Best place to contact for suspicious arrears claims

SuperNinten

Hi all!
I was hoping someone might be able to give me some advice on the best place to contact with an issue I am having.

Basically, a new person has taken over the books for the building I am living in. I pay both rent and utilities directly to LL. I have been paying cash for 4+ years now and only started paying through the bank since March due to the pandemic.

I recently received a text message from the new person doing the books stating I am in a very big amount of arrears which is completely incorrect. I have contacted the person and although he lowered the amount slightly, he is still insisting it's correct.

The strange part of it is everyone in my building has gotten the same messages with at least one other tenant being given the same amount of arrears as me, down to the cent.

Just wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction please of who to contact about this as I am not really sure of which organization deals with these matters

dennyk

At some point the landlord will likely take it to the RTB. Until then there's really not much you can do proactively, I'd guess; "my landlord thinks I'm in arrears but hasn't done anything about it yet" isn't really something they'd take any action on.

If you have your receipts for your rent payments over the years, you'll be fine. If not, it's going to be trickier, but the burden of proof of the arrears is on the landlord, so if they don't have any solid proof that you are in arrears (and that the amount they're claiming is correct), it may be difficult for them to succeed in their claim in any case.

Edit: You might want to reach out to Threshold for advice, as well.

SuperNinten

Thanks for the reply! I'll be sure to contact Threshold.

I have all of my receipts except 5 months worth about 2 years ago. LL stopped dropping me in rent slips during that time, I still left out the rent and the average amount of the utilities. All I have from that time frame is loose Post-It notes he left with his date and signature.

johnnyskeleton

What does someone doing the books for the building actually mean? Are they working for the landlord or for someone else? Has a receiver been appointed over the landlord's interests?

Ask for a breakdown of where the money is owed from. Are they claiming that there were months missed, or are they, for example, claiming that you were underpaying the rent each month over a certain length of time?

Do you have a written lease with the amount of rent in writing? If so, it should be easy to resolve e.g. lease says I pay €1200 and I have been paying €1200.

If the person doing the books works for the landlord, contact the landlord as they might have given the wrong information to the person doing the books.

crossmolinalad

SuperNinten wrote: »

Hi all!
I was hoping someone might be able to give me some advice on the best place to contact with an issue I am having.

Basically, a new person has taken over the books for the building I am living in. I pay both rent and utilities directly to LL. I have been paying cash for 4+ years now and only started paying through the bank since March due to the pandemic.

I recently received a text message from the new person doing the books stating I am in a very big amount of arrears which is completely incorrect. I have contacted the person and although he lowered the amount slightly, he is still insisting it's correct.

The strange part of it is everyone in my building has gotten the same messages with at least one other tenant being given the same amount of arrears as me, down to the cent.

Just wondering if anyone could point me in the right direction please of who to contact about this as I am not really sure of which organization deals with these matters

Never pay cash without landlord signing off the amounts you pay to them in a rentbook
No signing no money

Browney7

Has your building changed ownership and that's what you mean or a different management agent for the same owner?

Check the Property price register for your address to see if any transaction at your address is listed.

meijin

SuperNinten wrote: »

I recently received a text message from the new person doing the books stating I am in a very big amount of arrears which is completely incorrect. I have contacted the person and although he lowered the amount slightly, he is still insisting it's correct.

do you mean arrears of rent or service charge?

why would anyone doing books for the building get involved in the rent that you pay directly to your landlord?

if it's a service charge, this is for your landlord to pay

SuperNinten

Sorry I should have explained a bit better.

By doing the books I just mean this person is the person I contact about my rent, bills etc.
The actual LL is an elderly man who is not in great health. The person who I am dealing with now is actually a family member of the LL. The entire family seem to be in a business together when I checked online and even the bank account I have been paying rent into is under the name of the family business. I haven't had direct contact with the actual named LL for years. It has all been family members acting for him.

He never actually said whether the arrears are utilities or rent that's a very good point I must check that out.
It just all seems a bit fishy, and when I checked the name of the family member I am dealing with now, a few things have popped up about dodgy invoices in the past

Mimon

SuperNinten wrote: »

Sorry I should have explained a bit better.

By doing the books I just mean this person is the person I contact about my rent, bills etc.
The actual LL is an elderly man who is not in great health. The person who I am dealing with now is actually a family member of the LL. The entire family seem to be in a business together when I checked online and even the bank account I have been paying rent into is under the name of the family business. I haven't had direct contact with the actual named LL for years. It has all been family members acting for him.

He never actually said whether the arrears are utilities or rent that's a very good point I must check that out.
It just all seems a bit fishy, and when I checked the name of the family member I am dealing with now, a few things have popped up about dodgy invoices in the past

Yeh, If they come back to you ask for a full breakdown of the arrears with evidence eg. underpaid bills etc. It's good you have paid into their bank account as you have a record of payments.

Pistachio19

Can you not just tell them you have receipts for your rent? Maybe they think the cash amounts weren't received at all. If you have signed receipts then surely they can't argue with that.

Wanderer19

Pistachio19 wrote: »

Can you not just tell them you have receipts for your rent? Maybe they think the cash amounts weren't received at all. If you have signed receipts then surely they can't argue with that.

Also, if you have the signed and dated post it's then the person collecting could have left a note stating money was missing, but they didn't. So you have acknowledgement money was collected, but not how much. Whoever doing the books needs to be able to back up their claim. If you have proper receipts for the rest of the tine then that will go in your favour

Doop

Pistachio19 wrote: »

Can you not just tell them you have receipts for your rent? Maybe they think the cash amounts weren't received at all. If you have signed receipts then surely they can't argue with that.

I would keep that ace in my pocket until you are told which months and what amounts you are supposed to be short on.

Pistachio19

Doop wrote: »

I would keep that ace in my pocket until you are told which months and what amounts you are supposed to be short on.

Good idea! Get a break down of what they claim you owe first and then see what receipts you have.