A council taxpayer from Torquay has been calling for an explanation from Torbay Council concerning when they are planning to recover fifty thousand pounds in rent from the operators of the Torquay Seafront Balloon. The taxpayer, William Ward, has complained that the argument between the balloon operator and the council has gone on for too long, and that there has been too little information provided to the public concerning the rent payment.
It has been argued that the Torquay Seafront Balloon operators, Lindstrand, has not paid rent to the Torbay Council since 2009, due to what they claim is an “ongoing legal dispute regarding the lease”. However, Mr Ward is not satisfied with this information, and claims that the council has continually delayed making public information concerning the dispute. In an open letter to the council, Mr Ward wrote “As the situation remains the same a year after the demise of attraction and a total of four years legal wrangling, I think it’s timely and reasonable to call for some public explanation. I contend that the total cost to the community of the whole failed project is probably nearer £100,000 to date and our representatives should be answerable.”
In January this year the attraction was damaged by high winds and since then has not risen, meaning that local residents are becoming even more frustrated by events. Furthermore, Mr Ward has been told that the local government ombudsman will not be looking at the issue as Mr Ward has “not been directly caused an injustice” by the matter. The council has also refused to comment on the matter, claiming that the information was “legally privileged”, the only time information was released previously was after two Torquay residents made a Freedom of Information request to the council.
Legal disputes over unpaid rent can often end up being costly and long winded, which is why landlords are always advised to invest in landlord insurance so that if they do find their tenants fall into rental arrears then they have a legal team to help them. Furthermore, landlords insurance can provide a rent guarantee, meaning that even if your tenants don’t pay, the insurance will cover the costs.