I've Been Assigned A Case Officer!!

You might think from the title of this blog post that I'm on parole, probation or accused of something, but no I'm just a small landlord who, after years of working hard and seeing pensions devalued (especially private pensions), invested in property and who provides affordable housing and is responsible about repairs etc. I use professional letting agents to make sure everything is legal and correct and of course leasehold properties also have managing  agents charging as much as they can for the upkeep of the building and communal areas.

So, on  Saturday, out of the blue I get a letter, which says it's a reminder, but which is news to me. Why does bad news always come on a Saturday when there's very little chance of getting anything done and messing up the weekend?

So, now I need a licence to be a landlord in Hastings and pay up quick to get a discount down to £185 or it will be a monstrous £460! Profiteering by a council, who could think such a thing. After two phone calls to the managing agents, one to the property management, two to the council and a lot of time filling out forms online and on the phone I've now made my application for a licence. I have a reference number to show I'm a fit and proper person as well, and the managing agent has one too.

However, as a final shot I'm told I'm being assigned a case officer and in some weeks time I MAY get a licence to carry on my business.

Along, probably with thousands of small landlords what will actually happen is that in the next two years I will sell up and probably invest every penny I own overseas, because that's how fed up I am with British stupidity, bureaucracy and stealth taxes. I don't mind anyone looking to see if I have a criminal record, because I don't, I've never even had a single point on my driving licence, but this is creating artificial jobs; bureaucrats don't make anything or any contribution to the nation's economy, if we still made stuff in the UK we'd be a sight better off. Unfortunately anyone who works, or worked, hard and invested is now a target to pay the national debt and top up councils.

We were conned into opting out of SERPS, then Gordon Brown wiped billions, literally billions possibly five hundred billion pounds, off the value of private pensions so he'd have more to spend, now those of us who invested in property to secure our futures are public enemy number one. Ironically the government is advertising on tv that we should take pensions advice from them. Too late for me but if you're thinking about trusting them think again.

The only one who can secure your future is you and politicians, national or local, of any party are your opposition! That's Britain today and by the way if you vote to leave Europe you could lose your right to live somewhere else when it all gets too much!

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