Housing association Tenancy help!

Kasha

My friend needs help, its a little complicated but I'l try to explain. My friend was having marital problems OH wouldnt leave the Housing association home they shared so she did, she contacted HA told them and explained she needed rehousing asap as she was sleeping on friends settee's with 2 teenage children, they said they would help but they could not re-house her until she was off the original tenancy. She faxed a letter to them taking herself off the tenancy they then gave her a new house, new tenancy in her own name. (It wasn't all as simple as I'm making it sound just trying to explain in best possible way) She left the marital home in January 2006 got her new house in July 2006. Now her OH has been evicted for non payment of rent (He hasnt paid any since she moved out) he's now disappeared and the HA is coming after my friend for the rent arears from when she left!:eek: They are saying they never received her notice to take her off the tenancy, she is still on it so therefore SHE owes the rent arrears?
Surely they would not have given her a second house/tenancy? They just won't listen to her, all they keep saying is shes on the tenancy, she owes the money. she has a collection agency calling her at home and work its just not fair.
Can anyone advise what she should do? And how do you get the bailiffs off your back in this situation? They wont believe its not her debt!:mad:

Please ....any advice??????

SouthCoast

CAB and Shelter.

silvercar

Presumably she has a copy of the letter relinquishing the tenancy, a copy of the letter from the HA saying she can't get a new tenancy while she is on the other tenancy and the new tenancy agreement. The three together should be enough proof that it is not her debt.

Kasha

All she has is the new tenancy agreement, She was going through a really bad time when all this was going on, she did have a copy of the letter requesting her removal from the first tenancy but with all the moving around she has lost it (I suppose she didn't think it was that important because she assumed the HA had received it as they gave her another tenancy) The housing association told her to send a letter ending her tenancy by telephone there was never anything in writing.

My point is..... surely a Housing association would not give one of their existing tennants another tenancy?....would they?? Isn't the fact that she started another tenancy in July 2007 enough to prove she was not living at the previous house? She can't live in two houses?

Kasha

BUMP!!!!! any advice please?