Horrid Tenant

[Scarlett]

I rented my house out to a couple and their baby and dog several years back. They didn't pay, trashed it in order to try and get a council house, and eventually I agreed with them to evict them (which is what they wanted), so that they COULD get a council house. I had to go to court in order to say what they owed. The tenant came along with a new stammer (for sympathy I can only assume) and agreed with everything I said. The court told him he had to pay the £1400 back to me in agreed weekly amounts. I had an amiable chat with the tenant after the court case closed, as he had a smoke outside. We left on good terms and I have not heard anything from him since. He still owes me the money. My estate agent tells me to forget it, but I feel so angry that I was so decent to him and he was a rat. After years of him running, I have now finally found out where he lives. My instinct is to post nasty things to him, but I know that wouldn't help. Should I persevere and try and get my money back? I can't actually go to court though, as I live 4 hours away and am too disabled to travel. Any ideas much appreciated!

[Tuvok]

I'm no legal expert, but if the court said he had to pay and he hasn't, then shouldn't you let the court/your solicitor know?

[Buenchico]

If a court has already ordered that the money must be paid to you, and you've not received anything, then the steps listed here are open to you:
https://www.gov.uk/make-court-claim-for-money/enforce-a-judgment

You shouldn't need to attend court for those actions.

[SirOracle]

Can you use a solicitor or a debt recovery agent to have this debt collected.?

[KARL]

Letting agents are commonly pretty useless, we used one once who said he had not got any replies to letters demanding rent debt so that would be the end of the story. He knew where the guy worked, I went there and spoke to the ex-tenant (split from partner, hence moved out), very amicable conversation - in the end he actually paid. Another tenant of 14 years whom we helped in much the same way you have thereafter set a number of authorities onto us (brother said it was her way to deflect from debt to us - apart from irritation/tedium not a real problem) - we had considered her a friend because my wife knew her previous to the tenancy as our sons were of similar age and played together (although hers always was very difficult). Your situation is worse and the advice you already have points the way forward - why should you be out of pocket as a reward for help and good on you for quenching any urge to "let loose" with nastiness ? However, I would not go to a debt collector unless it is on a no-win-no-fee basis and that you can expect to get your money in full. Getting court decisions enforced is more difficult in the UK than in many other European countries, from my understanding of the systems in other places, because it is so much easier in the UK to "disappear" again and again, yet still be living a "normal" life within the country.

[VHG]

DONT post nasty things to him or it will be you that ends up in court.

DONT contact him at all.

Use a legal way to get your money back, but my instinct says they sound the sort of people who wont ever pay up and would rather go to prison than pay an old bill.

[Peter Pedant]

you have a CCJ

send in the bailiffs
or the sheriffs

either way it means filling out a form and nothing else ( fee around £70)