We have finally managed to evict tenants who rented for 10 months. Without paying a penny apart from one month rent. We issued a section 8 then section 21, and then finally went to court to obtain a CCJ judgement. This court case is in a few weeks time. We now have full possession of the property, and of course all the court papers have gone to that address. However, the occupants have fled to southern Ireland to unknown address. The only thing we have is their mobile numbers and their email addresses which we have obtained through the managing agents that we had used during the tenancy. I go back to the property next week to do a bit of tidy up. I know that I will see the court papers just sat there delivered through the letterbox with nobody to receive them so I’m wondering what was the whole point of all this if we can’t chase them down for the money, it’s many thousands, it all seems a bit pointless if they fled without leaving forwarding address. The court case is set for about three weeks time now but they’re not going to even know about it and certainly not attend. It all seems a bit like a pointless exercise tenants can just disappear without giving a forwarding address and basically be home free without paying their debts.
If by the court case you mean the possession hearing, then you need to go through with that to end the tenancy. The tenants fleeing the property doesn’t end the tenancy and there is always a risk that if you take back possession before the court case, the tenants could later sue you for illegal eviction. Its better for you if they’re not there so I wouldn’t worry about them not seeing the paperwork.
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