Legal advice

FatalEgg · December 2016

Hi, I am seeking legal advice about an intricate situation I find myself in due to my rogue previous landlord. He passed several tenancy agreements on to Haringey council forging my signature and now the council considers me liable for a number of outstanding council tax bills. Obviously a very distressing situation. I have sought advice from the Islington CAB as well as Islington Law Centre but they failed to call me back so far. Can anyone suggest any other organisation and / or recommend a trusted lawyer with not too extortionate fees? Any help would be highly appreciated, thank you!

grenners · December 2016

Isn't that fraud and therefore criminal and you can call the police?

FatalEgg · December 2016

That's right but a bit more complex than that as at one point I did live at the property for a period and there is a dispute as to who was liable for CT payment. As I said, quite garbled situation and could do with some more advice!

grenners · December 2016

If you didn't have a written contract saying the landlord was paying the CT then you will have to pay it.

FatalEgg · December 2016

Hi grenners, thanks but it's more complex than that. It is a very long story and I do need expert advice, that's why I hope someone here can urgently recommend a good organisation (other than the ones I already mentioned) or a trusted private lawyer.

grenners · December 2016

Be careful as the fees for an expert can be more than the CT you are arguing about. You should be able to fight it yourself but you will need to make sure that the council do not take action to pursue you for the debt but there should be a way for them to put this process on hold.

grenners · December 2016

.....I don't really follow....if you were living there, regardless of the forged signatures, why would you not have to pay council tax?

FatalEgg · December 2016

Hi grenners, apologies but it would be to long to provide all details here. Of course, what you say makes sense in a very generic scenario, but is only part of the issue. I have already collected some advice from friends and internet, but now I do need support from a professional. I would be really grateful if someone had a good experience with either a free body or a paid expert and could recommend them to me. Thanks!

Donna · December 2016

Check your household insurance policy or life insurance policy, you may have a free legal hotline you can call. Alternatively you could call the Which legal hotline - £38 for the first month, £9 a month after that so pretty cheap because you can call them as many times as you wish, they are consumer experts and experts in "Tenancy help and advice to private residential tenants and private landlords". Good luck. https://legalservice.which.co.uk/our-service/faq/about-our-service/

miss annie · December 2016

I found Islington Law Centre to be very good when I needed some legal advice (not property related), a few years ago but you may have to wait a couple of weeks for an appointment as it's a free service, for low income Islington residents.
You will have to provide documents to prove you are an Islington resident and proof of your low income. They can certainly send you to a recommended lawyer. Good luck.

FatalEgg · December 2016

Thank you so much Miss Annie and Donna for sharing your advice. I actually already contacted the Islington Law Centre, but looks like things might have gone a bit downhill in terms of waiting time, as the earliest they could offer me is the end of January (cuts to public services, anyone?). I have gone with that of course, but I also need some guidance more urgently. I will most certainly look up the Which option that seems rather reasonably priced, as you say. Thanks a lot!

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