Chancer estate agents THEY ARE CRAP

There’ve probably been numerous complaints like this. About estate agents who use bully tactics and the fact that most people are ignorant of the law to unlawfully retain deposits. Mead Estates in Walworth Road London is such an estate agents. Due to incompetence on behalf of the letting agents we were facing losing our deposit due to our notice only reaching the landlord on Nov 3rd. We mistakenly gave notice to our letting agents 6-8 weeks in advance. They did not inform us it had to be handed to the landlord. The landlord, Mead Estates, said we would lose our deposit for two reasons: 1) we hadn’t given them one months notice, we were 3 days shy of one month, and, 2) we had not met the requirements of the lease. Apparently our lease stated that we had to have been residing at the premises for 6 months before we could hand in notice. This effectively ties you into 7 moths as opposed to 6 which is accepted by law as the get out date of any lease. We’ve read the lease and it says nothing of the sort. We were told by Mead that we would get our deposit back if a tenant was found before our tenancy ended and received an e-mail to that effect telling us a new tenant would be moving in on 09/12. This was mid-november so a holding deposit must have been taken from the prospective tenant in order for the property to be removed from the viewing market. On 30/11 i was informed that the tenant had pulled out and we were once again facing the threat of losing our deposit. I have since sought professional advice and have been told that we are not liable for the property as Mead had found a tenant and had told us so, in writing. Mead is aware of this but is still prepared to go to court, probably in the hope that I will fear the cost of leal council and take the loss. I won’t. I will sue the, and not just for the deposit. i will also sue them for the interest accrued by my deposit while they have held, legal costs and for the traumatic cost. You see, my fiance and are expecting a baby at the end of January and we are in dire need of this money. Mead Estates is aware of this but do not seem to care and are prepared to go to court even though they stand to lose. This has caused a considerable amount of stress as my fiance worries constantly about money.

Shame on those companies that willingly and knowingly take money that isn’t theirs from people who really can’t afford it. Moving house is a costly enough procedure for the average person without ruthless sharks taking advantage of us. having said that, we shouldn’t generalise as my new letting agents, Pickwick Estates, and my new landlord, are bending over backwards for us. It’s just a shame as companies like Mead Estates give the rest a bad name.

Filed Under: LONDON
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POSTED by: MR LIKELY on 10 December 2007 at 4:02 pm

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