Help please – criminal and bankrupt tenant won’t leave

Help please – criminal and bankrupt tenant won’t leave

11:02 AM, 25th March 2019, About 5 years ago 38

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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

 


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Comments

Neil Patterson

7:22 AM, 26th March 2019, About 5 years ago

For legal reasons we cannot name and shame individuals or companies without a conviction or ruling, sorry.

Freda Blogs

12:03 PM, 26th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by wanda wang at 25/03/2019 - 20:28Details of bad tenants can be loaded into the database at https://www.landlordreferencing.co.uk/
Anyone who carries out tenant references through them will be advised if that person is in the database so that you can avoid taking them as your tenant. As I understand it, the database is fully GDPR etc etc compliant.

The more landlords who enter bad tenants' details into the database, the better a tool it will be for everyone.

nadia

14:02 PM, 26th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Neil Patterson at 25/03/2019 - 11:06
hi Ela
i had the same problem few years back . i had 5 bedroom house so put it for rent one english lady came with 4 kids and atleast 400 pound in weight . she said she is getting discrimination cause of her weigt.. i felt sad .. she said she is getting the housing benefit and rent wont be a problem.. so as being so kind i let her have the house.. and night mare begain after one month..
no rent was coming but instead demamnding of doing unnecessary work.. she said she will sue me if i dont do those things.. she was getting the 1000 pound from the council but not paying me..
on the top my sons bank statements came and she manage to open the account on Very catalogue and few other places . she was ordering xxxxlarge clothes kitchen stuff etc on my sons name..
when i found out i called her as she has given me her moms number.. i spoke to her mom that im going to the police.. she got scared and start moving her stuff.. one day when i went there house was empty.. and just the junk was left..
i lost so much money and mental stress.
then i found out she does this as her business.. 6 month without paying and getting the money from council..
i was thankful to all mighty God to get rid of her.

Ela

11:08 AM, 29th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Thank you for all your kind suggestions. The tenant from hell waited to the last minute of the court order notice expiring and handed in the keys to the next door neighbor. As expected she left 2 huge sofas, living room full of dump furniture. Seems she won’t pay a penny for rent but can afford to buy new sofas, dining furniture...

I contacted her several times to collect her rubbish, usual lies thrown at me.

She damaged the property every possible way she can and blocked the toilet which seems never been cleaned either. But hey, I finally got my keys eventough my efforts daily contacting council , getting my MP to push them to house her helped her a permanent council property in wealth Surrey. Which I hope she will not enjoy a happy life living there.

She told me she is bankrupt and I will not get anything from her. I know she lived at tax payers expense all her life and don’t have any money other than her monthly benefits. I will still go ahead and give her a CCJ.

I will make every effort to register her with various websites to make sure other landlords don’t get caught.

One thing I learned always go with your gut feeling do not offer benefit of doubt. And never let to a council tenant even one in 5 turned out to be absolute low life other were great full and thanked me , one causing mould due to not using the tumble dryer provided to save money.

Yes, I will indeed sue the council for introducing me a rough tenant as I know she did this with another council and moved to the next one get them find a new victim. Due to excessive human rights laws and law discriminating against the landlords these criminals get away with plain robery and causing the landlords emotional damage. If someone goes in to a contract with intention of not hounuring it why it’s seen as a civil matter. It’s criminal in other cases. She signed a contract to pay rent and did not even pay a penny. Her refusal to apply for her housing benefit to pay her rent is an evidence of her fraudulent intent. But hey it’s a civil matter!

I will also contact the local and national papers highlighting the issues I had to deal with thanks to local governments not communicating or having no power not to or don’t give a toss attitude to introduce rough tenants.

Bristol Landlord

14:39 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Eta, so sorry to hear of your horrific experience, your tenant sounds like the poster child of the Tenant from Hell . I would think publicising your experience would be useful to help counteract the massive and organised demonisation campaign against landlords in the MSM.
Can you keep us updated on P118 of progress and especially when you get this ex tenant registered on a database please come back and give us a clue as to her identity, ie her initials and location or something to identify her.

Mike

15:07 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

The clue is don't rent a house to a fat lady weighing 400lbs on benefits with 4 little terrors! 😁 Let Shelter help her and let it be the problem of the LA. Lets us keep her out.

Chris @ Possession Friend

16:29 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mkahn at 25/03/2019 - 12:54
You fill out a simple Money Claim Online and after 3 weeks, apply to the court for 'Judgement'
Then give it to The Sheriffs Office.

Anthony Altman

17:05 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

I am sorry to hear you are yet another victim of a corrupt system
Ela I would follow the law to the letter,many of the tenants organisations will be only to delighted to help your tenant set you up for illegal eviction charges so if you are not absolutely one hundred percent clear on the procedure take professional advice" before "doing anything remember that although it would appear that tenants are allowed to break the law with impunity no such latitude is given to landlords i have had extensive experience on numerous occasions in my 49 years letting out homes of these sort of tricks perpetrated by tenant organisations i always follow the law to the letter no matter how unjust or unfair it seems and document everything in minute detail in print and video
I realise this is no comfort but there are other countries where you can invest in residential property and provide homes for families where you will be treated fairly and justly and receive a fair return on your investment
You may wish to consider these alternatives before the situation gets considerably worse
all the best tony

wanda wang

17:34 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Don't give up, do it , highlight the problem landlords face-tenants from hell. There is a little you can do in this broken system.

wanda

Chris @ Possession Friend

17:51 PM, 30th March 2019, About 5 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Mike at 30/03/2019 - 15:07
Yes Mike, because she's eating all the rent money ;-)))

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