Our Terms & Conditions

 

Payment by you for any of the services offered by Helpland Ltd. or our lawyers, now or in the past, is deemed acceptance by you that you have read and understood our terms and conditions and that you fully understand and accept them. Alternatively, where you instruct Helpland Ltd. prior to payment, receipt of your instruction is deemed acceptance by you that you have read and understood our terms and conditions and that you fully understand and accept them. Your continuing instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Tenant Eviction Step 1: Serve a Notice – We will prepare and serve either a Section 8 notice, a Section 21 notice, both, or a Notice to Quit on your tenant. We recommend that any outstanding repairs of which you have knowledge are dealt with as soon as possible prior to the service of notice, in order to reduce the tenant’s chance of submitting a successful defence and/or counterclaim should the matter progress to Step 2 of the eviction process. If you are relying on Section 8 rent arrears grounds, you should ensure that the arrears of rent you are claiming are genuine and fully accounted for. Errors regarding rent arrears can lead to disputes which, in turn, can lead to a defence being filed by your tenant. A defence will invariably lead to any subsequent court possession hearing being adjourned, thus leading to delays and extra-legal fees incurred by you, for which you will remain liable.

We will prepare notices based only on the information that you provide to us, and it is assumed that all factual information you provide is correct. We do not carry out an advisory review of your papers unless you specifically request us to do so. We will simply prepare whichever notice you have specifically requested, based strictly on the information you have provided. Helpland Ltd. will not be held liable should the notice be deemed invalid due to reliance on incorrect information provided by you.

In the event that your claim becomes defended, our fixed fee service will no longer apply. Service is by first class post and first class recorded delivery. If you require service by personal hand delivery, a process server fee will be applicable. Your continuing instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Tenant Eviction Step 2: Court Proceedings – We will instruct our lawyers, Ashley Taylors Legal Limited, on your behalf, to prepare all necessary court papers to commence the property possession claim in the county court, strictly in accordance with your instructions. Therefore, if you instruct us to commence an action based on a Section 8 notice, we shall do so. If you instruct us to commence an action based on a Section 21 notice, we shall do so. The Step 2 service does not include advice in relation to which notice you should proceed under. If you instruct us to commence an action under a Section 8 notice, we shall not make any assumptions regarding any other notice you may or may not have already served, and likewise if you instruct us in relation to a Section 21 notice. If you need advice on which notice is most appropriate for your specific matter, an extra fee will be payable for that advice. We will liaise with the court and deal with all the court papers. We will arrange to prepare all necessary witness statements; additional fees may apply, and we will make arrangements to attend the first hearing on your behalf. Provided the court agrees that the landlord has grounds for possession, the landlord will in most cases be entitled to a 14-day order for possession unless the judge views the tenants' circumstances as such that possession should be delayed. Possession, if established on a mandatory ground, cannot be delayed for more than 42 days unless the ground for possession is discretionary.

Unless we are seeking possession on an expired Section 21 Notice in isolation through either the traditional or accelerated procedure, you should obtain an order for a fixed contribution towards your legal costs up to a maximum of £276.75. Regardless of the possession order we are seeking, any contribution awarded by the court is unlikely to match the total you have expended. Our Step 2 fixed fee is limited to one court attendance. Should the court adjourn the hearing for whatever reason and require subsequent attendances, a further fee will be required from you. Depending on the location of the court, a travel disbursement may be added to the fixed fee. Our fixed fee services are not an advisory service. Instructions received from you are taken on the strict understanding that you are satisfied that all paperwork you submit to us with your instruction is checked by you and in order. Helpland Ltd. will not accept responsibility or liability if a process fails due to defective documentation and/or information submitted by you. We recommend that any outstanding repairs of which you have knowledge are dealt with as soon as possible prior to the service of notice, in order to reduce the tenant’s chance of submitting a successful defence and/or counterclaim should the matter progress to Step 2 of the eviction process. If you are relying on rent arrears grounds, you should ensure that the arrears of rent you are claiming are genuine and fully accounted for. Errors concerning rent arrears can lead to disputes which, in turn, can lead to a defence being filed by your tenant. A defence will invariably lead to any subsequent court possession hearing being adjourned, thus leading to delays and extra-legal fees incurred by you, for which you will remain liable. In the event that a tenant defends the action, or the matter is adjourned for whatever reason, please see our section ‘Defended Claims’.

By instructing Helpland Ltd., you hereby agree and consent to Helpland Ltd. acting for the purpose of instructing other lawyers, if necessary, on your behalf and liaising with them in respect of all matters relating to your case. You hereby agree, consent, and authorise other lawyers to liaise, pass, share, and divulge with Helpland Ltd. all information, correspondence, and evidence in relation to your case. You hereby authorise Helpland Ltd. to authorise other lawyers to take instructions from Helpland Ltd. on your behalf in relation to all aspects of your claim. You may be charged separately by other lawyers. Your continuing instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms and conditions.

Fixed Fee Accelerated Procedure – We will instruct our preferred solicitors, Ashley Taylors Legal Limited, to prepare all necessary court papers to commence the property possession claim in the county court, strictly in accordance with your instructions. Ashley Taylors Legal Limited will liaise with the court, ensuring that all court formalities and any further paperwork are appropriately handled. The accelerated procedure applies exclusively to Section 21 notices and does not include claims for any outstanding rent arrears. Typically, the accelerated procedure takes between 5 to 7 weeks; however, depending on the jurisdiction of the court, the process may occasionally take longer. Generally, the accelerated procedure does not require a hearing. The court usually decides the case in private, without the need for a hearing. Should the court, in a rare event, require a hearing, Helpland Ltd. will need an additional payment to attend. Alternatively, the landlord may attend the hearing in person, in which case Helpland Ltd. will have no further involvement in your claim. For defended claims, please refer to our terms and conditions below.

Rent Arrears Claim – Before pursuing a rent arrears claim, Helpland Ltd. requires the original or a true copy of the tenancy agreement. Helpland Ltd. and/or our solicitors reserve the right to recover all legal costs from the tenant, which may be significantly higher than our fixed fee for this service.

Defended Claims – Helpland's service is for non-contentious cases only. Therefore, where a defence is filed and further legal work is needed, Ashley Taylors Legal Limited will not act further on your behalf unless fees are agreed upon in advance. At this stage, with sole discretion, Helpland and/or Ashley Taylors Legal Limited may decide that external legal advice is appropriate. We will pass all relevant papers to an external law firm, who will contact you to discuss the case further and agree on fees. Under these circumstances, Helpland and Ashley Taylors Legal Limited will not be liable for any costs incurred.

Conveyancing – The Helpland fixed-price conveyancing service is highly cost-effective. The quoted prices cover the conveyancing work for standard transactions, including legal work to complete your transaction and a standard set of property searches. These fixed prices do not include non-standard transactions, Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT), or any additional searches required. Additional searches may be necessary for land in unusual areas, such as historical mining areas or salt extraction sites. Should additional searches be required, Helpland and its advising solicitor firms will inform you of the additional cost and will not proceed further with the transaction unless these costs are agreed upon. Non-standard transactions include, but are not limited to, complex leasehold transactions and unregistered land transactions.

Helpland and its advising solicitor firms reserve the sole discretion to determine if a transaction is non-standard. If deemed non-standard, the fixed-price service will not apply, and Helpland will provide a separate quote for the work. You may accept or decline this quote at your discretion, and Helpland will not proceed unless fees are agreed upon.

Payment of Fees – We do not accept cash payments from any individual or organisation. Payment options include debit/credit card, and bank transfer. Your continued instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms & conditions.

Cheques returned unpaid by the client's bank will incur an additional £20 charge to cover bank charges and/or our administration fee. In cases where a client's cheque is returned unpaid, we will cease further work. The client will remain liable for the work and/or fees we have already paid or carried out. No refunds are available for cancellations made after 72 hours of payment.

TDS Tenant Deposit Scheme – It is the responsibility of all clients to ensure compliance with the TDS. Clients are reminded that Section 21 notices will be deemed invalid if they have not complied with the TDS before serving eviction notices. Compliance with the TDS is the client's responsibility.

Cancellation of Instruction – Helpland Ltd. will endeavour to commence your instructions within 48 hours of receipt. You have the right to cancel your instruction within 7 days of instructing us. However, if work has already commenced on your case, your right to cancel will end, and you will remain liable for all costs incurred to date. To cancel your instruction, please email or fax Helpland Ltd. using the contact details on the contact us page of our website.

Our Complaints Procedure – Helpland Ltd. is committed to providing a high-quality service. We ensure consistent adherence to our procedure by all employees and continually seek to improve our service. If you have any queries or concerns about our work, it is important to raise them immediately in writing by email to the staff member involved. Do not wait until the completion of a matter to raise an issue that occurred earlier. If your concern is not resolved or you prefer to speak to someone else, please indicate this. We aim to respond to written complaints within 28 days of receipt, attempting to resolve issues in-house. It is vital to raise any concerns about quality immediately upon noticing an issue. If you raise a complaint at the end of a matter that should have been raised earlier and continue to instruct Helpland Ltd., it will be taken as evidence that a genuine complaint has not arisen. You will remain liable for our costs in their entirety.

We value your instructions and do not wish for you to be dissatisfied with our services. Your continued instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms & conditions.

Contractual Obligation – Services provided by Helpland Ltd. on this website, and requested by an individual or organisation, will only form a binding agreement upon confirmation by Helpland Ltd. Such confirmation may take the form of an email, fax, or postal correspondence. Understand that your continued instructions in any matter we act on your behalf will amount to your full acceptance of these terms and conditions. You may not be able to recover the full legal costs, but if you wish to instruct Helpland Ltd. to proceed with your required service and agree to compensate Helpland Ltd. against any liabilities incurred in acting for you, it will be understood.

General – The information provided on the Helpland Ltd. website is intended for general information purposes only. The contents are not directed at any specific person, individual, or organisation and do not constitute an offer to contract. Helpland Ltd. reserves the right to cancel, withdraw, or change its services at any time. If you terminate your instructions or if we cease acting for you with good reason, you will still be required to pay our charges and expenses up to the date we stop acting. This includes costs for removing our or our solicitors' name from court records if court proceedings are involved and transferring our files to you or another advisor. Helpland Ltd. is not regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and does not purport to be solicitors. Your continued instructions will amount to your acceptance of these terms & conditions.

Terms and Conditions – You accept and agree, without reservation, that anything said orally or in an email by Helpland Ltd. that directly contradicts these terms and conditions shall be overridden by these terms and conditions alone. Payment for any services offered by Helpland Ltd. is deemed acceptance by you that you have read, understood, and fully accepted our terms and conditions. Alternatively, where you instruct Helpland Ltd. prior to payment, receipt of your instruction is deemed acceptance that you have read, understood, and accepted these terms and conditions. Your continued instructions will amount to your continued acceptance of our terms and conditions.

In order to provide a fixed fee service, we require all emails and calls to us to be kept to a reasonable quantity. We will monitor emails and calls, adding fees on a timely basis for excessive contact by clients. You will be notified should this arise.