'rent Dodger' Signs Put On Homes

[svag]

A letting agent in Dundee is naming and shaming people who are not paying their rent by placing a "rent dodger lives here" sign on their windows.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/taysid...ral/8142882.stm

[Cogs]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10...side-homes.html

Deja vu.

Commercial property lawyer John Tuson, has advised landlords against the signs, and to follow the legal process instead.

Mr Tuson, who is head of commercial property at Kirwans Solicitors, said 'naming and shaming' usually followed prosecution through the courts.

He believes that the estate agent's signs could leave them vulnerable to legal action.

Areas of concern included defamation, incitement to assault or affray, harassment, breach of the tenancy agreement, or even trespass.

'There is also confidentiality', Mr. Tuson added. 'The land-lord should not expose information about the tenant to a third party, and there's the issue of privacy under Article Eight of the European Convention of Human Rights, along with data protection issues.

'And I dread to think what the consequences would be if the signs were accidentally put on the wrong houses.'

http://www.housepricecrash.co.uk/forum/ind...showtopic=90365

Edited July 9, 2009 by Cogs

[pete.hpc]

Let's hope no-one torches her branch

Edited July 9, 2009 by pete.hpc

[Authoritarian]

Excellent, it can be used as a badge of honour. The more people that stop paying landlords rent the better IMO, it has to be the simplest and most effective way of dealing with this sort of parasite.

[Sir Sidney Ruff-Diamond]

I have complained to the BBC about their coverage of this issue before when they had a previous article on the subject.

Publicly harassing debtors is a criminal offence under S.40(a) of the Administration of Justice Act 1970:

a person in England and Wales commits an offence if, with the object of coercing another person to pay money claimed from the other as a debt due under contract, he

(a) harasses the other with demands for payment which by their frequency, or the manner or occasion of their making, or any accompanying threat or publicity are calculated to subject him or his family or household to alarm, distress, or humiliation;

So why the BBC does not report this matter straight to the police?

Can I report the BBC for being an accessory to this crime?

[babesagainstmachines]

Hey, look at all these people not paying rent and still living in their houses. Why should I bother paying mine?

[jonb]

I have complained to the BBC about their coverage of this issue before when they had a previous article on the subject.

Publicly harassing debtors is a criminal offence under S.40(a) of the Administration of Justice Act 1970:

So why the BBC does not report this matter straight to the police?

Can I report the BBC for being an accessory to this crime?

Dundee is in Scotland. You need to find a similar law covering Scotland. I'm sure there is one.

[pete.hpc]

I have complained to the BBC about their coverage of this issue before when they had a previous article on the subject.

Me too, now. Thanks for the info.

[Guest skullingtonjoe]

Hey, look at all these people not paying rent and still living in their houses. Why should I bother paying mine?

Those signs look great - even though I`ve paid my rent I still want one!

[Bloo Loo]

maybe the banks will love the idea and use it on mortgage arrears too.

[Harry Monk]

Excellent, it can be used as a badge of honour. The more people that stop paying landlords rent the better IMO, it has to be the simplest and most effective way of dealing with this sort of parasite.

I won't hear a bad word against my landlord, he is taking the hit in property values on my behalf.

[Prime Realist 8]

Whatever you may think of landlords, it's well out of order not to pay the rent and avoid any attempt to be contacted by them, especially if you're pocketing government housing allowance. 'Human rights' only seem to apply to scroungers and criminals these days.

Edited July 9, 2009 by Prime Realist 8

[SarahBell]

all it says is this letting agent tolerates non payers and harrasses tenants.

The first one to sue sets the precedent.

[Stars]

Whatever you may think of landlords, it's well out of order not to pay the rent and avoid any attempt to be contacted by them, especially if you're pocketing government housing allowance. 'Human rights' only seem to apply to scroungers and criminals these days.

Lets have a solemn minute's silence for the landlord's inalienable right to be privately paid out of production for sitting on a state enforced monopoly of it.

[bendy]

had to quickly recheck the article date - the fact this is happening and that the govt is allowing it too happen is further confirming my belief that SHOCK HORROR, the govt (any party) isn;t as stupid as we think they are and are allowing things to return to the trend line, over time.

over time being the important point there.

they are putting things in place for a slow descent then crash landing at 200ft rather than just letting it go vertical from 40k feet.

imo.

[Danny Deflation]

maybe the banks will love the idea and use it on mortgage arrears too.

Maybe the banks could use a selection of different boards, which will also enable people to keep their eyes on property: one month arrears; three months arrears; six months arrears; repo proceedings started; repo'd won't be living here much longer.

Or when the BoE raises the base rate next year: "Rising interest rates have crippled this over-leveraged tosser. Watch this space. Repo coming soon".

Edited July 9, 2009 by Danny Deflation

[Saving For a Space Ship]

I hear they got the idea from Jehovah witnesses, who were fed up with residents not opening the door to them.

They started putting up signs saying: 'Rant Dodger'

.

.

..

..or was that 'Meme Dodger' ?..

[OnlyMe]

[Harry Monk]

I reckon we should stick an "Election-Dodger" sign to the front door of 10 Downing Street.

[darrude]

I reckon we should stick an "Election-Dodger" sign to the front door of 10 Downing Street.

i 2nd that

[dundee]

This is another unintended consequences by the powers to be. The agent in question has a lot of tenants on housing benefit, the rules were recently changed to make the payment for rent direct to the tenant, and the tenant then pays the landlord / agent.

Yes right, when said tenant is low on essentials ie food, fags, beer, wine, do a search on Scottish courts / Dundee, the council and local agents / housing associations are suing hundreds if not thousands of people yearly, some may be council tax / rates, but most rent arrears, never mind the green shoots, or recovery.

It aint going to happen any time soon.