Warning after ‘claim farmers’ go door to door

BOGUS CALLERS TRY TO CASH IN ON REPAIRS

PEOPLE are going door-to-door across housing estates in Nottingham promising to get repairs done and, in some cases, saying they can win residents compensation.

The bogus callers – sometimes called “claim farmers” – say they can enlist the help of solicitors and were seen by residents in the Bestwood and Bulwell areas.

Nina Davis, who lives in Arnside Road, remembered seeing two young men wearing tracksuits walking around the estate one day in late January.

“They must have knocked on every single door on this estate, they worked all the way from the top of Bestwood to the bottom,” said the 38-year-old. “They came to my house. They said they were here to help get repairs done and said the next step was to get solicitors out.

“They said they could get repairs done in six weeks and could get compensation.”

She declined their “help”, instead sending them over to her mum Sharon’s house in Bulwell.

Sharon, a Nottingham council tenant in Brayton Crescent, has been battling damp, mould and an unusable bathroom sink for months.

“I got so fed up and down with it, and they seemed ever so nice and convincing,” the 60-year-old said.

A smartly dressed woman had joined one of the young men to carry out a nearly two-hour survey, Ms Davis said, and she was assured solicitors would be in touch.

“They said they would take the case and the paperwork came through,” she added.

However, among the paperwork was a copy of a letter of claim that had already been sent to Nottingham City Council.

“We are instructed by your above-named tenant,” begins the document, before listing 12 property defects.

Ms Davis said she had not given permission for the letter to be sent, having only signed a piece of paper allowing the surveyors to enter her home.

She decided to instruct the solicitors not to take any further action.

But she fears others may have gone ahead, especially after watching the individuals go door to door down her street.

“I’m concerned that they have done it to others who are in a worse situation,” she said. “It’s going to make it really bad for them. If I fell for it they are going to fall for it. It’s worrying.”

A city council spokesperson said: “We’re aware that so-called ‘claims farmers’ are operating on estates across the city, often fraudulently claiming to be working on our behalf, and making substantial profits from our tenants.

“We have processes in place that allow tenants to easily report repairs online or over the phone. There’s therefore no need for tenants to engage with companies that encourage them to make claims against us. We want to spend the money our tenants pay us in rents on repairs themselves, not on boosting the profits of these companies.

“We would advise anyone who is approached by claims farmers knocking on their door claiming to be from the council to ask to see ID, and if they’re still not sure, to call us on 0115 915 2222.”