hi! I have a query about some ground rent arrears. The ground rent i pay is £10 half yearly. It is requested in the proper fashion but I am poor at paying bills without prompting! Anyway, typically it will build to £40 and then they will send a more forceful letter and I pay up. Last month I received a demand for the £40 but due to a combination of them posting their letter a week or so late and me being away for a fortnight I didn't send the cheque for 3 weeks. I have today received a second final demand which has deducted the £40 but leaves me owing £35 comprising a land registry fee and a collection fee. Now while I think they have been a little premature I can see that I would need to reimburse their costs for a registry search, but is the collection fee an administration charge? Or simply a random figure they have added? If an administration fee am I not supposed to be given some kind of information on their fees? Either way should i not be entitled to have received some kind of notification of the charge before being given a 7 day letter to pay up (again received several days after it is dated!). I seem to be being threatened with court action for a debt of which I had no knowledge! As they were quick off the mark last time I would appreciate any comments anyone can give.

I received one of said forms in the post. I filled it in but have not got around to posting it. My initial contact was 4th October and today (28 days?) I received my statements via special delivery - you would think you either had to provide identification or not! However, your method is a better idea of course, as the form does not ask for any more information than is put in the preliminary letter.

I received a list of transactions, however they stop in 2003! While I don't know have use of the card there are payments and fees which have applied in the past three years when I have been paying off the balance - surely these should be included in a list of transaction on the account. Also the £470 which they said they 'had' credited to my account as a good will gesture has not been credited?

SAR sent, list of transactions received with conditional offer of £470, sums to do later today

SAR sent, ID form received and despatched today.

Thanks for that! I will not let myself be bullied but am very early in the process (just sent off the delay tactic SAR form). Being prepared to plod through it all methodically is the only way that I can see of doing my bit against the leeches.

But they filed an acknowledgement