The long version is in a chat thread I started last week but I think I would like to know how expensive any legal options might be please or if there's anything that we can feasibly do to sort this mess out with the least aggro/hassle. This became much longer than intended, I'm sorry.
In a nutshell: following some unpleasantness on their behalf (we were both going for the same house, us to buy to live following them serving notice on us and them to rent out as another investment) our LLs have been increasingly funny with us. They got the house, we have bought another that is going through as fast as possible but we still don't have a forwarding address and post that has come to my second address (I am working away, making this very difficult) has gone missing so I don't want to divert important bills here.
In addition to the details in my previous thread, I found out yesterday that they sent unpleasant texts to DP harassing him for not returning all the keys at once. I am concerned that they know DP is under incredible amounts of stress at the moment and are taking advantage of that. They do not want to communicate with me at all. The final key was returned as soon as DP got their texts (he had genuinely forgotten it existed).
So, I have a text from the male LL stating that he was not around when I called him but would return the post today - I only called as we were dropping off a friend and I saw the lights were on, blinds up and him in the living room.
Legally I think they are on very thin ground as we never received a formal notice to quit, they harassed DP & used emotional stories to make him quit early and they have been ignoring any attempts that I have made to communicate with them (although technically the lease is in my name only, not DP's). They also removed furniture (part of the lease) a fortnight before the end of the first month's notice. I don't know how well this counts but we also have a two year history of taking their post around to their house immediately (at least one item a week) and it has taken them a fortnight to acknowledge whether we had post waiting or not - this includes some very important final bills, which I had to do in a hurry as DP left sooner than I was expecting (I was already working away).
I have four questions please:
1, Can they hold onto our post and what can we do if they don't return it? We have a verbal agreement that they would (due to us leaving early to 'do them a favour' and having no fixed address until the middle of October), plus history of us doing it for them, plus the text from male LL saying he would return the post. We will try to set up a PO Box but I didn't have DP's ID on Friday so couldn't do anything about it. He now has mine and will try to sort it.
2, When we thought they were being vaguely reasonable we asked to leave our mattress in the flat as we had no way of storing it until we moved into our new house. In my mind this made up for losing just over £100 rent - they moved in early (female LL in before DP out) and did not offer a refund. If there is damage to the mattress, which would be very expensive to replace, is there anything we can do please? We are going to get the mattress out this week but DP needs to take time off (he currently is working 18hr days) and I cannot get up there this week as I am also working down south. Mattress will go in spare room of a friend whose lodger moved out yesterday.
3, Due to DP's stress but also due to them moving in early (interrupting my plan of packing when I could take days off to come back up north) DP completed the move and left some things of sentimental value to me in the flat. They are a low priority but again, is there anything I can do to hasten getting them back? I am worried that it has taken nearly a week from me getting involved with texts/calls to get acknowledgement that we will get our post.
4, The deposit is in a protection scheme, as I insisted on when we moved in. I have logged on and can see it (it's in my name and male LL is listed as the LL). What is the procedure for getting it back please? Can I apply and it will go straight into our account? LLs have some severe money probs at the moment (hence asking us to leave - see other thread) and I am concerned they will drag it out as long as possible if the money goes into their account at any point. We sorely need the money back.
I feel very impotent, hundreds of miles away and DP totally unable to help as he tries to keep both his jobs running. Any advice would be much appreciated please.