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Well over the years I’ve read on here many times how some memebers were not paid and had to struggle to get payment after a long battle and I’ve always felt for those chasing monies owed.
I knew it would be my turn one day and that day has arrived. I always kept on top of all my outstanding invoices and this company was on a stop for work as they were overdue so it could have been worse as they did ask me to do more work!
This one is regarding a National Lettings Company that is ran via a franchise system. ( I won’t mention the name yet!!)
To cut a long story short, their local office litterally closed overnight owing me money for 3 jobs. After a lot of chasing I’m at this situation:
The outstanding invoices are being sorted by another office that is clearing up after the closure and I’ve been told
a. One inoice is being referred back to the landlord as, accoring the office, he pays the bills (even though the letting agents asked me to do the work.
b. The other two invoices are being paid but they can’t tell me when and refuse to discuss it any further.They told me that it’s no use trying legal action as the branch was a franchise but was a seperate Ltd Co and they have no resposibility. Is this correct?
It’s not a lot of money but the principle and I’d rather it was sorted and paid but if I must I will go down the line of small claims court.
If anyone could offer some thoughts or advice? Thanks
Re: Non Payment – National Lettings Franchise Chain
Name names in case some other poor guy falls foul.
Re: Non Payment – National Lettings Franchise Chain
Was it Martin & Co by any chance? I had a bad experience with an (out of my area) branch of Martin & Co a month or so back relating to a potential job in my area.
It seemed they were using underhand tactics to get me to do the work, while failing to provide the formal approval of cost estimate they requested. Their ranking in (from memory) the worst 5{e5d1b7155a01ef1f3b9c9968eaba33524ee81600d00d4be2b4d93ac2e58cec2d} letting agents on a popular letting agent review site didn’t inspire confidence either.
Naturally, I declined to attend without advance payment, which failed to materialise, so there was no loss to me other than quite a few of wasted phone calls to the office and text message exchanges with the tenants.
Re: Non Payment – National Lettings Franchise Chain
WTA can do credit checks on the offending company and perhaps shed some light on this?
Re: Non Payment – National Lettings Franchise Chain
Through constant calling and emailing I’ve eventually received payment for two of the three invoices. The third invoice, is with the Landlord and he pays the bills. That’s what they said, we asked you to do the work on behalf of the Landlord, not for us. You’ve guessed it, they cannot reveal his contact details due to data protection reasons.. I dispair sometimes.
Re: Non Payment – National Lettings Franchise Chain
Well it’s taken four months of calls, emails and general hastle that I could do without. The final payment went in this morning and their debt has now been cleared. The agents in question were Northwood (northwooduk.com) The branch I dealt with were ok. Never particularly efficient at paying and I would put them on a stop after every 2-3 jobs until they paid up. They would pay, I would do 1 or 2 more jobs then they would pay etc etc In fact they were on a stop when the branch suddenly closed.
It was their attitude that annoyed me. Nothing to do with US, it was a franchise, WE’RE not legally responsible..blah blah blah. You will get paid when WE’RE ready to pay you etc etc.
Well, I know I’m going to have the last laugh. All the properties from the branch that closed have just been moved to another branch as at 1 December. I’ll give it to Christmas before they call. It’s going to be pleasure saying NO.
Felling better and may I wish all members of this forum a merry Christmas 🙂
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