Walker Singleton - Tenants plight

[helen09]

I have read many stories from Landlords about their treatment by Walker Singleton and Mortgage Express. I have found out just over 5 years later that I too as a previous tenant am a victim of their disgusting behaviour and am in limbo as too know what to do.

 

We are going through the process for referencing to rent another property, too be told I have a CCJ against my name for £4125 through Guildford County Court. I was totally shocked as I subscribe to Equifax to check my credit file and nothing has ever shown up. The Letting Agents kindly gave me the case no so I pursue the details of such.

 

I was told this was a possession order (dated: October 2008) for an Apartment I once lived in and there was a monetary judgement attached. This is were the story begins.

 

I was living on my own with my children when in July 2008 I received a letter from Walker Singleton to say the Landlord had gone into receivership and we had two weeks to get out otherwise the baliffs would enforce eviction within 7 days of the conclusion of the 14 day period. We had been paying rent directly to the Landlord up until the point and we were not in arrears.

 

We approached the Council and found alternative accommodation within this period and we duly moved out leaving the keys as instructed. I thought nothing more about this until now.

 

It turns out there were some of us who did move out and some of us who didn't (the landlord had bought 12 flats off plan on a Buy to Let). Several months later Walker Singleton applied to the courts for a possession order to evict all of the Landlords tenants. However, none of the tenants received the court papers and therefore as the noone defended the claim, the judge passed it and all possession orders were issued.

 

Although, I had vacated the property I am assuming that there was still a live Tenancy Agreement therefore they could not sell the property as a vacant possession, hence I got caught up in the swoop.

 

They cited rent arrears (apparently I have discovered from the point the Landlord went into receivership (Jan 2008) all rents should have been paid to Walker Singleton) however they did not notify the tenants of this so they were able to cite rent arrears.

 

I have been told I am best to wait the further 7 months for the CCJ to drop off my file as opposed to trying to have it set aside as the judge may reopen the case, and with a lack of material to defend this story (being nearly six years down the line), the judge could reorder the CCJ and I am stuck with it for another 6 years.

 

Surely, if they believed there were only rent arrears they wouldn't have gone for the possession order as I was no longer in the property and it seems absolutely absurd to me they have never enforced the CCJ to recover the alleged debt.

 

Feel a real victim of this underhand practice. Has anybody else been a victim of this and is there any advice you can give me. Open to all suggestions - whilst I am tempted to wait the 7 months part of me is loathed to as I have done absolutely nothing wrong and now the prospect of renting a new house is in total jeopardy over this!!!

[ploddertom]

Moved to General Legal Issues