Blacktree Property / Barringtons

who are the best letting agents for property in CSP?

Blacktree were a joke to be honest. When my previous tenant gave notice to leave, Blacktree found me a new tenant to move in just before Xmas, a couple of weeks after my previous tenants vacated. Great I thought, particularly as the new "tenancy" was agreed in November. After a week, I still hadn't received anything formal from Blacktree regarding the new tenants, and I kept ringing asking when I was going to see some paperwork, constantly being told "tomorrow".

During the time I found out they were still showing other tenants round (which I thought was odd, as once a tenant has paid the holding deposit, the property should be off the market - Blacktree assured me this wasn't the case) Then on the week they were supposed to move in, Blacktree informed me my new tenants weren't going to be able to move in as planned and had not signed any tenancy agreement! I accused them of being incompetent as surely it's in their interest as well as a landlord to get the agreement signed ASAP - I was told that it was normal to sign the agreement the week the tenants move in.

At this point, I'd had enough of them, placed the property with Roberts Newby in Gx, and they let it the 1st viewing after Xmas, and we got the tenancy agreement signed ASAP.

Only Barringtons and Blacktree know the truth of their transaction, and who's in the right and wrong - either way, the village has certainly not lost anything with the departure of Blacktree.

mazza wrote: You may have noticed a few months ago that Barrington Property / Winkworth became Blacktree Property. Barrington's former customers were told by Blacktree that they were taking over both Barrington's business and premises and all existing Ts and Cs would be honoured and not to worry about the fact that the mydeposits scheme had written to landlords telling them Barringtons had left the scheme because Blacktree was going to sort this all out. Imagine my surprise this morning when I received a letter through the post from Blacktree saying that actually they never bought the Barrington's business (contrary to what they'd originally said) that Barringtons had not transferred over the tenants' deposits they were holding, and that anyone wanting to claim their deposit back should follow up with Barringtons as it was nothing to do with Blacktree. I hate to think how many tenants out there have lost their deposits through this farcical situation. Of course Blacktree never got round the insuring these deposits, so they really sorted it out like they said they would! Oh and now Blacktree have said they are leaving the area - another way of saying running away.  People have been swindled out of hard earned money as a result.

 

This particular case will come down to what actually happened to the deposit - estate agents are supposed to hold the deposit in a separate account, with the deposit schemes guaranteeing the deposit in the event of a landlord- tenant dispute. If either agent in this case (as I'm not clear who's in the right / wrong here) has used that deposit for their own gain, they have effectively stolen money, and therefore would be a fraud case. Police are starting to crack down on this sort of thing:

http://www.lettingagenttoday.co.uk/news_features/NALS-welcomes-prison-sentence-for-crooked-agent-who-stole-depositst

Any landlords reading this, don't let the letting agent hold your tenants' deposits. Hold them yourself, and secure them with the one of the deposit protection schemes. It costs you £100 but at least you're not dependent on the solvency of an estate agent.