Can one of you advise me what should have happened regarding deposits? To recap then, all I have had in terms of correspondence about this whole thing (indeed all any of us have had) are the two letters below.

Thanks stu007. It's all tenants in the building. "I'll give you 28 days and two weeks rent free". Stinks to high heaven this whole thing.

Blimey this is a complicated business isn't it? But hey, regardless of who should be giving the notice, I am correct in saying it should be a section 21 notice giving at least two months to leave from the next rent due date? This guy has told me, if I go within the next 28 days, he'll give me two weeks rent free. Yeah right!!!!

Gents. There is some confusion here. The new Landlord is NOT the new Owner. The Owner has leased the building to the new Landlord but the Owner (who I originally leased the flat from) is still the Owner of the building.

Hi Yes I did pay a deposit way, way back. I've been told tonight that the only person that an issue the Section 21 notice is the person I have a contract with, in this case, the original owner of the building as I do not have any contract whatsoever with the new Landlord. Carl.

Dear All I really need your help right now. I live in a building which consists of a shop on the ground floor and three properties on the above three floors. On Wednesday of this week, all of us in this building were given a letter by the owner of the building and (at the time) current landlord explaining that as of that day, the lease for the building was now in the control of the shop owner on the ground floor. The following day I came home to find a hand written letter from the new landlord as per the attachment below. I am not in any debt with my landlord of any kind. Today he has visited telling me I have 28 days and if I got within that time, he will give two weeks discount on my rent. I was on an Assured Shorthold Tenancy with the previous landlord (and the overall owner of the building) which has since lapsed into a monthly rolling periodic tenancy. The new landlord is claiming I have no contract with him and therefore he is only required to give me 28 days notice to leave. Is this right? All of us in the building are being subjected to the same version of events and we are all pretty frightened right now. Carl. PS: If you are unable to read the letter, the text is as follows: Dear Mr. Carl My name is X X. I'm the new owner of the building. And I need my flat 3 for my stuff. You can have one months notice. In mean time you can pay your rent on Lyods TSB account number x Sort code X. Please inform me when you can move out. Many thanks.

Hi Folks, I'm back again and need some advice. I'm totting up my latest set of figures (statements arrived within a week!). In the early parts of my statements there is a recurring 'Service Fee'. Can I claim this back? Also later on, the 'Service Fee' seems to dissapear altogether and is replaced by an indentical monthly amount simply listed as 'Charges'. Can I claim this back also?

Whats really hilarious is that Green & Co are based in the same bulding as NatWest Collections. Same address and everything!.

Hi All Quick update for you. Sent the letter above by Special Delivery. Lo and behold I received a letter back, actually signed by a human being saying that they accept my offer of £75.00 per month for the next 6 monts at which point I will need to contact them again. So all good.... Then, a few days later I receive a letter from Green & Co Solicitors saying that Natwest have instructed them to issue proceedings against me but that they would like to offer me the chance to put forward a payment proposal in order to sort the matter without court. So what do I do now? I have a letter from Natwest accepting my offer and then a letter from Green & Co. I get the distinct impression that NatWest are really disorganised. Should I just copy the letter Natwest sent me and send it to Green & Co? Carl.

Hi Goldlady, Andy & WendyB Thanks all for your words of encouragement. I have been with another bank for a while now so the NW account is basically frozen and no longer in use. This letter is more of a tactical move on my part as it puts an extra little something into the mix for a judge to see if it goes that far. I don't assume for one moment that NatWest have become reasonable but at least I can demonstrate that I have made every reasonable effort to engage them in a mature and decent way, something I think any judge would note and something which I feel would stand in my favour. It's not like I'm telling them I don't accept the debt and they should go take a Flying F~~~. Believe me the temptation is strong though. I will send special delivery, thanks Wendy. I don't mind paying the extra to ensure it is received and signed for. By the way Wendy, check out www.richersounds.com for a good selection of turntables. Thanks all Carl.

Zoot, No chance of pawning the records. The bailiffs will have to prize them out of my hands first......the swines!! Carl.

Hi Andy I don't think it would hurt, do you? Carl.

Zoot Thank You! At last some positive encouragement which leaves me feeling all relieved. I hope you are right regarding the crossed letters but I will send this anyway. Who knows, maybe if this gets through to them I may not need pawn my Rolex after all Carl.

Oh, forgot to say. My priority is agreeing a repayment plan with them. I cant put reclaiming charges that will likely be stayed pending OFT as a priority, that would be suicide.

Hi Folks I've just had a read through my thread and something doesn't sit right for me. I feel it would be prudent to make the effort to engage with Natwest if only to get something other than a template letter out of them. To this end I have drafted a much less aggressive letter than my previous attempt and your comments would be appreciated. Come what may, if I've sent this, surely it shows I've done the best I can? Carl. Dear Sirs I write further to your letter of 27/11/07. I am aware of the outstanding balance on my overdraft and am willing to pay this balance off. I have visited your website (www.natwest.com/paybycard) and set up an instruction to pay £75.00 per month against this debt. Unfortunately your most recent letter does not acknowledge this at all. Under my current level of income, £75.00 per month is the absolute maximum I can afford. That said, I am soon moving to a new job with a higher salary and I will be pleased to increase this amount as the funds become available. I would however advise you that, for now, the £75.00 per month instruction I have set up with you is the most I can afford. This will be the third letter I have written to NatWest in relation to this matter in an attempt to enter into a sincere dialogue. The previous two letters I sent were not acknowledged at all. Both detailed my offer of £75.00 per month. I visited your paybycard website as instructed and set up an agreement. I have however received no personal response from you indicating that you are not satisfied with this amount or that you wish to come to an arrangement without the neccesity of involving the courts which I have attempted to do twice already and a third time with this letter. Instead I have been sent what I can only assume are standard template letters, and I hardly think this can be considered sincere. I am in full time employment and in a position to make regular payments against the outstanding amount and let me assure you, it is my absolute intention to pay off this debt and I feel confident that I have made the necessary effort to address this matter suitably, courteously and in a timely manner. Taking these points into account, the commencement of legal proceedings could be counter to the ‘Overriding Objectives’ of the new Civil Procedure Rules. You will be aware that the Overriding Objectives underpin everything the court does. Moreover, paragraph 4 of the Protocols Practice Direction states that in cases not covered by an approved pre−action protocol, the court will expect the parties “to act reasonably…….. in trying to avoid the necessity for the start of proceedings”. I would respectfully suggest that your failure to respond to my letters, to not enter into a sincere dialogue and not accept my offer could be viewed as unreasonable and (if necessary) I would ask the court to consider these matters with reference to the Overriding Objectives. The offer of £75 per month is of course still open to you to accept and I eagerly await your personal response in this matter accordingly. Yours faithfully