" Notice Before Action " Letter - Scam ?

venomx

Today I received a letter from " Freehold Managers PLC " on behalf of " West Bromwich Homes LTD"
Titled " Notice Before Action " 

I have never heard of the company West Bromwich Homes LTD, and upon googling them, they are a company which has now ceased to exist.

The letter is addressed to " Sir/Madam " and doesn't mention my name or anyone elses name anywhere in the letter.
On page 2 it says " Administration Charge Invoice "

They want me to go onto Freehold Managers PLC website or phone number to make a debit/credit payment. Obviously I'm not going through with that as I don't owe anyone money.

In the breakdown it says
Half Yearly Rent In Advance  from 01 Jan 2022 to 30 Jun 2022  --  £80
Arrears charge  --  £40
NBA Administration Charge -- £60
So apparently I owe them -- £180 ??

Any advice on how to approach this ? 
I have phoned up my Landlord who aren't anything to do with this company, and they say my rent has always been paid on time and I don't owe them a penny.

This is the first letter I have received from this company even though it states " A balance of £180 remains unpaid despite our repeated requests for payment "

user1977

It's (almost certainly) for your landlord to pay, so just pass it on to them.

venomx

user1977 said:

It's (almost certainly) for your landlord to pay, so just pass it on to them.

Yeah I just read on a review site that this company use my Landlord to " manage their property  " or something like that.

I've  phoned up the Landlord earlier and they acknowledged they know of this company - but that I need to contact Freehold Managers PLC to find out more.

The care company that pay the  rent my property have been informed of this, as they are the ones who manage my finances regarding paying the rent so hopefully they can settle it.

eddddy

As above, it sounds like your landlord hasn't paid the ground rent for your flat/house.

I suspect the letter was sent to your landlord's address, but a copy was sent to your flat/house addressed to "sir/madam", just in case the landlord had moved, etc.

So hopefully your landlord already has a copy of the letter and will pay the money, but if you want, you can forward it to them just to be sure.


(If the landlord has forgotten to pay the ground rent, and doesn't get this letter, more and more 'late fees' will probably be added - but that's not really your problem.)

FreeBear

eddddy said: I suspect the letter was sent to your landlord's address, but a copy was sent to your flat/house addressed to "sir/madam", just in case the landlord had moved, etc.

And without a proper name, the claim will fail as soon as it gets to court (assuming it even gets that far).

eddddy

venomx said:

I've  phoned up the Landlord earlier and they acknowledged they know of this company - but that I need to contact Freehold Managers PLC to find out more.

The care company that pay the  rent my property have been informed of this, as they are the ones who manage my finances regarding paying the rent so hopefully they can settle it.

Just to be clear - you shouldn't have to contact Freehold Managers PLC.  You don't owe the money. Your landlord owes the money. You (and/or your care company) don't have to pay this bill.

I suspect you spoke to somebody who doesn't understand how ground rent works. Maybe just give the letter to your landlord and let them sort it out.