Diplomatic squatters

[ElsieD]

Does anyone have any ideas on what can be done about tenants who refuse to move out at the end of a tenancy, claiming diplomatic immunity?

[Dom Tuk]

Write to the ambassador of the embassy concerned. Explain the circumstances and give as much detail as possible including tenancy agreements and correspondence. No ambassador wants his staff to bend the rules of the host country and hopefully that will sort it.

[Loosehead]

Diplomatic immunity applies to laws broken in the host country. This is a civil matter, I would imagine that you can proceed as you would any other tennant.

[ElsieD]

Thanks, Dom Tuk, and Loosehead. This is actually friends of ours that it is happening to, they let their home for a year or so, and now want to come back to the their house. They have just applied to the courts for an eviction order, but are worried that if the diplomat can't be arrested, what would happen on eviction day if he still refused to move? I agree they should try the embassy. The diplomat also lied about how many people would be in the house with him.

[smudge]

A Diplomat lying - nah surely not!

[ElsieD]

Smudge - that's what I thought! ; ) Especially as he kept stressing how respected he is back home..

[Glossopswift]

'Home' being your friend's house, it would seem. Giz a clue where he's from, go on....

[smudge]

Glad you think so too ElsieD, it all sounds bent to me!

[Dom Tuk]

Read somewhere that a lot of diplomatic missions in London owe huge amounts in Council taxes and most of it is unrecoverable. They know they are on to a good thing here. We cannot touch them and they can get away with it. But if we tried it in their country the local police would be beating the **** out of us.

[smudge]

Dom - great minds think alike - well sometimes!

[Dom Tuk]

It is pertinent to point out that not all tHE staff employed at the embassy/consulate/high commission are career diplomats. everyone from the ambassador to the cook and cleaner and maid gets diplomatic status. hence if the sous chef desides that his kids need a massage everyday he will get a masseuse from the home country and that person will be afforded diplomatic status. We do the same too. So while a career diplomat from the their equivalent of tyhe FCO is unlikely to engage in such shenanigans those at the bottom of the ladder will try it on. However the diplomats and ambassadors will not stand for it and will want to root it out. so write to the top guys.

[ElsieD]

I can't say where he's from Glossopswift, as it's my friend's problem, and they may feel it not safe, with the eviction action. But it it was me, I think I'd make a big fuss in the press. And Dom Tuk, yes, he's not high up, I've checked him out on the net and he's one up from the receptionist, (not knocking receptionists!)

[Peter Pedant]

Hi Elsie D

The bad news, the first Diplomatic privileges Act 1707 was passed after the Russian Ambassador had been arrested for debt - whch is kinda civil. I recollect from Prof Parry who delivered the lecture on this subject that Her Maj's ambassador offered a parchment-writ copy in Russian, on bended knee to the Tzar, of this Very Act in atonement. So.....

But of course du-daaaa, if he is that important (and he isnt the Ambassador) then your friends harry the Embassy with the bad news side of things. If he is that res[ected then he wont like the publicity.

And dont your friends know - when you're dealing with embassies you get the money up front. Well they do now.

[ElsieD]

Hi Peter, no, unfortunately they didn't know, and the letting agency didn't seem to know about, or forgot, to put in a clause about waiving diplomatic immunity. In the meantime they're trashing the house and causing all sorts of problems.