How do I request an agreement I think doesn't exist ?

ghands

Hey Guys,

I'm still struggling with the Court date about my supposed owed 'rent' from my student days. Basically, I rented in uni owned halls, paid all my rent and 100% deposit back. Now about five years later, the company that bought the halls a few years after I left started demanding unpaid rent out of me.

I convinced the debt recovery place it wasnt mine and they dropped the charge and wouldnt have anything more to do with it. Six months later, the property company themselves have got a court order and want £1000 (600 + interest).

I have told them on the phone this isn't my debt. My contract was with the university - not them, they didnt have anything to do with the halls then.

What I want is a way to request an invoice number and records from the time that would have to exist for this debt - as they wont provide one, copies of the other payments I made (they cant have any of this as it wasnt made out to them - unless they bought it all off the uni). I also want a copy of any agreement I have signed with them - how do I get this for my court date.

I will also be getting my bank statements but want as much evidence as possible as I want to sue this people for harrassing me and my partner.

So - is there a legal way to demand a full invoice off them, the original one that must have been sent at the time. Also, isn't there some issue of neglect regarding the fact they waited five years to bring this up. For three years I was at Uni and they could have easily got my address. Can I request proof of payment reminder letters (which I know cant exist) and use that as further evidence.

I have spoken to them on the phone and they wouldnt listen to anything I said and told me that they would ignore any DPA request I sent.

I want a lot of evidence so that I can prove they are at the least incompetant and at worse fraudulent as I think a lot of ex students would just pay the bill without thinking rather than deal with the legal stuff and a possible trip to Newport (based in Yorkshire).

Any legal methods I can use to get this information, get their court claim thrown out and posible counter claim would be appreciated. If there is a way to request this info and they can't provide it am thinking of setting up a Face Book support group.

Please please help -sorry about the length of this message !

Snaggles

Hiya - I'm really not sure about this - they will obviously have to provide proof if it gets to court, but how silly that they wont just send you the proof now. Have you spoken to the Citizens Advice Bureau at all? I'm just wondering if it's something they would be able to give advice on.

poorandindenial

You haqve the right to request to see any computerised information held about you by any organisation (and some non-computerised). It is called a Subject Access Request (SAR) and is done under the Data Protection Act. You have to pay a fee (£10?) for the privilege but it may be worth it to save you the pain of getting this sorted.

Here is a link to the information comissioners office.

ciarasdreams

Your records relating to fees paid for livivg in halls will still be held at the finance office at your old university because they keep copies of all of your financial interaction with the university during your time there including even your library fines because if you remember back to the time of graduation they probably blocked every candidate who owed them as little as a penny until the debt was cleared.