A landlord who fought for months to evict his ‘tenants from hell’ found that when they eventually moved out, they had left such a trail of ruin that police have classified it as criminal damage.
The case underlines the currently long and unwieldy process of gaining possession.
Landlord Glenn Schofield had gone to great expense and trouble to refurbish the property, a four-bedroomed house in Darlington, before the tenants moved in.
He will now have to do the work all over again – and more – having also lost more than six months’ rent.
Damage included carpets pulled up, windows smashed, the kitchen ripped out, bannisters left hanging, paint splashed across walls and the toilet blocked and overflowing, while a ceiling gave way after lead flashing on the roof was removed.
The damage was done by the time Mr Schofield successfully gained an eviction order through the courts to remove the tenants.
Mr Schofield said: “It’s almost indescribable. I’ve done everything by the book, but I don’t understand why it has taken so long.
“I don’t know how much it is going to cost to repair and I don’t even know yet whether the insurance company will pay out for it.
“If they don’t pay out, then I’m really in the mire.”
Community beat officer PC John Forster said: “Normally when there’s a problem with landlords and tenants, it tends to be resolved as a civil case.
“However, here the level of destruction is so high that it’s criminal damage without a doubt.
“It’s just reckless destruction. The upsetting thing is the level of pride Mr Schofield took in the house, and then someone comes in and trashes it throughout.”
Mr Schofield believes that the tenants, who came via a letting agent, supplied false references. He said problems began shortly after the tenants moved in last June. When they stopped paying rent in February, he began the eviction proceedings, which have taken him over six months.
The case highlights the difficulties landlords have to secure possession when they do things through the book and go through the county courts With many county courts due to close, the length of time that a lawful eviction takes could stretch even longer.
Angry landlords say the long and ponderous procedure, which is riddled with loopholes that work in the tenants’ favour, leaves them powerless to prevent tenants exacting their revenge by trashing properties.
Last year, the Residential Landlords Association delivered a petition to Downing Street calling for a fast-track eviction process.
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Comments
And this is why every landlord and letting agents in the UK should use landlordreferencing.co.uk and stop this sort of thing happening in our communities over night.
I have just spent months trying to evict a tenant who owes £000's in rent.
The eviction was not allowed because the judge stated that there were two landlords and both should have signed the papers. (There has only ever been one landlord).
He also stated that the eviction notice should have expired the day before the date on the paperwork.
The tenant had not bothered to file a defence.
Obviously they knew that they didn't have to when stupid judgements like yhis are handed down.
I will now have to start all over again and throw good money after bad.
Where is the justice in this country?