Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

[Folo]

My name Folo, I am 35 years old and British passport holder and a graduate from LMU and Guildhall. I am overwhelmed by current situation which has been dragging on for 12 month. I am a reasonably well read but this is now too much for me. I have court again on Friday at 11am 11th of April 2014 and need advice as I cannot afford a legal representative. Trying to get "my life" back has now taken over my life and is destroying my health, career and relationship with my little girl.

PLEASE help me. This site was recommended to me by another LB user who stated the advice she received changed her life.

I was renting room in a flat whilst studying (again) at Kensington and Chelsea College. On he 27th of March 2013 I was evicted from my room and the land lady took all my possessions including my lap top which I used for work (it has specialist computer programmes for music), she also took my passport which a Judge has verbally told her to return to me. I am in court on Friday morning at 11am and Thea is coming with me to help as I have no legal representation.

This ordeal has affect my health, my studies, my family life (I am a dad) and my future career, I had opportunity with Pinewood Studios which has been withdrawn due to my work tools eg computer and programmes, film script being taken unlawfully by landlady.

BTW i am not the only tenant to whom she done this. In court she claimed to fear for her safety, which is a joke since she is ex military. I never received a copy of a document proving she put the money for deposit in the protection scheme.

Below is the time line as to what happened:

1. Dec 2011 - I move into NW10 3RE. I notice (landlady) is far less friendly as soon as her rent is secured. She doesn't respond well to requests for basic facility faults & is incommunicado re travel as a live in landlady.
2. January 2012 - my property is vandalised by her previous tenant as (landlady) secretly double rented. (landlady) changes locks & stalls giving my key while receiving rent. (landlady) refuses to put locks on the doors. (landlady) confuses me with talk of wanting me to move out in tandem with talk of intent to leave the property to me & the other tenants if I wait 1 month to be moved out of the £100pw room (she had me in throughout entire 1 bed flat tenancy) into the double room as legally agreed.
3. Feb 2012 - I had to book police officers to force (landlady) to give me a copy of the key. (landlady) bewilders the 3 policemen by asking them to return when she isn't sleeping. Police advise I move out as they class her a nuisance at best & an extremely difficult landlady at worst.
4. March - Brent 1-Stop staff advice me against moving out due to new laws passed ending my eligibility for 1 bed housing benefit (over 35s only, I was 33yrs at that point).
5. June 2012 - (landlady)'s lies leave me aware of her lack of morality & her happily defrauding tax payer's, Brent & completely ignoring the tenancy agreement. Her confusing mix of slow feeding promises to afford me my legal entitlements in contrast with offbeat claims that she wants me out clearly serve as a distraction from & security blanket for her illegal practices.
6. July 2012 - Brent Law Centre tell me they know numerous of (landlady)'s previous tenants have lodged complaints about her misconduct.
7. Aug 2012 - Brent council advice I stop £250pw payments as a result of (landlady)'s illegally obtained 150% profit failing to oblige her towards her professional duty.
8. Oct 2012 - Brent council explain that they're legally obliged re-route housing benefit back to (landlady), even though I've been kept in tiny room while sharing bathroom, while she's paid £250pw as if I've been provided 1 bed flat facilities promised. Up until illegal eviction I'm forced to split my time between NW10 3RE & friends & family as (landlady) illegally denied me the space she was paid for me to have. I fear she'll fiddle a way around paying my deposit. All relevant offices clearly do not care.
9. Dec 2012 - I end 2012 cramped in same tiny as if my tenancy agreement was for shared when it was for 1 bed flat. Disgusted at both (landlady) happily messing with my life in full knowledge of my parental duty to my (then 2yrs) daughter. I'm equally damaged by lack of care from Brent council. (landlady) pretends she isn't a fraudulent landlady & ignores my requests for my deposit. I can't relocate without my deposit & fail to grasp why with all the money she makes illegally she can't give my deposit back so I can move on.
10. March 27 2013 - Amid my music tech exams (landlady) illegally evicts me, locking away all my clothes & study tools & docs & passport.
11. April 18 2013 - (landlady) shows how much practice she's had ripping off her tenants. District Judge J B find every lie (landlady) told a more convenient listen & I'm evicted. Judge rules I'm to collect my things by 25th of April.
12. April 25 2013 - When asked if another day will do, (landlady) insists I travel from Langley (outside of London). I stand & wait for 6-7hrs & my hired van man had to leave to pick kids up from school after 3-4hrs. Limited Police support is on hand. An officer loses his temper over the games (landlady) played all day that day & the following, leaving us all unaware of her location. I'm totally confused by how she's able to ignore the judge yet no bailiff as I was told she have to comply with ruling or bailiff & locksmith would open door….bailiff hid from my calls after previously warning me against taking the law into my own hands in event of (landlady)'s Antagonism.
13. From the until now I've weathered Willesden county court admin cock-ups wasting yet another year of my life. Sarah Teather MP contacted Brent Police on my behalf as I've been ignored re (landlady)'s illegal possession of my British passport, deposit & all my things including the tools upon which my employment depends. Academic staff sign docs re damage done to my music tech studies at end of year course. I'm advised to seek damages re pinewood studios film script/project locked away on my laptop, & music projects aborted for same reason.

Please Help!

Kind regards

Folo

[enquirer]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Sarah Teather MP contacted Brent Police on my behalf as I've been ignored re landlady's illegal possession of my British passport, deposit & all my things including the tools upon which my employment depends.

Get onto your MP again. Make a formal complaint against the police. Be sure to remind them that your MP is taking an interest.

[Folo]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Thank you very much for your response!

Do you advise I take this complaint directly to a Brent borough police station, or am I to find the police complaints dept, while engaging the rest of your advice? I'll definitely be highlighting all worsening issues that are been enabled by collective general disinterest from all. The Police. Willesden county court. Brent Council (at Brent Civic Centre). Look Ahead are a multi-branched charity funded org operating as housing harassment victim support. Over the last year Look Ahead have shown me they're not nearly responsive enough. Like all other above mentioned offices, Look Ahead's constant main flaw was & is their priority being hiding from prior negligence. All the energy best used to rectify messes the could've & can but do not prevent is spent fully on how they incessantly flatly deny any knowledge of errors & deny having made any promises (which they truly have made) previously. After 2yrs of this brutal & draining cycle, I'm finally fully aware these fake promises are made by most of these offices to send me out of their offices on my more merry-ish way with false hope given. Hope on the strength of the professional credibility I mistakenly give people for being employed as I've been unemployed long enough (due to this housing debacle in which all my doc, iD & my prior good health & career tools have been illegally trapped) to stupidly trusted apathetic people repeatedly.

[EXC]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

There are a lot of issues here.

Firstly what is the court hearing tomorrow about?

[bluebottle]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

The issues relating to the police, if they have not been resolved by the Station Superintendent, Borough Commander or senior management at New Scotland Yard, should now be referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC).

The cock-ups by the court should be referred to HMCTS Correspondence, Complaints and Litigation Unit at general.queries@justice.gsi.gov.uk and insert -

"For attn. HMCTS Correspondence, Complaints & Litigation Unit"

in the subject box of an email browser.

The matter of the passport should be notified to the UK Border Agency and advice sought from them.

It also sounds like there may be a case to answer under the Torts (Interference With Goods) Act 1977 for Wrongful Detention of Goods.

[ResponsetoFola]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Dear Ex Tenant,
I found this post two weeks ago as my name was indexed in the google and linked with this post. I kindly requested the website remove my name which they have done and replaced my name with "Landlady".

Last year I was contacted by your social worker on your behalf and I had told him that I was happy for you pick up all your items which I had put into storage in one of my other homes. However I received no further communication from either him or yourself.

As you are aware, despite being given an eviction date you were moving more items into my property and the hallway as opposed to moving property out of the premises.

On the date of the eviction you chose to make an appeal to see if the Judge will allow you to stay in the property for longer but as you had lost your keys and had not been in the property for around 4weeks the judge dismissed your application on the basis that you clearly had demonstrated that you had alternative accommodation.

Since you had made no plans to vacate on the eviction date the items you had left was relocated and I have received no communication whatsoever from you as to making any attempt to collect your items. I would like to use this opportunity to once again ask you to make effort to collect your items as I am no longer able to hold onto these items for you any longer.

Yours Sincerely
Landlady

My name Folo, I am 35 years old and British passport holder and a graduate from LMU and Guildhall. I am overwhelmed by current situation which has been dragging on for 12 month. I am a reasonably well read but this is now too much for me. I have court again on Friday at 11am 11th of April 2014 and need advice as I cannot afford a legal representative. Trying to get "my life" back has now taken over my life and is destroying my health, career and relationship with my little girl.

PLEASE help me. This site was recommended to me by another LB user who stated the advice she received changed her life.

I was renting room in a flat whilst studying (again) at Kensington and Chelsea College. On he 27th of March 2013 I was evicted from my room and the land lady took all my possessions including my lap top which I used for work (it has specialist computer programmes for music), she also took my passport which a Judge has verbally told her to return to me. I am in court on Friday morning at 11am and Thea is coming with me to help as I have no legal representation.

This ordeal has affect my health, my studies, my family life (I am a dad) and my future career, I had opportunity with Pinewood Studios which has been withdrawn due to my work tools eg computer and programmes, film script being taken unlawfully by landlady.

BTW i am not the only tenant to whom she done this. In court she claimed to fear for her safety, which is a joke since she is ex military. I never received a copy of a document proving she put the money for deposit in the protection scheme.

Below is the time line as to what happened:

1. Dec 2011 - I move into NW10 3RE. I notice (landlady) is far less friendly as soon as her rent is secured. She doesn't respond well to requests for basic facility faults & is incommunicado re travel as a live in landlady.
2. January 2012 - my property is vandalised by her previous tenant as (landlady) secretly double rented. (landlady) changes locks & stalls giving my key while receiving rent. (landlady) refuses to put locks on the doors. (landlady) confuses me with talk of wanting me to move out in tandem with talk of intent to leave the property to me & the other tenants if I wait 1 month to be moved out of the £100pw room (she had me in throughout entire 1 bed flat tenancy) into the double room as legally agreed.
3. Feb 2012 - I had to book police officers to force (landlady) to give me a copy of the key. (landlady) bewilders the 3 policemen by asking them to return when she isn't sleeping. Police advise I move out as they class her a nuisance at best & an extremely difficult landlady at worst.
4. March - Brent 1-Stop staff advice me against moving out due to new laws passed ending my eligibility for 1 bed housing benefit (over 35s only, I was 33yrs at that point).
5. June 2012 - (landlady)'s lies leave me aware of her lack of morality & her happily defrauding tax payer's, Brent & completely ignoring the tenancy agreement. Her confusing mix of slow feeding promises to afford me my legal entitlements in contrast with offbeat claims that she wants me out clearly serve as a distraction from & security blanket for her illegal practices.
6. July 2012 - Brent Law Centre tell me they know numerous of (landlady)'s previous tenants have lodged complaints about her misconduct.
7. Aug 2012 - Brent council advice I stop £250pw payments as a result of (landlady)'s illegally obtained 150% profit failing to oblige her towards her professional duty.
8. Oct 2012 - Brent council explain that they're legally obliged re-route housing benefit back to (landlady), even though I've been kept in tiny room while sharing bathroom, while she's paid £250pw as if I've been provided 1 bed flat facilities promised. Up until illegal eviction I'm forced to split my time between NW10 3RE & friends & family as (landlady) illegally denied me the space she was paid for me to have. I fear she'll fiddle a way around paying my deposit. All relevant offices clearly do not care.
9. Dec 2012 - I end 2012 cramped in same tiny as if my tenancy agreement was for shared when it was for 1 bed flat. Disgusted at both (landlady) happily messing with my life in full knowledge of my parental duty to my (then 2yrs) daughter. I'm equally damaged by lack of care from Brent council. (landlady) pretends she isn't a fraudulent landlady & ignores my requests for my deposit. I can't relocate without my deposit & fail to grasp why with all the money she makes illegally she can't give my deposit back so I can move on.
10. March 27 2013 - Amid my music tech exams (landlady) illegally evicts me, locking away all my clothes & study tools & docs & passport.
11. April 18 2013 - (landlady) shows how much practice she's had ripping off her tenants. District Judge J B find every lie (landlady) told a more convenient listen & I'm evicted. Judge rules I'm to collect my things by 25th of April.
12. April 25 2013 - When asked if another day will do, (landlady) insists I travel from Langley (outside of London). I stand & wait for 6-7hrs & my hired van man had to leave to pick kids up from school after 3-4hrs. Limited Police support is on hand. An officer loses his temper over the games (landlady) played all day that day & the following, leaving us all unaware of her location. I'm totally confused by how she's able to ignore the judge yet no bailiff as I was told she have to comply with ruling or bailiff & locksmith would open door….bailiff hid from my calls after previously warning me against taking the law into my own hands in event of (landlady)'s Antagonism.
13. From the until now I've weathered Willesden county court admin cock-ups wasting yet another year of my life. Sarah Teather MP contacted Brent Police on my behalf as I've been ignored re (landlady)'s illegal possession of my British passport, deposit & all my things including the tools upon which my employment depends. Academic staff sign docs re damage done to my music tech studies at end of year course. I'm advised to seek damages re pinewood studios film script/project locked away on my laptop, & music projects aborted for same reason.

Please Help!

Kind regards

Folo

[jeralra]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

[QUOTE=ResponsetoFola;519545]Dear Ex Tenant,
I found this post two weeks ago as my name was indexed in the google and linked with this post. I kindly requested the website remove my name which they have done and replaced my name with "Landlady".

Last year I was contacted by your social worker on your behalf and I had told him that I was happy for you pick up all your items which I had put into storage in one of my other homes. However I received no further communication from either him or yourself.

As you are aware, despite being given an eviction date you were moving more items into my property and the hallway as opposed to moving property out of the premises.

On the date of the eviction you chose to make an appeal to see if the Judge will allow you to stay in the property for longer but as you had lost your keys and had not been in the property for around 4weeks the judge dismissed your application on the basis that you clearly had demonstrated that you had alternative accommodation.

Since you had made no plans to vacate on the eviction date the items you had left was relocated and I have received no communication whatsoever from you as to making any attempt to collect your items. I would like to use this opportunity to once again ask you to make effort to collect your items as I am no longer able to hold onto these items for you any longer.

Yours Sincerely
Landlady[/QUOTE


You are the sort of the landlord that give landlords a bad name. I used to be one of your tenants and you are the worst landlord I every had. You should be banned.

[bluebottle]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

All landlords, whether they be corporate, housing association, local authority or private, need to be acutely aware of the ruling by the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in the case of AA -v- London Borough of Southwark [2014].

This particular case is a prime example of what can happen if a landlord plays silly beggars or thinks they are above the law. The ruling cost the defendant dearly, in financial terms, and resulted in serious consequences for those involved in the malfeasance of the defendant.

[ResponsetoFola]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Is AA the name of the tenant. If so AA would be a commercial tenant and a very different kettle of fish from psychopath lodger living with a landlord and constantly creating a nuisance for the remaining lodgers in the home. In any event such a case does not exist.

All landlords, whether they be corporate, housing association, local authority or private, need to be acutely aware of the ruling by the Queen's Bench Division of the High Court in the case of AA -v- London Borough of Southwark [2014].

This particular case is a prime example of what can happen if a landlord plays silly beggars or thinks they are above the law. The ruling cost the defendant dearly, in financial terms, and resulted in serious consequences for those involved in the malfeasance of the defendant.

[bluebottle]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Is AA the name of the tenant. If so AA would be a commercial tenant and a very different kettle of fish from psychopath lodger living with a landlord and constantly creating a nuisance for the remaining lodgers in the home. In any event such a case does not exist.

AA was a residential tenant. And if you are saying AA -v- London Borough of Southwark [2014] does not exist, you will find it at www.bailii.org

As cases go, its ruling is very powerful and is relevant in many tenancy eviction cases where the landlord has acted in a malfeasant manner.

[ResponsetoFola]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Just had a quick glance at the case, there was an anonymity order hence AA instead of an actual name. Its very silly for anyone local authority or individual to destroy someone else's property. Nobody needs a judge to highlight that in any event a secure tenancy is very different from a lodger entering other peoples property. Yes social landlord like Housing Associations may have powers and staff to intimidate but unfortunately too often is the reverse the case with Male Housing Benefit tenants bullying their female landlords. Bottom line is for landlords need to rinse their hands from any Housing Benefit tenants!!!

[bluebottle]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Just had a quick glance at the case, there was an anonymity order hence AA instead of an actual name. Its very silly for anyone local authority or individual to destroy someone else's property. Nobody needs a judge to highlight that in any event a secure tenancy is very different from a lodger entering other peoples property. Yes social landlord like Housing Associations may have powers and staff to intimidate but unfortunately too often is the reverse the case with Male Housing Benefit tenants bullying their female landlords. Bottom line is for landlords need to rinse their hands from any Housing Benefit tenants!!!

A lot of landlords would go bankrupt if they didn't have Housing Benefit tenants! Also, do you have evidence of "...too often is the reverse the case with Male Housing Benefit tenants bullying their female landlords..."?

A number of cases I have helped prepare for court recently have involved landlords clearly bullying tenants. In one case, a landlord rather stupidly got a family member to pretend to be a county court bailiff. One problem with that...the landlord and their family member very nearly got themselves arrested by the police.

[ResponsetoFola]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

These fraud tactics by landlords are a totally a different matter. As a landlord I definitely think your statistics are wrong and there is more potential for a Landlord to go bankrupt having housing benefit tenants. Perhaps if a landlord has property outside London in an area of low employment then they can rely on housing benefit tenants but certainly not in London.
Each housing benefit tenant I have evicted I have managed to replace with tenants paying higher rent willing to work for a living rather than sit and sip the tax payers money.

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

Just had a quick glance at the case, there was an anonymity order hence AA instead of an actual name. Its very silly for anyone local authority or individual to destroy someone else's property. Nobody needs a judge to highlight that in any event a secure tenancy is very different from a lodger entering other peoples property. Yes social landlord like Housing Associations may have powers and staff to intimidate but unfortunately too often is the reverse the case with Male Housing Benefit tenants bullying their female landlords. Bottom line is for landlords need to rinse their hands from any Housing Benefit tenants!!!

...and just where should housing benefit tenants live? On the street? In which case they'd no longer get benefit, since it's only paid to those who pay rent.

The whole idea of housing benefit is so that people can pay their rent when they can't work for whatever reason, and some housing benefit claimants actually do work but don't earn enough. Amongst HB tenants are also many families, where do you think they should live?

[FlamingParrot]

Re: Landlady has kept my passport after eviciting me - court told her to return it

These fraud tactics by landlords are a totally a different matter. As a landlord I definitely think your statistics are wrong and there is more potential for a Landlord to go bankrupt having housing benefit tenants. Perhaps if a landlord has property outside London in an area of low employment then they can rely on housing benefit tenants but certainly not in London.

So where should London benefit claimants move to? Hyde Park?

Extremely high housing costs in London mean that even working families often have to rely on benefit to have a roof over their heads. Competition from sharers mean houses with three or four bedrooms are out of reach for many people without relying on benefits.

Each housing benefit tenant I have evicted I have managed to replace with tenants paying higher rent willing to work for a living rather than sit and sip the tax payers money.

You seem to be proud to make people homeless for the sake of increasing your profits.