Sorry I didn’t think to come and update this.    So the outcome was that he went to court. Apparently the judge told the landlord off for not sending a letter before action but did nothing about it. He didn’t accept all the damages the landlord claimed, and told him off for accusing my friend of deliberately and maliciously damaging anything, and he awarded him small amounts of the damages he claimed for. The landlord had also made an awful lot of things up that never existed and accused my friend of stealing them, and the judge didn’t accept any of those claims.   However, I’m back asking advice now. So he made an offer of payment via the court forms, sometime before Christmas and straight after the hearing. The landlord didn’t reply so the court accepted the payments.  My friend has been paying the £10 a month each month. Then a couple of days ago he had received a letter from court with a hearing date in a couple of weeks, and a very irate letter from the landlord saying that my friend has consistently lied and that nothing he says should be believed, and that he wants the bailiffs to be called on him and that he absolutely refuses the payment plan. The letter is marked as received by the courts in December and this is the first that’s been sent since then. My friend and his wife are now panicked, what does this mean? And can they now get bailiffs sent round? He earns an ok wage, which somehow the landlord has referred to in his letter, but he equally has a lot of expenditure and can’t afford to pay any more. What will happen at this hearing and can they send out the bailiffs just because the landlord wants them to?    I have no clue what to advise him, can you help at all please?

Thanks Bank – I took your cynicism / experience on board and responded thus: Thank you for your response Mr Schnur  I set out my position quite clearly in my letter of claim and nothing has changed. Your insurance requirement is unlawful and is contrary to section 57 of the Consumer Rights Act, and also section 72 of the same statute. I would also refer you to the outcomes in PENCHEV v P2G (225MC852) and SMIRNOVS v P2G (27MC729).  My deadline for action - 1 May 2024 - still stands.

The other thing is that you are making a big mistake imagining that they are at all concerned about wasting court costs et cetera. They are only concerned about being obstructive and discouraging others.  

I have dad's last will from 2019 which mentions the trust. I am in the process of going through probate as the only thing that needs probate is a couple of shares he has (under £3000).  Speaking to my brother and my dad's wife they wouldn't mind going with another solicitor if we need to pay extra for the trust.   

That's fine. My taste is for something rather more brusque and that he won't forget – but it's your letter