Right landlord is being an ass again but on a more serious level this time. We have not had a new gas safety certificate in at least 14 months. Might be more. Had a quick look for the old one but I can't locate it. But I know its been more then 12 months. After reading around on the internet and I have read it is not my responsibility to make the landlord aware it is due it is his to make sure it is done on time. I rang him a few days ago to find he had changed his number and not told me. So I had to contact him on whatsapp as his old number was still linked to his account. I asked him if he changed his number and if I could have a new one. He then gave it me and I rang him to talk about the certificate. I reminded him it was a legal requirement. He said his usual line "I am not in at the moment" so he couldn't check his paperwork "Usual story from him" He said he would be in touch today before midday about it but nothing. He was more concerned about the rent increase that happened in October 2016 and if I was paying the correct amount in and would be checking it. We are passing the correct amount before anyone questions it. But clearly the more serious issue is the gas certificate. We are moving out this year as we have had enough of his attitude as a landlord and we have enough to move out should we need to so we are not worried on him trying to serve a notice on us to leave as this would allow us to leave earlier. So what should we do? Whats the best route to take? Many thanks

Hi, My partner has just received a letter from Northampton County Court Business Centre. The Claimant is Cabot Financial (UK) Limited and a solicitors by the name of Mortimer Clarke Solicitors LTD in West Sussex are also listed. The original debtor is Vanquis and makes reference to a date of 10/08/09 when a credit card was issued and payments was not made. My partner who had some debt then started to work with a debt management plan and she was paying £125 a month to help pay this and other debts off. By 2015 she had £3200 in her DMP and they said to stop paying as she had enough to cover all debts. Fast forward to March 2016 and we had a letter saying her DMP had closed down and they had made no payments. She lost the money she had sent them and still had these debts. Today the letter arrived. I believe the DMP made some payments to Vanquis within 6 years so it can't be declared statute barred. What are our options? We are prepared to pay monthly but only about £30-£40 as thats what we can afford. The debt is for £752.03 Any help would be great. Many thanks

Right. Update time. Landlord finally came around tonight. He bought a tenancy around and started to say houses around the area are worth £675-£700 to which I said yes because they are worth it. I said me and my partner are happy at £650. He then produced a tenancy to say £650 but dated 27th July 2016 which I thought it would be. But more on that in a bit. I went on to the back payment and made sure he knew we was not paying anything he thinks we owed as it was not our fault and only his fault for bringing it around late. He then said (This is his way of saying you are right but I will make out I done you a favour) I have spoke to my family and we will forget about the money owed. I just left it at that. I then asked him to amend the dates on the contract to the next payment date and made him sign them. He was reluctant to do this but did so in the end. So to summarize we are not back paying, rent increase of £50 a month and for another 12 months. Just like to thank everyone for your help and hopefully this is the end of it as we are looking to move next year.

Just an update on this. In Saturday my Landlord asked when I was free. As I am currently working evenings and I need to be with my partner to sign the tenancy as its a joint one plus we both want to discuss with him our options I said I could do Sunday and Wednesday as these are my days off. He couldn't make Sunday so we both agreed after 5pm on Wednesday as my partner would be back from work then. So come Wednesday we have an early tea so we can concentrate on talking to him and at 18:32 he said I can't make tonight I am out the city (again) I have now had to arrange it for Monday again for after 5pm. We shall see if he turns up.

Hi, Sorry to post about my landlord again but I need some more advice. I have posted this on the facebook group to but wanted as much input as possible We have lived in the property since 27th July 2013 and have been on a 6 month tenancy up until now. So we renew in Jan and July of each year. The landlord is constantly late in bringing us a new tenancy so it goes to a rolling tenancy (I have posted about this before). Today my landlord rang and mentioned the new tenancy. I said it should of been sorted in July and his excuse was "I have been out he country" I might add this is the excuse he uses every time we need to get hold of him and we cant. Anyway I knew he wanted to increase the rent so I asked if he had any idea what it was going up to. He then said well because of the 2 months that have passed I will have to decide how much is owed and then go forward from there. Now I have three questions. 1. Are we under any obligation to pay back any increase in rent because we didn't have a new tenancy? We just carried on paying what we had been paying for the last 36 months? 2. When he is late with the tenancy he likes to put the original date down instead of the date signed which was late. This time however I think if he does that and we sign it we will be liable for back payment as we have signed it. Should we refuse to sign it unless the date is the same we signed it? 3. He is coming around on Tuesday to "talk" about the tenancy but our rent comes out on the same day. The rent comes out as a standing order quite early Tuesday morning but he is coming around after 5pm. So if we signed a new tenancy with an increase on the Tuesday say at 6pm. Would we be liable for the for the increase since the money has already left? We will pay it if we are liable but not if we don't have to. Sorry for the long post and any further info needed please do ask. Many thanks

Thanks for the advice. Bit in bold - As per my original post We agreed again in Jan to the same deal and this time we had a tenancy and we have since put a new fence up

Hi all, We have been in this house for 3 years now and when we first moved in the rent was advertised as £650. The estate agent managed to get the rent down to £600 as long as we made the garden presentable. Which we did. This time last year our LL wanted to put the rent up and we came to an agreement that if we put a new fence up the LL would keep the rent at £600 for 6 months. We both agreed but the LL never gave us a new tenancy so if we put a new fence up then the LL could of just put the rent up. We needed security. We agreed again in Jan to the same deal and this time we had a tenancy and we have since put a new fence up. The LL wanted to come see the fence and said the rent would be going up with the new tenancy in July to either £650 or £675. (The house is not worth it but that is another thread for another time) Does the LL have to give us notice when increasing the rent or is him telling us sufficient? Many thanks

Thank you all. Spoke to my ex today and she is adamant they are not moving and have promised me they are not moving as she does not want to remove my son from his family. I just hope its the truth and I can believe it.

Hi, I apologise if this is in the wrong place but I didn't know where to post it and I desperately need help as I am going out of my wits with worry and stress. This will be a long post Me and my partner split up when my son was one. I see his quite a lot so I am lucky in that aspect of it but I don't think its due to my ex being nice more so not being able to cope. Anyway she met a new guy and all was going well. I met him a few times and all went well. My time with my son was not impacted. About a year after they got together I had a letter from Social Services saying her new partner was being investigated for emotional abuse and his children from a previous was not allowed to see them. This in turn also extended to my son and another child my ex and him had (Confusing I know) Anyway this went on and on and I think if I remember there was a protection order in place so he was not able to see my son or his new child. The social left this order in place but did not proceed any further with the case. I later found out that my ex had married this guy and had another child with him while this order was in place and kept it a secret. She had told my son not to tell me and said if he did the social would take him away from his family. For 2 years my son held this lie. Anyway it finally came out and I only found out via the Social. When I confronted her she denied it. I asked her sister who she no longer talks to and she confirmed it and sent me photos (They was talking at the time of the wedding) I sent the photos to my ex to prove I knew about it and she confessed. The social basically closed the case again as they think there is no need to keep it open. I was happy with this as I trust the social. On Saturday just gone (18/06/16) my son told me that his mum thought about moving to Scotland. I questioned more as it took me by shock. My son didn't know more so I left it at that and instantly spoke to my ex who denied it and said I don't know where my son got it from . This morning on the way to school I asked again and he told me his mum said he could Skype me if they move to Scotland as they will not be seeing me that much. I would like to explain that I have a 13 year old daughter who is living in Wales with another ex that I no longer see. I fought in court for 6 years to see her. I got orders, my ex was served papers at her work as she ignored them at her home. Eventually I got contact that was supervised. Then it stopped. I found out she had moved to Wales. At the time I was not in work and I could not afford the travel and with a heavy heart I concluded I would loose access with my daughter. I am thinking my ex is thinking if she moves to Scotland I will back away from seeing my son to. But I am working now and in more of a position to fight it. My son was born in 2007 and I am on the birth certificate. I also believe I get automatic PR as I am on the birth certificate and he was born after 2003. Does this give me any right to blocking the move? Would the involvement of the social have any impact on this? Would the involvement of her new partner who had an order have any impact on this? My son had a poor start in life and struggled with school to. Since he has been at school in Birmingham he has thrived and is doing so well and I am so proud of him. But I am worried him moving to Scotland would have a massive impact on this. I don't want him to start again. He is a timid and shy boy and he has a few friends. I think moving to a new country and school away from his friends will make it even worse. Is there any advice anyone can give me? I am begging here as I am at my wits end and I can't stop worrying. I can't get lagal aid but I can't afford solicitor fees so I don't know what to do. Please help a worried dad.

Our landlord is a dick. Sorry just wanted to get that out first. I need some advice please. Our tenancy ran out on the 27th July 2015 and our landlord has not renewed it so therefore it becomes a rolling contract. When the tenancy was coming to a end in July I rang the landlord to negotiate a deal where by he does not raise the rent (He was planning to) and I would use that money to get the fence fixed in the garden (It has been in poor condition since before we moved in). I said to him I wanted the tenancy first so once we got the fence done he did not put the rent up and we had a guaranteed 6 months at the lower rent. He did not provide this so I did not get the fence done. I am not chasing him for a new tenancy as I have done it in previous years and I am not doing it anymore. It is not my job. I am fed up of chasing him for stuff he should be doing. Anyway he calls me today asking if I have done the fence I said no as I had not had a 6 month tenancy and he said he agreed to 6 months at the lower rent. I said that is no good to me as I needed a set contract to protect myself for any rises. He then said that I had been paying the lower rent since July anyway to which I replied Yes as it changed to a rolling contract. He then said he expects the fence done. He is coming tomorrow to give me a contract from July 2015 to Feb 2016 and a new one from Feb 2016 to July 2016. Is he able to backtrack a tenancy? If not do you have a link that will back this up for me? Also am I obliged to sign a new tenancy that would start in Feb 2016 as we are looking at moving away from him? Many thanks for any help

Hi all, I have posted this on your facebook group but will also post on here just in case some of you do't use facebook but could still help. How the hell do we stop getting tax credits? I got a new job at the end of September and the pay varies from month to month as I get premiums for working different hours. In the last month I earned £1245 after tax and £1433 before tax. The month before last I earned £1227 after tax and £1420 before tax. Not much difference but this is just two examples. The lowest I could earn before tax is £1262. as my wage is not set I told the tax credits this who took an estimate which I thought was to low. I said I would call them back as I needed to talk to talk to my partner about it. We pay £80 a month for after school care to a registered child minder. We currently got £40 a month child tax credits. This was based on a wage of £15800 in my old job. At the thought of losing £10 a week we decided to cancel the tax credits as we didn't want to owe any money come the year end. We rang up and said we would like to stop all tax credits and the advisor said a letter would be issued to confirm this and we left it at that. We then had a reward notice come through telling us we was still getting £40 a month I rang back up and said that we had cancelled and we got told we could not cancel before the tax year end in April and we would still get these payments. We said we did not want the money. I said if I told you I got £17000 a year would this stop the payments. They said yes so thats what we did. My partner is on £12500 a year working 25 hours a week. Today I have just had another reward come through with my £17000 and my partners £12500 and we are still getting payments of £40 a month. Our issue us we don't want the money as no doubt when all calculations are worked out we will end up owing it back next year and its sthis situation we do not want to be in. Can anyone advise us what to do please? Many thanks

I do have an overpayment. Well I had two. I rang up and I was paying £130 a month. But one finished so now I am just paying the one. They have never mentioned this £200 before but this was tax credits so would they know? I have been in the same job for the last 6 years so I am not sure when I last signed on. Was def over 6 years ago though. Thank you for your response.

Hi all, I am needing some help and advice please. Today I received a letter from CCScollect working on behalf of DWP for an amount of £200.53p. I have no idea what this is for? and I cant recall any letter recently from DWP asking for this amount. They have my current address and have done since I moved in over 12 months ago and this is the first I can remember about this debt. The letter basically says I have to make payment within 7 days or installments that they are able to accept. Also says the DWP are prepared to litigate under The Social Security Administration act 1992. It then goes on to say they would then ask the court for a warrant of execution for a bailiff to visit the property to remove goods and they could get the money from my wage. It also says they will not take credit cards for this debt to. Help please?

Hi, I moved in the house on the 27th July 2013 and we had a 12 month contract. This obviously ran out on the 27th July 2014 and we are still waiting for a new tenancy. I rang him 4 weeks prior to the 27th July to see if we would be stopping and to make arrangements to get a new tenancy sorted. The landlord said he has it in his diary and he would be around before it expired. But every time something crops up. Every single time he is meant to come something important happens and he never tells me. I find out by ringing him and asking if he is still coming. I rang him today and he never answered so I left a message. He rang me back two hours later to say he would be around today. So I cancelled any plans I had with the kids and stopped in. Just rang him again and again something cropped up. It is nearly two weeks now since our tenancy ended and its starting to annoy me. Any advice? or has this just been a rant and a case of me waiting? Cheers

Two questions. When using my Aqua card does the available balance reflect that or does it take a day to update? When I make a payment does that reflect my available balance or does it take a few days to update? Many thanks

Hi, We moved into our house in July 2013. We like it here and we are happy. Even started to decorate. But there are a number or problems in the house that need fixing. The landlord is aware. They are: Fence needs fixing Plaster coming away from the wall near our door Obvious leak in the roof as mould if forming on the ceiling in a cupboard in our bedroom Radiator not working Boiler yesterday lost pressure and a stain has formed on the kitchen ceiling. Weird burning like smell to from the boiler so now thats off so no hot water or heating The fence, plaster and radiator have been like this since we moved in. All got promised they would be fixed. Still nothing. Well to be honest the fence was propped up but not fixed. The wind blew his prop down so its broke again. The mould. All I get is excuses saying builders are busy with the current weather. I told him about this a month ago. The boiler. He said he would get in touch by yesterday evening with a number with British gas homecare he has an account with (Do they fix leaks?) but nothing and now no reply. The boiler also has a not safe sticker on it. (It is safe but the flu goes through the loft. They is no bracket or ceiling plate so British gas said they have to put a sticker on it) and he has been told about this repeatedly. But nothing. We have paid our rent on time since being here, made improvements to the house and never complained unless about issues like the above. But I dont know what to do now. Being half term my kids are off but everyone else is at work so I cant really go around o anyones house. Advice please?

Hi, Bought a car from a trader. Well it said trader on Auto Trader. I have a screenshot of this as the ad is now gone since the car is sold. If on the receipt it says sold as seen does this mean tough if it breaks. I have had it since 20th January 2014. I part exchanged my car in for it and he filled in the traders part of my old car's V5. Basically there are a few problems which was never mentioned in the ad. Erratic speedo (Common on my car. Easy fix if nothing is seized) Speedo sometimes reads 0 while I am travelling causing the car to judder as its not getting fuel. Tonight the front wheel started to knock. Only for about 20 seconds then it stopped. Has a squeak on engine. None of this happened when I took it for a test drive. Do I have any come back with this? The car is a Ford Focus 1.6 Ghia 2001. Cheers

Surely this is classed as theft?

Hi, My partner may have to leave work soon due to illness. So is slowly losing her hearing in both ears. We are looking to move in with each other in August. But we started to worry about money if she did have to leave her job. So we tried the entitledto calculator. But it came way to high in my opinion. The post code I tried is B27 7AE as thats in the general area we are looking. The house we are interested in is Council Tax band A. My partner currently works and gets about £12500 a year. She is 31. She has a 7 year old daughter who will will also be living with us. I am currently working and earn £14025 a year. I am 32 and I also have a 7 year old son from a previous relationship who will be staying every weekend and at least half of every school holiday. I pay his mother CSA. Now when I did the entitledto with my partner getting ESA due to her possibly leaving work due to illness these are the results that came up which I am unsure about. The higher number is yearly and monthly is weekly. Housing Benefit £20,522.27 £394.66 We have calculated your entitlement using Local Housing Allowance rates, as you cannot claim for a rent greater than the allowed amount. Our calculation is based on you receiving £29.87 from working tax credit and an Income of £62.72 from child tax credit. I think this is way to high. Any ideas?

I Work for a company as a sales team leader. Has about 220 locations in the UK. I worked at the Birmingham branch but recently moved to a new opening closer to home. Now this is what I need advice about. I have a 6 year old boy who I see every other weekend. I pick him up from work at 6pm on the Friday and he goes back Sunday evening. And my days off in the week. I have been with the company for nearly 5 years and always had this arrangement and the managers have been happy. The new store has late opening times until 8:30pm. I got asked to move over by the manager taking the new store. I said only if I could keep the same arrangement and leave on that particular Friday I have my son at 6pm so its not to late to pick him up. I got told that was fine so I was happy to move over as its closer and easier for me to get to. Now I have transferred I have been put down to work every Friday on a late meaning I will not be able to get my son until 9pm at the earliest. I spoke to him and he said "That's the way it has to be" We have another team leader and an assistant manager and store manager. The assistant manager and store manager never work lates and on that Friday bother managers are on earlies. The other team leader is off. I know he has to do what's right for the business but this is why I asked if he could accommodate for seeing my son first as if he would of said no I would never of moved over and he could of got someone who could of accommodated what he needed and I would of stayed and still seen my son. All I am asking is to swap 2 and a half hours. Not for the whole day off. I need to finish at 6pm instead of 8:30pm. Any advice please as I don't want to loose seeing my son for a night?

Me and my friend moved into this house in Aug 2010. All was good until it rained. The conservatory and garage leaked. We told the agency and they had someone come out to fix it. It was obviously a bodge job because 3 months later it was leaking again. When it rains it literally runs down the door leading from conservatory to the garage. It also leaks in the garage around the drainpipe and some of the brick work looks wet. For the past 2 years the agency have fixed it but sometime later it has leaked again. The latest one now has been leaking for 4 months or so and despite me calling the agency every time it does and them promising someone will come out no one ever does and I am at the end of my tether now. Any advice now as to what I can do? Cheers

Before anyone has a go yes I was in the wrong. I was speeding through the tunnels in Brum and a car was following me. Turned out it was a police car. Was not a traffic or patrol car. Just a silver Peugeot with a lone officer. I slowed down to turn off and the car then pulled next to me sounded the horn and made a slow down gesture with her hand. I then went down my turning and the officer carried on the same way they was originally going. Will I get a ticket?

Theft And anything really with checks

Not sure if this is the right place to ask but I am looking at finding out my criminal record. I got done for theft in 2004ish and sure I got prosecuted in 2005. I want to know if this is still showing on my record or is it a permanent fixture on there? Do I contact the police or do I have to question it to someone else? Cheers

Well after emailing the pictures over the guy at Tesco customer services called me back and said it looks like actually pixel damage and not accidental damage. He said he can see no sign of water damage so he is ruling that out and gave me a reference number to take it back into any store with a electrical department and get a refund or replacement So happy now.