potential scam on rent charges

Isthisforreal99

theycallmetrinity said:

if they dont investigate. than why the bank and the citizen advice bureau and the CIO and the land registry told me to just report it to the action fraud knowing that no action will be taken. make no sense to me :-)

I'd hazard a guess as to try and stop you contacting them.

theycallmetrinity

i will monitor the situation and see. i might be that a solicitor has to be involved because the approach of them is very questionable and if i contact them directly i might risk to say things i should not say. I have a legitimate argument to think i am contacted by scammers. so the rest will fix itself.

bobster2

theycallmetrinity said:

i will monitor the situation and see. i might be that a solicitor has to be involved because the approach of them is very questionable and if i contact them directly i might risk to say things i should not say. I have a legitimate argument to think i am contacted by scammers. so the rest will fix itself.

I strongly recommend you see a solicitor with expertise in this area ASAP and work out how to get the rentcharge paid to the right people.

The way in which you have received this demand might be unorthodox, nevertheless it could be a formal demand for payment from the legitimate rentcharge owner. 

https://www.shoosmiths.com/insights/articles/reining-in-rentcharge-recovery

Before an action to recover arrears of a regulated rentcharge can be commenced, rentcharge owners will have to serve a formal demand on the landowner and give the landowner at least 30 days to pay the sums due.  The notice must include the name and address of the rentcharge owner, the amount of the regulated rentcharge arrears, details of how the amount has been calculated and details of how to pay that amount.

SDLT_Geek

bobster2 said:

@theycallmetrinity I suggest you take a look at this...

https://wspsolicitors.com/rentcharges-scam-avoid/

It may simply be that some sort of investment company has bought the benefit of these charges from the original developer / land owner.

So the strong advice on that page is that you need to urgently take the initiative to find who to pay the rentcharge to - and get it paid. It might be the people who called you - or it might not. 

Sound advice.

SDLT_Geek

bobster2 said:

theycallmetrinity said:

i will monitor the situation and see. i might be that a solicitor has to be involved because the approach of them is very questionable and if i contact them directly i might risk to say things i should not say. I have a legitimate argument to think i am contacted by scammers. so the rest will fix itself.

I strongly recommend you see a solicitor with expertise in this area ASAP and work out how to get the rentcharge paid to the right people.

The way in which you have received this demand might be unorthodox, nevertheless it could be a formal demand for payment from the legitimate rentcharge owner. 

https://www.shoosmiths.com/insights/articles/reining-in-rentcharge-recovery

Before an action to recover arrears of a regulated rentcharge can be commenced, rentcharge owners will have to serve a formal demand on the landowner and give the landowner at least 30 days to pay the sums due.  The notice must include the name and address of the rentcharge owner, the amount of the regulated rentcharge arrears, details of how the amount has been calculated and details of how to pay that amount.

More sound advice.

MeteredOut

Here's what I think has happened here

- A new company has legally bought the rental charge rights and registered themselves as such with the Land Registry
- That company has contacted the owners (perhaps via some unorthodox means) to start a conversation about recovering overdue rental charges
- When the OP has phoned the various agencies regarding that contract, they've (perhaps subconsciously) framed what has happened as suspicious, so of course the agencies are going to say "don't engage, it might be fraud, contact Action Fraud"

OP, as above, I'd not ignore this - either attempt to contact the company yourself, or via a solicator.

theycallmetrinity

for sure i did not ignore. i contacted the local authorities who told me what to do ( contacting the action fraud ) i even called the police explaining the situation and even them told me to contact the action fraud. non of those authorities told me this is something you need to address with a solicitor. i am also thinking to contact them but we people are not law trained people and we should never engage ourselves especially if suspected fraud. 

bobster2

theycallmetrinity said:

for sure i did not ignore. i contacted the local authorities who told me what to do ( contacting the action fraud ) i even called the police explaining the situation and even them told me to contact the action fraud. non of those authorities told me this is something you need to address with a solicitor. i am also thinking to contact them but we people are not law trained people and we should never engage ourselves especially if suspected fraud. 

Look the police are not going to know anything about freehold deeds and rentcharges - and will rely on your description. Did you tell the police - I know I have to pay a rentcharge - and someone called asking me to pay a rentcharge?

Putting aside all the unusual aspects to this. You know and agree that you owe a rentcharge to someone - you saw it on the deeds when you bought the place. So it would be rather odd coincidence for a fraudster to try to pursue you for an outstanding debt that you actually owe. While the people you really owe it to do nothing.

Non-payment of a rentcharge can have serious consequences and be very costly - so you need to urgently get advice from a solicitor ASAP on how to pay the rentcharge to the correct people. Or how to redeem it.

Personally - if I was in your position - I'd probably pay the £236.87 like all your other neighbours have. On the assumption it's going to the right place. The way I see it - the risks and cost associated with non-payment vastly outweigh the risks for losing £236.87.

theycallmetrinity

of course i did say. but they also agree the start of the story smell of fraud as bank never contact customers and pass info

elsien

Okay, with the best will in the world you are very focused on what people who are not fully familiar with the situation have said, and less on working out what you owe and who too. The last bit should really be your priority.
You went to the relevant authorities. It’s not really got you very far. Time for a rethink.