Fucked Up Britain Rant

[bob269]

Don't wanna feel left out so here goes....

My brother currently owns (owes mortgage on) an house in Newcastle (not the one full of geordies) and has been renting it out via an agency, he was working in China and things didnt workout so came back and stopped with me and has since got a job in Wiltshire.

Anyways, since all the rising costs etc wasn't happy with the rent the agency was getting so told them approx 3 months ago to give the tennant notice that they wouldn't be renewing the rental, which is all within the law, plenty of notice.

The tennant is a single working mum with 2 kids and wants to get in to a housing association house, however can't because she's working, so she's been to see the Citizen's Advice and they've told her to refuse to move out and to force an eviction notice so that she'd be Rent blacklisted and thus pushed up the housing ass list.

This takes 2 months to get, my brother was planning on coming home bank holiday weekend to decorate and re-rent, however now he's stuck with the tennant.

Ok, so the agency will cover all costs, and luckily he has somewhere to live (altho it's rented and is costing him), but what if he didnt.

Firstly why is CAB giving out advice like this ?, what would the CAB advise if my bro was to see them?? I can sympathize with the women as she's working (again it's a case of pack in do fuck all and put your hand out and you'll be much better off), however my brothers mortgage is somewhat higher than the rent so it aint helping him.

Secondly why the fuck does it take 2 months to get the non paying non moving tennant from your home.

Rant over

 

[Tom]

Citizen's Advice Bureau is a charity - not a government organisation. It therefore is quite entitled to give such advice, however it may suck.

Your brother needs to speak to your local MP, who is about the only person in a position to do something about the current law which is frankly a load of shite.

 

[Will]

As Tom said, CAB gives advice purely to help the client.

If there were more council houses, and waiting lists weren't so fucking stupid, this wouldn't have to happen.

 

[bob269]

Surely wherever the funding comes from government/private/public, they should still work to some sort of guidelines, and also consider that when 2 parties are involved the advice they are giving as an adverse affect on the 2nd party.

 

[Ch3tan]

As Tom said, CAB gives advice purely to help the client.

If there were more council houses, and waiting lists weren't so fucking stupid, this wouldn't have to happen.

There would be loads of council houses, but they thought it was a good idea to give people a right to buy at ridiculously low prices. And then realised the cost of buying or building new properties was too much.

 

[Trem]

Would be interesting to see what they suggest to your bro if he goes to CAB.

There would be loads of council houses, but they thought it was a good idea to give people a right to buy at ridiculously low prices. And then realised the cost of buying or building new properties was too much.

Right to buy was a genius idea in all honesty, possibly the best idea Thatcher had. It gave the poorer people more to work for and an asset for life and future generations. When the idea was started there wasn't the over crowding we have now, it wasn't a huge problem.

 

[Will]

Shame they forgot to build any more houses to replace all the stock they were selling...

 

[Wij]

Shame they forgot to build any more houses to replace all the stock they were selling...

That's very true. You're both right. GROUP HUG \o/

 

[Nate]

My mate had this problem, he was friendly with the Tenant though and she agreed to move out within a month.

He/You should try going to see the tenant and seeing if you can help them move faster. Just walk up to the door with your beer gut out, she'll be out in no time.

 

[throdgrain]

Thing is long term the CAB may be right. There is no way the woman will get a council house otherwise. Even then, she will spend a year or so in a hostel (read one bed room flat surrounded by scum) before she gets a council house.

I do agree they didnt build enough houses when they sold off the old ones, it was absolute bullshit, however they would do well to consider who they give the remaining houses to. I'm sure I dont have to press this point any further.

The CAB often give out advice that isnt nescessarily the best anyway. Lots of my customers at work go to the CAB who tell them to ignore any phone calls about debt, but they dont understand after we have called them 3 times a day for 4 months that advice can be wearing a bit thin, and the charges they have incurred can be quite impressive ... But no, they CAB "told" them it will be ok, so dont bother thinking for yourself ...

 

[Trem]

Shame they forgot to build any more houses to replace all the stock they were selling...

As said before, it wasn't needed on the scale its needed now. They couldn't foresee the influx of people that wanted to come to this country, because at the time it wasn't such an attractive place to bum off.

 

[DaGaffer]

She does realise that being rent blacklisted is the equivalent of a CCJ right? Just because it gets her on the public sector teat doesn't mean there aren't consequences. She'd be better off just getting another rented place and then going to the DSS to claim all the allowances and tax credits she can get.

Its a crappy situation for your brother (I was in exactly the same boat last year, with the addition that my tenant was a total wanker. I got him out on the day I got back to the UK in the end), but its probably worth him politely pointing out to her that the CAB is giving her a short-term solution but creating a long-term problem.

 

[MYstIC G]

Frankly, having dealt with tenants like this before, just change the fucking locks. It's funny how reasonable people can become when they realise they're out on the street if they don't fucking behave properly.

Obviously the above solution is thoroughly naughty and can get you in serious trouble so I don't advise it.

Your preferred option would be if there is any form of rent arrears to go to https://www.possessionclaim.gov.uk and do the work to turf the bitch out.

 

[throdgrain]

She does realise that being rent blacklisted is the equivalent of a CCJ right? Just because it gets her on the public sector teat doesn't mean there aren't consequences. She'd be better off just getting another rented place and then going to the DSS to claim all the allowances and tax credits she can get.

Its a crappy situation for your brother (I was in exactly the same boat last year, with the addition that my tenant was a total wanker. I got him out on the day I got back to the UK in the end), but its probably worth him politely pointing out to her that the CAB is giving her a short-term solution but creating a long-term problem.

heh I seriously doubt a person in this position would give a fuck about a CCJ, even though it's not as bad as that anyway.

Its a shit world we live in where people end up like this, but there it is. I would think though it would be easier if she claimed she was an asylum seeker, no doubt she'd be up to the top of the list in no time

 

[DaGaffer]

heh I seriously doubt a person in this position would give a fuck about a CCJ, even though it's not as bad as that anyway.

I'm not sure you're right. This woman is working, she doesn't sound like a typical sponger, I just think the CAB are giving advice that's bad for both her and her landlord. I know people are a lot more blase about CCJs anyway these days, but with the credit crunch, having one is likely to become more of an issue.

 

[throdgrain]

Maybe I'm becoming cynical. I talk to people all day long, none of whom give a fuck about a CCJ.

One bloke the other day said if you dont stop harrassing me I'll go bankrupt, then you no-one will get any money. I said well you wouldnt want to go through all that, it's not pleasant, he said bollocks he'd already had one bankruptcy, what did he care?

This is a man with £20k+ of unsecured, unpaid debt, about to go onto his SECOND bankruptcy. Class.

 

[Will]

This is a man with £20k+ of unsecured, unpaid debt, about to go onto his SECOND bankruptcy. Class.

You have to wonder how he managed to get that much debt, given the state his credit score must have been,

 

[MYstIC G]

You have to wonder how he managed to get that much debt, given the state his credit score must have been,

Because the phrase "responsible lending" actually means "rape everyone for as much as possible and keep the write offs below 10%"

 

[Raven]

and the banks wonder why everything is going tits up. Though our company gave a company thats worth £20k (ie fuck all) £200k credit and is now wondering why we can't get it back.

 

[Dr Medusa]

Er, not knowing much about the law and stuff, but if its his house why cant he serve the eviction notice and get her blacklisted himself (which is what she wants), getting her on the list sooner and getting her out of his house earlier? Her and the landlord working together to get her out so to speak. Or does the eviction notice have to be served by the council or something?

 

[Mey]

Why doesn't he just move in anyway

 

[bob269]

Why doesn't he just move in anyway

I don't think his missus would approve of them bunking up with another women, or maybe she would....

 

[DaGaffer]

Er, not knowing much about the law and stuff, but if its his house why cant he serve the eviction notice and get her blacklisted himself (which is what she wants), getting her on the list sooner and getting her out of his house earlier? Her and the landlord working together to get her out so to speak. Or does the eviction notice have to be served by the council or something?

He can, but it can take between 3 and 6 months, especially as she has kids. Outrageous I know, but if you're single and rent out your only domicile (if you were going abroad say), if a tenant doesn't want to leave you have to make alternate living arrangements even though he is making you homeless.

 

[Dr Medusa]

Ah, I see. Wouldnt he be eligible for housing in that case?! Maybe they could swap!
What about housing associations rather than council accomodation?

 

[Trem]

Bobs bro won't get any help at all, he is too successful and has worked all his life. Why would the council want to help him?

 

[bob269]

Bobs bro won't get any help at all, he is too successful and has worked all his life. Why would the council want to help him?

I think you should stand for Stoke MP

 

[Dark Orb Choir]

give the woman the first months rent on a new place till she gets her shit sorted with the housing assc. that is prolly cheaper and quicker than getting her out any other way............

 

[itcheh]

Question - I understand that she wants to find council accommodation, but if she can afford the rent on your brother's flat ... surely she can afford to rent another flat? She's had 3 months.

 

[Pfy]

With regards to the eviction notice thing, local councils also advise this (I used to do it all the time) because until that point, the person isn't actually homeless, they're only threatened with homelessness.

Stupid as it sounds, this is common practice due to (as stated before) there being too little social housing. If she were to leave before being served an eviction notice and then evicted the local council would have a case a for not housing her due to her leaving a house she was still legally entitled to reside in (as she hadn't been evicted yet). They would no doubt deem her as making herself voluntarily homeless and she'd be totally up shit creek.

Sorry state of affairs but alas, the way things are.

 

[bob269]

Question - I understand that she wants to find council accommodation, but if she can afford the rent on your brother's flat ... surely she can afford to rent another flat? She's had 3 months.

But then she'd be renting again and not on the desperate homeless with kids ladder.