stooly
11-06-2010, 12:13 PM
Hello,
I am a private landlord who used a letting agent to fully manage my property, however, they seem to have stopped trading around April this year judging by the following:
1) phone calls/Emails no longer answered
2) Premises empty
3) Website no longer relates to an estate agent
4) I did not receive rent owed to me for April (thereafter rent was paid direct to me by tenant)
5) Companies House info on the agent states: Status: Active - Proposal to Strike off
6) As of 18 May 2010 a London Gazette first notice appeared
Due to other events that have occurred with the agent I am owed just over £5000 and so I am investigating ways to retrieve the money.
With regard to point 6 above I understand that the company will be dissolved 3 months from said date so the clock is ticking for me to recover the money.
I have sent a letter before action to the business premises, registered office and the address of the Secretary via recorded delivery so know that they got to at least the Secretary address though I have not received any reply and am due to start court action now. Before proceeding with this I thought it would be helpful to gain any advice from this wonderful forum!
So far I have checked with the Property Ombudsman, ARLA, and other official letting and estate agent organisations but neither the branch manager nor the Ltd company name of the agent was a member of any organisation other than NAEA but that finished in April 2008. I have also tried to see if insolvency proceedings against the Ltd company name have already started at county court but so far nothing.
Am I better off waiting for information on who the official receiver is to try and claim my money back and where can I find information on who this is from? Any other advice/info appreciated.
Thanks in advance!
I am a private landlord who used a letting agent to fully manage my property, however, they seem to have stopped trading around April this year judging by the following:
1) phone calls/Emails no longer answered
2) Premises empty
3) Website no longer relates to an estate agent
4) I did not receive rent owed to me for April (thereafter rent was paid direct to me by tenant)
5) Companies House info on the agent states: Status: Active - Proposal to Strike off
6) As of 18 May 2010 a London Gazette first notice appeared
Due to other events that have occurred with the agent I am owed just over £5000 and so I am investigating ways to retrieve the money.
With regard to point 6 above I understand that the company will be dissolved 3 months from said date so the clock is ticking for me to recover the money.
I have sent a letter before action to the business premises, registered office and the address of the Secretary via recorded delivery so know that they got to at least the Secretary address though I have not received any reply and am due to start court action now. Before proceeding with this I thought it would be helpful to gain any advice from this wonderful forum!
So far I have checked with the Property Ombudsman, ARLA, and other official letting and estate agent organisations but neither the branch manager nor the Ltd company name of the agent was a member of any organisation other than NAEA but that finished in April 2008. I have also tried to see if insolvency proceedings against the Ltd company name have already started at county court but so far nothing.
Am I better off waiting for information on who the official receiver is to try and claim my money back and where can I find information on who this is from? Any other advice/info appreciated.
Thanks in advance!