Help a blondeite with a professional dilemna

[Ironside]

inform the police

[owen1923]

There is a way to deal withthese things and the processes involved are there for a number of reasons, primarily to protect the tenants rights of abode, and the landlords rights as the owner.

People fail to pay rent/mortgage for a number of reasons but if it is due to circumstances beyond their control, then a degree of sympathy and assistance from local authourity will be available.

As with any agreement there is an element of risk on both sides, however the Landlord is always going to be the one who absorbs the greater degree of risk, which should have been considered when embarking on a career as a landlord.  Stocks and shares can go down as well as up, and a landlord may not have a tenant or worse may have a tenant who cannot pay, it goes with the role you gain nothing without an element of risk.

Personally I wouldnt go to the police, I would be more inclined to have a chat with the local press, would probably put you and a number of colleagues out of work if it hit he papers, but that would create an opportunity for you and your mates to set up your own agency.

[Claw75]

I'd tip off the police anonymously, and look for another job.

[FlyingPig]

It is a tough one, and a situation my one of my firends has been in.

After a couple of months my friend was missing the payments and this led to the mortgage company getting in touch and it was a close call that they nearly took his house off him, and he has a wife and kids. He had to resort to the bully boy tactics. I don't think he wanted to do it but was left no choice. That is the other side of the coin...

Two wrongs don't make a right. But if they can't pay, it is not going to help the owner. If you miss one payment you should be on the phone, and really make sure that they make the second payment.

If you warn them you are doing the right thing, if you don't you are also doing the right thing (the owner may be in financial difficulty because of this person)

[MANTIS01]

I would speak to your employers directly and try to advise them that this is not the best course of action. They probably don't want to go down this road but feel they have no alternative. Offer to take on the case yourself, arrange a meeting with the tennant as a representative of the company and attempt to organise some form of amicable payment deal.

This way you can indeed "warn" the tennant about this probable eventuality and if you get the company an acceptable solution you will get a shed load of kudos. If they aren't interested then you have at least tried to do the right thing.

[Pelham Boy]

I would speak to your employers directly and try to advise them that this is not the best course of action. They probably don't want to go down this road but feel they have no alternative. Offer to take on the case yourself, arrange a meeting with the tennant as a representative of the company and attempt to organise some form of amicable payment deal.

This way you can indeed "warn" the tennant about this probable eventuality and if you get the company an acceptable solution you will get a shed load of kudos. If they aren't interested then you have at least tried to do the right thing.

 

[owen1923]

If you warn them you are doing the right thing, if you don't you are also doing the right thing (the owner may be in financial difficulty because of this person)

How can both options be right, these people are acting like thugs, if they carry out this threat then they are criminals, the same as any reputable mugger or robber.

This comes straight out of the Victorian age.  I really dont believe that any estate agent 'reputable or not' would carry out this action, as once the police got involved, and they would, the press would have a field day.  No estate agent is going to jeopordise their entire business for the sake of the 12 - 15% management fee.

[FlyingPig]

They are not robbing the belongings. They are simply taking it and moving it to somewhere else. The person who is renting the property has lost all rights to be there.

You will find that after 3 months of non payment of rent that the person will stretch this out for as long as possible and it could be up to 12 months, and then wlll in general cause damage to the property, and with no comeback on the tenant.

If the tenant has a family and especially children living there, well that changes things again. It is a hard one to call.

As said earlier the owner does take the major risk and this is known before hand, but I could understande why the owner would want the tenant out.

I am not saying it is right, but I can understand it if its done.

[Dewi_cool]

I doubt you'd be able to warn police or tenant anonymously.

Put your name to it, and expect the sack

get down the job centre pronto, proud that you selflessly did the right thing.

& claim unfair dismissal

[M3boy]

Tell Police, Local Council AND the Tennant.

And your Boss!!!!

[lucky_scrote]

1. Tell police
2. Find a new job
3. ?
4. Profit!

[AndrewT]

So you mean to tell me that, simply because someone has lived in someone's property for a length of time, that gives them the right to continue living in that property without paying any rent?

Really?

If the landlord came round to chuck me out in those circumstances I'd consider myself lucky to have had three months living expenses gratis.

BTW, if you read the thread properly you'll see that Chiprich has only been in the cupboard less than 24 hours - sending blokes with baseball bats round to turf him out seems a bit premature.

[Dingdell]

So you mean to tell me that, simply because someone has lived in someone's property for a length of time, that gives them the right to continue living in that property without paying any rent?

Really?

If the landlord came round to chuck me out in those circumstances I'd consider myself lucky to have had three months living expenses gratis.

BTW, if you read the thread properly you'll see that Chiprich has only been in the cupboard less than 24 hours - sending blokes with baseball bats round to turf him out seems a bit premature.

I agree - I'm a landlord and have had people really take the mick out of me because I haven't been hard enough with them.

I wouldn't want anyone to come to any harm but I also wouldn't want them living in my property anymore. Even in difficult circumstances they could have offered to pay something as a goodwill gesture, whatever they could afford - but as far as I can see they haven't even done that - not good enough imho. Sorry if they have but I dont have all the info.

I would ask why the landlord/agent hasn't addressed this lack of payment before? This is a failing - if this had been done correctly then the action the agent is attempting shouldn't be necesarry as the law should have already taken its course.

Difficult one to call but I agree with Andrew T that the tennants are lucky to have this time rent free.

This opinion is coloured by the fact I have had to endure threats and damage to my property by a drug dealer who rented one of my properties - and passed all the credit and reference checks with flying colours. Once I legally evicted him he caused damage to my own home and made threats and he is still on the wanted list....

Tennants - hate them.

[thetank]

I got illegally evicted once, long time ago, wasn't fun.

Deserved it though, I say chuck their stuff on the street.
Unless it's raining that day, don't lose any kip about it.

[byronkincaid]

No estate agent is going to jeopordise their entire business for the sake of the 12 - 15% management fee.

yeah i don't understand this, why get involved for what £100-£200 a month? I can understand the landlord getting upset if he's having to pay the mortgage with no money coming in but there seems to be no upside for the letting agent by getting involved here.