Well, the photographs prove that the flat was in good condition when we left it. When we came back with the estate agents after the weekend, the whole place was turned upside down, dustsheets everywhere, carpets up, wallpaper hanging off walls, the lot. So we and the estate agents agreed that a final inventory check wasn't possible. He hasn't provided us with any receipts, although we have asked him few times (through the estate agents, as he lives in Thailand). There's not actually a final inventory check to back these up anyway, and he may well be trying to get us to pay for cleaning up after the workmen. So there's no way he can prove anything one way or the other. And yet he still has our money! The estate agents are no help whatsoever, and refuse to get involved. Well, we've sent the claim off again, so we'll just have to hope it gets there. Apparently you can also serve them electronically, so we may try that.

We have just re-served the small claims court papers to his address in Thailand, so will just have to wait and see...

Hiya, received a letter yesterday saying that they are 'looking into the issues I have raised'. Will keep you posted. Wendy :grin:

Hello, it's a bit involved, this, so apologies in advance! We finally moved out of rented accomodation last year, after having an awful few years renting from a cowboy ex-landlord and gutless estate agents. We had an inventory check when we moved in, and loads of problems with damp during our tenancy, which both the landlord and the agents refused to do anything about; each blaming each other. The landlord finally agreed (in writing) to give us a months rent as compensation for this, but the agent confirmed to us that he intended to take this out of our deposit when we moved out. When we did finally move out, a final inventory check couldn't take place as workmen had already moved in to sort out the damp, and the place was turned upside down. We do however have photographs as evidence that the flat was in good condition when we left it. Better than when we moved in, in fact, apart from the damp problems which they were aware of. However, despite having no legal basis for charging us anything, the landlord has refused to return the deposit or the extra compensation. He has claimed that most of the money was spent cleaning the place up, but has not provided any evidence of this, to us or the agents. The estate agents themselves have admitted that this is an astronomical amount to spend on cleaning, but claim that they cannot release any of the deposit without agreement from the landlord. And they can't hold him to his promise for an extra month's rent either. We have tried ARLA, and we have tried the Dispute Service, but the landlord is refusing to co-operate with either of them. The Estate Agents have washed their hands of him, and say they can't help. So we then served a claim on his Power of Attorney (his mother) through the Small Claims Court. Fast forward to yesterday - it turns out that although he uses a Power of Attorney in the UK to manage his rental properties here, this Power of Attorney has now developed a 'disability' and is now unable to operate on his behalf. So we now have to serve papers to his home address (this is the good bit) - in Thailand. Does anyone have any experience of dealing with overseas landlords that could help / give advice? We would really like to get our mopney back, but don't know if the UK courts would be able to do anything given that he doesn't live here. I get the feeling that this might not be the first time this has happened, and that this may be his normal trick when he rips his tenants off. Do we stand any chance at all of ever getting our money back?

Hi guys, Apologies if this is the wrong place for this thread, but I wondered if you had any advice. A friend of mine had a switch payment of £40 taken out of his Halifax account ten days ago - it was a transaction made on Saturday 9th June in Manchester. However, he was in Cumbria, nowhere near Manchester at the time, and had been there for days. He can prove this (he was there for work). He hasn't been to Manchester for years, so doesn't think it could be a delayed transaction, and is sure that it isn't a telephone / web transaction either. Halifax have told him that they can investigate (it will take six weeks) but that it's highly unlikely that they will be able to do anything about it. Surely it's not possible for a random switch payment to be taken, without permission, and wihtout any comeback?! Any advice gratefully accepted... :o)

Hello, just letting you know that I have sent my first letter off to HSBC asking for a total of £1330 to be refunded to me. Thanks very much to you all for your information and advice - I wouldn't have been able to calculate the interest without you! I will keep you posted on how it all develops. Fingers crossed! WendyN PS: For anyone who uses HSBC internet banking: your last six years' statements should be linked to your internet account - just go to 'my statements' and work through them. It takes a while, but not quite as long as waiting for HSBC to do it themselves! :o)