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Former tenant lying on a Statement of Truth

3 replies

blondiepigtails · 18/12/2023 12:13

We are due in Court next month with a former tenant who is accusing us of illegally evicting her. She was due to leave on a specified date. She left but abandoned alot of her possessions. Long story short we didn't get possession until after the baliffs had been. She was served relevant notice to collect her stuff etc. Tenant is now claiming that we actually locked her out on the leaving date, locking her handbag with key in etc in the flat. We are accused of harrassment and all sorts of other things. We have several witnesses who can contradict her statement, mostly that she was still in the flat when we left and it was her that locked the door herself etc. A barrister has prepared her case based on these lies. She has absolutley no evidence to back up her case. I thought that a Statement of Truth needed evidence. Her legal team seem not to have sought to require her to prove anything. Is there anything we can do before this actually goes to Court?

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Bromptotoo · 18/12/2023 12:26

A statement of truth needs to be true. Not sure how far a barrister or solicitor would go to research/back up that truth. I suspect a warning of the fact that lying on it is tantamount to perjury would be sufficient for them.

Do you have solicitor yourselves?

prh47bridge · 18/12/2023 12:55

No, a statement of truth does not need evidence.

It is not the job of her legal team to check that she is telling the truth. However, they should have explained to her that she can be held in contempt of court if the statement includes allegations she knows to be untrue.

blondiepigtails · 18/12/2023 15:08

Thank you for your replies. I will just rely on the fairly robust evidence that we have and hope that the Judge will listen. They don't tend to be keen on landlords so we shall see. We don't have a solicitor at the moment

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