your best argument (and the OP's best arguement), but I still am doubtful it provides a legal requirement.

And that we should be avoiding handing paper money to each other, or are all participants here except me located in Guernsey where COVID has apparently ended and we no longer have to worry about killing our neighbours? Unfortunately neither emotive, nor medical arguements over-rule the law.

Are there any fora or social media where this unsafe reimbursement system can be challenged within the law? Hundreds! Twitter, Facebook and others seem to have very lax policies regarding what can be said, critisized, or claimed on their sites!

Is he happy for you to bring a housemate to witness the handover in a socially distanced situation?

I recently sold something on ebay, cash on collection. The buyer held up the notes for me to see from 2 metres, put them in an envelope, and placed them on my front flower bed held down by a stone. The item was already outside the door so he put it in his car. We both wore masks and gloves. I took the envelope inside, washed my hands, and left it untouched for 2 days.

We could both have easily had witnesses at 2+ metres distance had we wished.

A 2 minute transaction in the open air, at a distance. I'm not a microbiologist and I respect your knowledge, but I'm in the 'vulnerable' category and have 2 virologists in my extended family.

[Deleted User]

zagubov said:

i'm sorry I think i'm more full of questions rather than answers, but I'm a microbiologist reaching retirement in England during a pandemic that I've been anticipating for ages.

This moron's breaching all the acceptable rules. 

Does he somehow have the right to insist on a non-contactless transfer method at the moment?
Am I the only person here who is aware  that this man has received the money electronically in the first place?

And that we should be avoiding handing paper money to each other, or are all participants here except me located in Guernsey where COVID has apparently ended and we no longer have to worry about killing our neighbours?

Are there any fora or social media where this unsafe reimbursement system can be challenged within the law?

Is he happy for you to bring a housemate to witness the handover in a socially distanced situation?

He is offering to pay by cash. There is nothing more conventional. His obligation is fulfilled.

macman

Call his bluff. Ask him to post you the cash, by special delivery or other registered method. Any loss is at his risk, but he can then track it.
'Threatening texts' are a matter for the police, if violence is implied. Don't be bullied.
If he persists, send him an LBA, by post, not email, not text, giving him 14 days.

Splatfoot

Have you got a big friend you can send in your place?

Chandler85

greatcrested said:

zagubov said:

This moron's breaching all the acceptable rules. Moral rules yes. And Government guidelines, probably. But can you point/link to any legal rules?

Does he somehow have the right to insist on a non-contactless transfer method at the moment? Not sure why you say 'somehow', but basically I believe yes.
Am I the only person here who is aware  that this man has received the money electronically in the first place? That is your best argument (and the OP's best arguement), but I still am doubtful it provides a legal requirement.

And that we should be avoiding handing paper money to each other, or are all participants here except me located in Guernsey where COVID has apparently ended and we no longer have to worry about killing our neighbours? Unfortunately neither emotive, nor medical arguements over-rule the law.

Are there any fora or social media where this unsafe reimbursement system can be challenged within the law? Hundreds! Twitter, Facebook and others seem to have very lax policies regarding what can be said, critisized, or claimed on their sites!

Is he happy for you to bring a housemate to witness the handover in a socially distanced situation?

I recently sold something on ebay, cash on collection. The buyer held up the notes for me to see from 2 metres, put them in an envelope, and placed them on my front flower bed held down by a stone. The item was already outside the door so he put it in his car. We both wore masks and gloves. I took the envelope inside, washed my hands, and left it untouched for 2 days.

We could both have easily had witnesses at 2+ metres distance had we wished.

A 2 minute transaction in the open air, at a distance. I'm not a microbiologist and I respect your knowledge, but I'm in the 'vulnerable' category and have 2 virologists in my extended family.

Wearing gloves, then taking the envelope inside and washing your hands is basically a waste of gloves (with the exception of open wounds on your hands).

You put a protective barrier on your hands, so did he.  Then you got the money inside,  you removed barrier and washed hands.  You could have just washed your hands, saved the planet a bit through less waste and saved some money as well.