Confusedush
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148 Posts
I have at last got my 'difficult' tenant out. This man caused me significatn grief over the three years he was a tenant - rent arrears, complaints from other tenants about noise and behaviour, damage to the property,furniture and fittings, and disgustingly filthy. I had already obtained a Order of Posession well over a year ago, but Covid put the brakes on that. I had even started to take it to the High Court and since the re-opening of the Court system I was being pestered by the High Court Enforcement company if I now wanted to continue with the case. When I phoned them and asked them how long it would take should I decide to proceed they were very non commital, in fact they would not give any indication of the length of time. 'It depends on the Court' is all they would say. Having read some other recent posts I would have probably been looking at least 3 - 4 months, probably longer. So was it going to be worth spending well over a £1000 going through with the High Court procedure and waiting more months to get him out ? I had no doubt that he would immediately stop any money reaching my bank account during those months.
Cutting a long story short I offered him money to leave and to my surprise he accepted it. I said he would get the money once he had left the property and signed a Deed of Surrender, which is a surprisingly simple thing to do. I also insisted he remove all his possessions from the property by and on the day he leaves so that I would not be left with the headache of not being able to touch anything he may have left in the property.
So the day came and of course it did not run smoothly as he still had not even looked at the bedsit he was moving into and I was beginning to think it was not going to happen. But eventually we got all his 'possessions' in my van and moved him into his new house. (Yes, I even provided a removal service for him). The new landlord knew the tenant and from my brief interaction with him was aware he may be difficult, but I got the impression this landlord was experieced in dealing with difficult tenants and may have some connection with the local Council from his phone conversations with them whilst I was there.
Whatever, the tenant was out. I had a friend witness the tenant sign the DOS and the 'envelope' was passed to the tenant. I managed to retain some semblence of normallity during the procedure but I could have jumped up and down and shouted 'yes, yes'yes' once I had left this sad man in his poky little bed-sit.
I had got rid of him and saved myself money and time by offering him the cash. No dout in his mind he was thinking of the drugs and alcohol that he could buy with all that money. A few good sessions as his 'friends' would be helping him celebrate no doubt.
No matter, I have the flat back and it's going to cost a fair bit to get it back in decent shape but at least he isn't in it ! Hurrah. And my other great tenants have no longer got to listen to his drug and alcohol induced rantings in the early hours.
