UK Landlord Forum / Life

Hi,

Any replies I thank.

I am a tenant in a housing coop since 2011.

I am in dispute with the coop since Feb 2018 as I was a member of their management committee and spoke out against the way the coop was being run,

In June 2019 I fell on rent arrears and I negotiated a repayment by instalments. Then the rent officer lied to me about some issue with Universal Credit. I challenged it over this lie and suspended payment and told it I wanted to discuss the matter including the repayment plan. It took it personally that I had challenged it over the lie and began court proceedings for rent arrears. I got the Camden homelessness prevention adviser to mediate but the coop's rent officer ignored the homelessness prevention adviser. In all the 9 years I have been at the coop this is the first time they have taken me to court over rent arrears.

When we got to court on 13/01/20 I turned up with the money and the coop's barrister offered me to stay as long as I gave them the money.

I gave them the money and the coop asked the court to adjourn with liberty to restore otherwise to be struck out within 3 months.

Since  having paid off the arrears on 13/01/20, I have not fallen again on arrears.

However, just before the 3 months were up and the coop's possession claim being struck out, the coop requested from the court an extension to the struck out period of 6 more months. The reason they gave for their request is covid-19.

Their request was put on hold by the government's legislation to pause all possession claims. However, these claims are soon to restart.

Do you think the judge will look at their request favourably? I can I defend against such request? Will there be a hearing to such request?

if you are paying of the rent arrears by agreement, I don't understand what problem the landlord would have.

Thanks.

Let me clarify in January I paid off all the rent arrears. From January onward I no longer owe them a penny. Currently I am over 1K in credit. I owe them nothing. Nevertheless, the landlord asked for the extension.

Personally I don't think the judge will give them an extension. But I would like to know the opinion of others and be prepare for any decision of the judge as one never knows how another person's mind works.