The complaints keep coming in

Even over the holidays we have been amazed by the number of people who have contacted us. Because of the sheer volume we are dedicating more staff and resources to assist you all. We are in the process of designing two brand new websites: trottersville.co.uk and philipjamesrentals.co.uk.

We aim to get these live as soon as possible, but in the meanwhile, please keep coming back here and using the "comments" section to get in touch. Some of your complaints have been forwarded direct to the relevant authorities.
For those of you with problems with Philip James, we hope to be having a "surgery" with our solicitor shortly.

Stay safe and take care

How landlords rip off tenants: deposit scam that means one lost pan can cost a fortune

After years of leaky roofs, dodgy heating and other Rising Damp horror stories, students seemed to have stumbled into every available pitfall when moving into rented homes.

After years of leaky roofs, dodgy heating and other Rising Damp horror stories, students seemed to have stumbled into every available pitfall when moving into rented homes.

But yesterday the costly scandal of disappearing deposits, which sees hundreds of millions of deposit money disappearing each year into landlords' pockets - and reappearing (if at all) after months of delays and obfuscation - was laid bare.

A fifth of private tenants complain that all or part of their deposit has been unreasonably withheld, according to a report by the housing charity Shelter and Citizens Advice Bureaux.

The organisations said £800m of tenants' money was swilling around the system without stringent controls on how it was controlled. They have compiled a catalogue of abuse by landlords who have taken advantage of the relative powerlessness of tenants and refused to return deposits for spurious reasons.

Tenants are often unwilling to pursue cases through the courts because of the cost, the time it takes and the need for a landlord's reference to secure sought-after new properties.

Tenants, often among the less well paid and unable to get a foot on the property ladder, can be forced into crippling debt or in extreme cases forced to become homeless.

Students are among the worst hit, with 35,000 facing a summer cash crisis because of the difficulties of getting their deposits back from landlords, according to the study.

Verity Coyle of the National Union of Students said: "The arbitrary holding back of students' deposits are unfair, done with very little accountability and adds to the financial pressures students are under."

Among the cases charted in the study is a tenant who was charged £850 for "cleaning carpets and curtains and a missing saucepan". A Methodist minister who relocated with his wife and three young children was landed with a £1,346 bill that included £1,000 for cleaning and redecoration. The bill was eventually withdrawn but there was no evidence that cleaning or redecoration was needed or had happened.

Two students, aware of the problems of dodgy landlords took photographs when they moved in and arranged for the flat to be professionally cleaned before they left. Five months were needed to get their £700 deposit returned. Other stories have included a £55 bill for a broken plastic towel rail and a £250 deposit withheld because of a hole in the wall made by a drawing pin.

"Too many landlords treat rent deposits as their money, instead of money handed over to them in trust," David Harker, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, said. "Many do not even bother to give tenants a proper reason for failing to pay it back."

Letting agencies attacked | Property | Manchester Confidential

Letting agencies attacked | Property | Manchester Confidential

Students in Manchester

You should take great care when choosing your letting agent as this blog explains. The very best way to choose well is ask other students who have experience of the area.
It is all well and good having your deposit protected, but as I have learnt, the letting agent can still be a total nightmare to deal with. You may need to spend weeks trying to get your hard earned cash back. I will keep coming to assist you here, as I can see from many of your e-mails this is a huge problem. Obviously, as this is the holidays, the pace has slowed down.

Stay sharp and look out for our brand new website(s) coming soon: trottersville.co.uk and philip james rentals.co.uk

Scrooge in Didsbury, Philip James Partnership, Student letting Withington

Jingle Bells are not ringing if you want your deposit back from these guys. Clause 3.12 was again (wrongly) quoted as a reason not to give me my deposit back - in another letter (from yet another) employee at this place. 

At least I have not been arrested and imprisoned by miss-fortune or her colleagues yet.

Jingle Bells, give me my cash back

Philip James Didsbury - The letter from miss fortune - complain and you go to Prison

You can click on the letter to enlarge it, I intend to take you through it as well as an open reply to miss fortune.
In Para (1) miss fortune refers to a campaign of harassment and abuse. She means - I have had the cheek to issue a summons in the civil court to obtain my deposit back.
In Para (2) miss fortune confirms that she has once again wasted Police time pursuing what they told both of us is a civil matter. The first time she claimed I was stalking her. I have never met her or been anywhere near the Didsbury office. I wouldn't know her if I fell over her!
In Para (3) If she is confident she will defeat me in the court, why doesn't she leave it to the Judge?
In Para (4) miss fortune really goes to town. Here she tells me that if I continue to publish my blog and distribute my leaflets, I will be sent to Prison for six months.
In Para (6) She strongly advises me to drop my court action and my public broadcast of their unlawful withholding of my deposit.
Finally, in para (7) she claims to have been nothing but professional with me - This includes (in her own words) reporting me to the Police twice, the first time for stalking. Threatening me with six months imprisonment for using my right to free speech and peaceful protest. These people are probably used to getting their own way with their bluff and bluster. If they are going to prosecute and imprison me DO IT!! Please stop your threats and intimidation IT WON'T WORK!!  Give me my money back!!

Otherwise, leave it to the courts as the Police advised you!!

And to all you nice readers, be very wary who you deal with and keep coming back.
Merry Christmas








 

Philip James Didsbury - Miss Fortune threatens me with PRISON !!!

Yes folks - A letter has arrived from Miss Fortune at the Didsbury office threatening to send me to prison. I am in a hurry now trying to enjoy Christmas with my family - But I will give you all the details soon

You really couldn't make this stuff up - Quick message to Miss Fortune - we live in a democracy - freedom of speech etc

I am quaking in my boots now

The forensic accounting begins for Philip James Didsbury

Remember I told you I was contacted by someone claiming to be a director? The person claimed to be "E Biddle, Financial director" however companies house annual return show Elizabeth Jane Biddle as company secretary
There is no mention of a "financial director"  The only other director listed is a Mr Philip Anthony Nolan, an accountant in Ireland.

The registered office is Fergus & Fergus in Chorlton, Manchester. Is the office a solicitors? I wonder why they don't use one of their own offices?

Never mind all will be revealed in time. I do hope Mr Nolan (being an accountant) in Ireland is well insulated from that countries economic woes. I am sure an Estate Agency/Lettings firm in England will be properly financed and regulated. It must be safer than Northern Rock.

Don't forget, please keep your information/complaints coming in, it is fascinating how unhappy some of you are. There are hundreds of documents from Companies House so it will take a month or two to analyze them and publish them so be patient and keep on visiting.

Further proof of the deposit "con" arrived today

Yes folks. the claim by my friends at Philip James Partnership that they are relying on clause 3.12 before repaying my stolen money has taken a further knock today.

The postman brought me a copy of the utility bills that they claim I am withholding. The Gas and Electric company told me they had the originals delivered to their Didsbury office on the 3rd December.
The gas bill shows £91.97 in credit with the electricity £69.93 in credit.

So to clarify, when I signed up with this firm - they took £100 + vat application fee, a further £750.00 deposit and £3800 advance rental. A grand total of £4667.50. Later on they took another £67.00 as a renewal  charge in case I wished to stay any longer, making the total I have paid them to date £4734.50.

When they sent me a notice to quit (something legal) they have to do apparently, I got into a debate with Ms Beswick at the Didsbury branch.

She told me she would sue me for an additional 6 months rent as I had indicated I may wish to stay on. All I have time to tell you today is be afraid - very afraid when you choose your letting agent.

I wonder which clause they will use to avoid repaying the stolen deposit money now??

Below are comments from an internet forum, (Manchester confidential)  it seems they are not happy with the Deansgate office as well as Didsbury:

Stephen14616

03 September 2010, 15:18:44

Phillip James on Deansgate were awful - had been told we had an underground carparking space but I was waiting 6 months for the car park fob, in which time my passenger window got smashed in, I had a dirty and years old mattress for a month before they changed it. Shocking customer services from the staff - arguing and shouting back and never returning calls.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

09 September 2010, 13:44:51

Philip James Kennedy Partnership in Wilmslow/East Didsbury are absolutely terrible! They were rude from the start and messed us around with viewings - we put down a deposit for one flat, they assured us it would be taken off the market, then signed it to someone else! We took another flat with them because the flat itself was lovely, hoping it would be a short lived experience. The landlord herself came by and told us their property management was so poor that the previous tenants complained, and asked us to contact her instead for repairs. We then had trouble getting our deposit back, charged us £150 for not dusting the top of the wardrobe and dealt with the issue unprofessionally and incredibly slowly, refusing to speak to me in person and providing insufficient evidence for their claims. Overall, a terrible letting and property management agent and I would not recommend them to a friend or an enemy. Avoid at all costs

Nonsense Letters and delaying tactics from Philip James Partnership

This nonsense letter (click on it to enlarge) was sent to the address of the property that I had vacated. Despite them having acknowledged receipt of the keys ten days earlier which, I had delivered by courier and contained my new address. Ms Beswick was regularly in contact by e-mail.
If you study the nonsense letter closely, you will see it appears to claim they "intend to carry out remedial works"  CLEAN KITCHEN CUPBOARDS
There is no price for the alleged "remedial work" only a statement telling me to write in (which I did) there is however, a note right at the bottom which states an ADDITIONAL administration charge of £150 will be made.

For the purpose of clarity, I wrote and asked why they had cleaned spotless cupboards and how much were they proposing to charge for this. I also asked for clarification of the ADDITIONAL administration charge.

That was a month ago, and I still have not received a reply. There is far more nonsense to come yet. Keep up your kind support.

Beware Philip James

Someone who claims to be a "director" of the company has been in contact now, confirming they are sticking to the tiny clause in a contract. They claim they are waiting for the utility bills to be produced, according to the power and gas company - they have had these since the 3rd December and they show I am £24 in credit.

The "director" issues more threats should I produce my leaflets. This will not deter me. I will produce and distribute leaflets as I see fit. This company appears to thrive on intimidation and threats. They HAVE stolen my deposit in my opinion. I fully intend to show this to the court.

He wants me to complain to the industry bodies that he belongs to, rather than continue through the courts. It is my choice which route I take to obtain my deposit back - not theirs. Did you know that a deposit is YOURS!! It is not the property of the letting agent or the landlord, and there are specific laws relating to it's retention and return. They will have to explain to the Judge why they have chosen to ignore this.

It may take months for the Court to set a date for the hearing, so keep coming here for updates and advice.



There was an elderly lady  on rip off Britain recently, I think she was in her 90s and from Salford. She told how she had fought against the Germans and they had not broken her - but the company in the programme nearly had. Luckily for me, I didn't have to worry about the Germans or this particular company - However Philip James are trying to wear down my spirit with their threats and intimidation, They will not succeed!! Luckily for me I am not in my 90s and I will not be bullied.

They continually attempt to bully me into submitting to their way of doing things. They contacted the Police last week because I complained too often. The Police conceded it is a civil matter.

After Christmas I will be looking to recruit students in the Didsbury area to assist with distributing leaflets and lobbying their offices, this will be paid casual employment

Considering a rental from Philip James Lettings Didsbury?? BEWARE!!

You should always choose your letting agent with care. My experience with this company has been horrendous. Trying to extort money for "admin" (£150) this was to ring someone to clean a cupboard, although they haven't replied to my letter.

I have now had to issue a County Court summons to try and get my deposit back. They keep relying on tiny clauses in the contract to delay repaying me any money.

Their staff in Didsbury - namely Danielle Beswick and her angry sidekick Nadine Fortune appear to be in control of the illegal withholding of deposits.

The directors seem unwilling or unable to intervene.


This story will continue until we reach trial, or they repay my stolen money.

There is so much more and leaflets are being prepared with the full details. In the meantime, choose you rental with great care.

Students in Manchester are particularly vulnerable to poor practice. If you have had a similar experience with this firm please post comments or contact me.

Here is some advice from shelter:

What if there is a dispute about getting my deposit back?

Your landlord or agent is only entitled to keep all or part of your deposit if they can show that they have lost out financially because of your actions, for example, if you have caused damage to the property or you owe rent. Ask your landlord or agent for a breakdown of the specific costs that they are taking out of your deposit. Your landlord or agent cannot keep your deposit to cover putting right normal wear and tear. There are rules on what costs can be deducted from your deposit.
if you cannot agree, the dispute will usually go to the county court.