There has been more misery for buy-to-let landlords struggling to regain control of their properties, after the HM Courts and Tribunals Service temporarily suspended the work of bailiffs on safety grounds.
An incident is under investigation, and it is believed that the situation will not change until all bailiffs have bespoke, personal protective equipment, and this a major problem for private landlords with problematic tenants, requiring the County Court to sanction appointment of a bailiff.
While no landlord wants to see a bailiff injured in the course of their work, the move is a bitter blow for many landlords who have already been struggling for months to regain control of their properties via clogged legal means.
LegalforLandlords, which specialises in helping landlords with legal and tenancy matters, has been recording the scale of the problem, which appears to be particularly acute in London.
Courts affected include Central London, Croydon, Brentford and Wandsworth, although Sim Sekhon, LegalforLandlords MD, believes there may well be others.
“These are the cases we know about because our clients are directly affected. We can’t overstate the misery this is causing,” he explained.
According to Sekhon, there are currently 80 cases awaiting bailiff appointments – the majority in London – with four cases where existing bailiff appointments have been cancelled.
The only real alternative for landlords seeking possession of a property at the moment is to apply to the High Court, according to Sekhon. But doing so is a lot more costly and there are no guarantees that the judge will appoint a High Court Enforcement Officer.
“It’s a terrible situation,” he added. It’s causing real problems and we have no idea how long it may persist. Once again, landlords’ needs are being ignored.”
