An anonymous retailer got in touch - we’ll call her Sue Donim - over her fight with her landlord’s agent. Last December Sue suffered a theft that left her flat above the store completely ransacked. By June the landlord’s insurer agreed to pay for the repairs caused by the intruder.

Sue says the insurer was in direct contact with her, but then paid the settlement cheque to the agent who was now disputing a couple of the decorator’s invoices, was asking for excess and would not release the money to her.

She adds that the agent is known to be difficult. (I’ve seen one of his emails and the tone is quite condescending amounting to ‘I’ll get back to you when I’m good and ready’.) You would think the agent might have some sympathy for the trauma she’s already suffered.

Sue wanted to know what she could do. All I could recommend was that she tries to contact the landlord directly, and that she tries Citizens Advice to see what her rights are.

Anyone else been in a similar situation?

Topics