Help please – criminal and bankrupt tenant won’t leave

I still have the tenant from hell. With the councils help I was misled to give a tenancy to this criminal tenant (who has done the same to many landlords before) with the understanding she will pay the rent with housing benefit. I stupidly agreed to let my property.

The tenant had some issues from very outset and she treated me with absolute contempt, refused to apply for her housing benefit and paid no rent what so ever, did not contact or gave me any explanation why rent was not paid.

I believe she used this tenancy to get herself a permanent council house and also had issues that I was not local, woman and a landlord!

I finally got the possession order last Tuesday and she texted me “I would have left by this weekend”! This was last weekend. She contacted the council who misled me to the tenancy by withholding information and indeed giving me false information about her and we all agreed that last Monday she would meet me at 9am, hand in keys and council arranged the inventory.

Sunday night I received a text from her telling me she can not move as she did not arrange a van. In the morning I contacted her asking about her plan for the day and reminded her that the inventory was waiting.

She told me she will do it later, but have not given time. She emailed the council and told them she will move after 15.30. I received an email from the council Monday evening telling me I should be relieved to finally get my keys.

I replied that still there was no keys. I was thinking she moved out, but did not hand in the keys. I texted her asking if she moved and told her that I was driving to the house as I was assuming she moved. I just wanted to check if she has. No reply. However I did not go.

On Tuesday as I had no reply, I drove to the property to check if she moved as she confirmed with council that she was on Monday.

I look through there were some furniture, I spoke to neighbours who told me she moved. I was convinced that she has so I told the neighbours to contact me if she turns up. I am worried that she will let others in my property to give me more trouble.

As soon as I got home, I received a text from the neighbours letting me know that she arrived. I called, but no answer so I texted her letting her know that I was sending my brother to pick up the keys.

She texted me back that I had to give her 24 hours notice that I can not just turn up and asking the keys would be an offence, claiming that I rushed her out even though court order expires on the 28th. I explained that the matter was that she did not paid me any rent what so ever and still going on about her rights.

She replied that her rent arrears does not mean anything as she is bankrupt.

I spoke to the local police, as I was worried she would take my white goods. The police advised me to go and wait outside on the day she originally was moving out as she offered. I mentioned to her that I received advice from the police referring to what he suggested, she replied that she does not give a toss about police as police can not do anything to her and I was threatening her.

I then send a text underlining that she enjoyed a rent and stress free 5 months in my property as I hardly ever contacted her and it was her who contacted me offering me that she was moving out. I said as far as I was let to believe that she moved out and it was my right to check on my property and seek my keys. This was 2 days ago.

I know the council gave her a house and the neighbour confirmed she moved out but still bullying me holding back my keys. Scaring me off even going and checking my property.

It seems she will not hand in the keys out of spite and hatred towards me and end of next week I will have to go back to the court apply for bailiffs which will be weeks and money lost as judge rejected the high court option and my plead trying to explain that it was a total episode of taking over my property taking advantage of laws protecting which normally should be seen criminal act but he was not prepared to listen and had a go at me.

Any thoughts please? Is there anyway getting my property back without going through bailiffs as she now occupies a tax payer funded property as well as my property free of charge.

Ela