How to recover debt from tenant on benefits

[Dempsey40]

I hope someone can help.

 

I have just served a tenant a section 8 before I go to court to evict them.

They owe £3680 in unpaid rent and this will increase on the 8th by another £1000.

The debt has gone on for over a year now and as they are on benefits I am wondering what my options are to try and recover the money owed. Has anyone had any experience of this.

 

Thanks

[unclebulgaria67]

No direct experience of this, but have you issue a court claim for the debt yet ?

 

Presumably they are on housing benefit, but this has not been passed on to you ?

 

If you had a CCJ, you could get a court bailiff to serve notice on them to attend court to reveal full details of their finances, in order to set a repayment amount. High court enforcement might be an option, if they had any goods of value.

 

Do they own a car ?

 

Have you seen the house contents to possibly have any idea of the value of goods that might be available for sale ?

 

Once they are evicted and presumably either homeless, in emergency accommodation or coach surfing, you might struggle to find them to get anything.

[Dempsey40]

Thanks for your reply

 

You are correct they are on housing benefits but have not passed them on. Tomorrow I will be applying to court to have them evicted. There is not enough contents to cover the debt.

[ericsbrother]

TBH you should concentrate on getting the eviction order as even if you get a CCJ for the debt they arent going to pay it even if they wanted to. You could settle for £1 a month and then rely on it being an active matter to chase them if their financial outlook improves later.