Buying a house (and renting)

Have they sent you an invoice to pay against? Will they provide a receipt?

Dual wrote:Have they sent you an invoice to pay against? Will they provide a receipt?

I have a letter confirming their acceptance and the amount we agreed on. That letter didn't show the bank details, which is why I referred to a previous invoice (which I didn't pay as we were still in dispute) and then noticed that the bank details on that invoice were different to the usual account I pay to. After emailing them they have confirmed completely different details again.

My contact there did copy in some other people, so I am not worried he is pulling a personal scam, but my paranoia around these cowboys makes me wonder why there are three different bank accounts.

I don't know if I will get a receipt, but I will be demanding one. The ground rent is due at the end of the year though so I should get an invoice and balance then if they do ignore my request for a receipt.

Moggy wrote:

Drumstick wrote:Nice one Moggy mate. So how much do you have to pay them?

Just over £5k. Thieving bastards that they are.

I am hesitating making the payment due to the bank details changing, my lack of trust in them is making my brain scream "IT'S A SCAM!!". I have an email confirming the details they want me to pay to though so I have that back up at least if they try saying they never received the money.

Jesus wept. Better than £10k though.

Remind me, why were they chasing you for this money again? It's been so long I've since forgotten what started it. Maintenance of some sort?

Drumstick wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Drumstick wrote:Nice one Moggy mate. So how much do you have to pay them?

Just over £5k. Thieving bastards that they are.

I am hesitating making the payment due to the bank details changing, my lack of trust in them is making my brain scream "IT'S A SCAM!!". I have an email confirming the details they want me to pay to though so I have that back up at least if they try saying they never received the money.

Jesus wept. Better than £10k though.

Remind me, why were they chasing you for this money again? It's been so long I've since forgotten what started it. Maintenance of some sort?

It started about 6 years ago when they sent a notice for works in the downstairs shop. They didn’t follow proper legal procedures and didn’t tell us exactly what the work was so we refused to pay. Then over the next year or so there were lots of weird and high charges that they didn’t explain, so we refused to pay.

Since then things have settled down and their charging seems to be fair, but they never took the £10k off of the balance despite repeated requests for them to explain the charges and to remove the unfair ones. I saw a solicitor early this year who agreed with me but warned that it would cost a lot of money in solicitors fees and court costs to pursue it legally.

They then wrote offering to knock 20% off of the total. I wrote back to say that was insulting but just to end the stress of it I would pay 50%.

Moggy wrote:

Drumstick wrote:

Moggy wrote:

Drumstick wrote:Nice one Moggy mate. So how much do you have to pay them?

Just over £5k. Thieving bastards that they are.

I am hesitating making the payment due to the bank details changing, my lack of trust in them is making my brain scream "IT'S A SCAM!!". I have an email confirming the details they want me to pay to though so I have that back up at least if they try saying they never received the money.

Jesus wept. Better than £10k though.

Remind me, why were they chasing you for this money again? It's been so long I've since forgotten what started it. Maintenance of some sort?

It started about 6 years ago when they sent a notice for works in the downstairs shop. They didn’t follow proper legal procedures and didn’t tell us exactly what the work was so we refused to pay. Then over the next year or so there were lots of weird and high charges that they didn’t explain, so we refused to pay.

Since then things have settled down and their charging seems to be fair, but they never took the £10k off of the balance despite repeated requests for them to explain the charges and to remove the unfair ones. I saw a solicitor early this year who agreed with me but warned that it would cost a lot of money in solicitors fees and court costs to pursue it legally.

They then wrote offering to knock 20% off of the total. I wrote back to say that was insulting but just to end the stress of it I would pay 50%.

First up, and I'll apologies profusely in advance for this, but:

Moggy wrote:It started about 6 years ago

strawberry floating hell

What about the woman that lives above/below you? Does she also have to pay £5k?

No need to apologise, 6 years is hilarious really but living with it has been awful. I probably would have carried on fighting if I didn’t want to move and get the hell out of there.

The lady upstairs never sent an offer so she hasn’t had the same £5k offer. I spoke to her yesterday and she is now going to do it, I told her she ought to try for 30% or 40%. She isn’t going to though as she wants to get this over with as well.

So pretty much all of Reading seems to be a fire hazard, all the flats I've been looking at have building work scheduled to replace the cladding... But the scummy estate agents don't tell you that.

I am sick of looking for a place, been doing it for the past 8months, may as well just continue the 2hr commute

Received a revised statement today showing the £5k was received.

But the statement is also showing a balance of £5k, the agreement I reached was for full and final settlement.

I’ve emailed in the hope that it’s a mistake and that they’ll send a corrected statement but I’ve a horrible feeling that these banana splits are going to try ripping me off.

I will strawberry floating drive to Surrey and murder every single one of the banana splits if they try strawberry floating me about over this. strawberry floating furious.

Just got a reply, they are sending a revised statement.

I can put my chainsaw away.

glad you got it sorted moggy, sound like a real bunch of gooseberry fools.

just remember, if you need an alibi... you got this place... maybe.

Kezzer wrote:glad you got it sorted moggy, sound like a real bunch of gooseberry fools.

just remember, if you need an alibi... you got this place... maybe.

And if not here, may I recommend the Pizza Express in Woking?

Tomous wrote:

Kezzer wrote:glad you got it sorted moggy, sound like a real bunch of gooseberry fools.

just remember, if you need an alibi... you got this place... maybe.

And if not here, may I recommend the Pizza Express in Woking?

We’re giving it until the New Year and then starting to look at moving. strawberry float dealing with these idiots anymore.

Never ever ever buy a leasehold!

For strawberry floats strawberry floating sake.

I’ve been chasing the banana splits for months for an updated statement that shows the balance as zero and finally received a letter today.

They’ve confirmed they’ve received the £5k and now want payment of the rest. They have offered a 50% discount bringing it to £2.5k.

They’ve completely ignored the strawberry floating agreement we reached.

I’m strawberry floating fuming. Utter conniving banana splits.

Surely you've got e-mail correspondence to confirm the agreement?

When you earlier said that they "accepted" your offer, in what form did they do this? Please say it was written communication and contains wording to the effect of "full and final settlement".

Harry Ellis wrote:When you earlier said that they "accepted" your offer, in what form did they do this? Please say it was written communication and contains wording to the effect of "full and final settlement".

Yep. I had a written “without prejudice” letter that confirmed they would accept my offer as a full and final settlement. Since then (mid November) I’ve been chasing via email for an updated statement.

Then today they write as if we’ve never agreed anything. The letter is even from the exact same banana split that wrote in November.

Feel for you man. As if moving house isn't hard enough.

Do you have to have this sorted as part of your legals?

Hime wrote:Feel for you man. As if moving house isn't hard enough.

Do you have to have this sorted as part of your legals?

I’ve not put the place up for sale yet as I’ve been waiting for this gooseberry fool to be sorted out. I assume “owing” service charge would show up when it comes to selling.

I am not a solicitor but I would think a judge would throw their case out if it ended up in court. You have made an offer in good faith to settle the dispute which was accepted. End of.

Harry Ellis wrote:I am not a solicitor but I would think a judge would throw their case out if it ended up in court. You have made an offer in good faith to settle they dispute which was accepted. End of.

That’s my reading of it. The “without prejudice” part means that documents can be inadmissible in court, but they can form evidence when people break the agreements or outright lie.

It’s a horrible mess though that just never seems to end.