County court bailiffs

[Slackjawedyokel]

I really do not think my tenants are shielding. They head out for a couple of hours every day in their (untaxed, un-MOTd =uninsured) car every day. However, that knowledge wouldn’t cut any ice if the bailiffs called to evict them and they claimed they were shielding.

[jpkeates]

To be "shielding" you need to have qualifying characteristics.
My wife is required to shield and has more than enough correspondence from the NHS to show that.

If you mean "isolating" because you think you might have Covid, that's completely different and the bailiffs will simply wait a few weeks.
By which time the tenant will either have ceased to be infectious, if they ever were, or hospitalised.

There's never been anything to stop any tenant being evicted from claiming to be too ill or dangerous to evict.
Pre-covid it could have been measles or HiV.
It doesn't stop someone being evicted - bailiffs aren't daft.

[Perce]

So what someone who knows that he would be evicted is waiting for ? Why no efforts are made to sort themselves out. My tenant is a professional person who has a job. Does he hope that the ban will last for another year and he can stay for free ? Or are there any other reasons ? I don’t understand his logic.

[DPT57]

Perhaps saving for a deposit, or hoping for a bung to leave, or planning on moving abroad out of durisdiction, or perhaps he just hates you.

[Perce]

It’s nice to live in somebody’s apartment for free and hate when asked to pay. I understand the feeling.

[jpkeates]

If someone knows they're going to be evicted, but also knows that they can't be currently, there's no incentive to move from somewhere they're living for free.

When the bailiff's formal letter arrives, they might start to behave differently.

There hasn't really been a situation like this before, this is the first eviction ban there's been (under the current rental possession legislation).

[Bixwier]

I really do not think my tenants are shielding. They head out for a couple of hours every day in their (untaxed, un-MOTd =uninsured) car every day. However, that knowledge wouldn’t cut any ice if the bailiffs called to evict them and they claimed they were shielding.

The car tends to show the kind of people you are dealing with

i wouldnt be surprised if you findthey have huge utilities bills or they have been giving low meter readings or something

[Slackjawedyokel]

Bixwier Oddly there was an electricity supply company van parked outside for a few hours about a month ago. I can only think that either they agreed to having a smart meter fitted (a little odd allowing workmen into your house for hours for something that isn’t essential) or that the electric company required them to have a prepay meter fitted.

[theartfullodger]

Trust you reported MOT & Tax situation to authorities?

[Slackjawedyokel]

theartfullodger yes, yes and yes also to them driving sans insurance (even if they had insurance, which they won’t, it would be invalidated by not having an MOT).
Their neighbour brought the car Issue to our attention 2+ years ago- she’d already reported them to DVLA. I sat on it for quite a bit, thinking it a bit odd then also started reporting to DVLA. That car fell to pieces while they drove it (no mot for 5ish years) and they got another, from a garage, with an MOT. They didn’t get it taxed though and now it too is out of MOT.

DVLA clearly not interested (it’s been reported multiple times), and police don’t seem overly fussed about the lack of MOT/insurance. (DVLA don’t care about the lack of MOT, and the police don’t care about the lack of tax)

[Bixwier]

Bixwier Oddly there was an electricity supply company van parked outside for a few hours about a month ago. I can only think that either they agreed to having a smart meter fitted (a little odd allowing workmen into your house for hours for something that isn’t essential) or that the electric company required them to have a prepay meter fitted.

Yes I bet prepay meter as they are so behind on bills

[Perce]

Hello

I wonder how long it will take for the county court bailiffs to evict once the ban is lifted and there is a warrant ?
2-3 months ?

[jpkeates]

The UK county court bailiffs usually handle about 2,500 landlord possessions per month (plus a few hundred mortgage possessions).
They did that in January to March last year, which makes me think there aren't that many from that period carried forward.
The ratio of warrants issued to warrants executed is pretty consistent - and is consistent for that period.

There were 2971 warrants issued between March and December 2020, so, in theory, about a month - depending on how many have been issued this year.

It doesn't normally take them long per claim.
Some social distancing might add a bit of time, but most times there's no one there.

[Perce]

Thank you JPKeates

[Slackjawedyokel]

jpkeates Wow; that sounds very positive, Thankyou. Just need the end of the stay on evictions, then it shouldn’t take more than a few weeks for bailiffs to act on the PO.👍