Law and Justice - still definitely not the same thing

Not the best way to start a new week, but there you go - it happens.

I sent a form N325 (warrant for possession) to the court on 14/12/09 by royal mail first class recorded delivery. I telephoned the bailiffs office on15/12/09, but the request had not arrived. It eventually arrived on thursday 17/12/09, 3 days after it was posted. Wow! now that, dear Royal Snail Mail, is what I call first class service. And I had the priviledge of paying extra for it too. I might as well not have bothered and just popped it in the post as normal and hoped for the best ... on a wing and a prayer.

Reminds me of another incidence with royal mail in October when I sent a letter by Special delivery, paid £5.40 for the service that guaranteed the letter would be delivered by 1pm the next day. You know what I am about to say don't you?. The said letter did not arrive before 1pm. So, I'm jumping up and down, making phone calls to each and every royal mail customer service number I could find, but could they help, oh no! The best the staff could do was tell me that it was on its way to be delivered, the postman must have been delayed, apologies etc.etc.What the heck is an apology going to do? Is that what I paid extra for? What about the repercussions of the letter not getting to its destination on time? And they get away with it too because frankly, there's nothing in the system that enables one to take Royal Snail Mail to task for its sloppiness and inefficiencies. I've made complaints a number of times already, on other cases, and each time it takes forever to get anything done, and then the classic response is "its been so long" that they can't trace the postman in question, or the whatever other thing needs tracing, and so apologise. Whose fault was it that it took so long? definitely not mine. But who bears the repercussion? yours truly. I'd rather pay more for a service that will be given, than this apology of a service we seem to have now. No offence to any postie out there - a lot of you guys and gals are doing a good job (I've got two postie tenants btw). The system just stinks.

Anyway, back to the bailiff. So I ask when the warrant will be executed, and was told mid to end January 2010. That of course goes down well-not! red rag to a bull I nearly hit the roof, but I reign in my temper and ask why, only to be told the bailiff was now on holiday and won't be back until 4/01/10 and the defendant has to be given at least 2 weeks notice. So, still holding my temper (with some difficulty I might add), I ask "why did bailiff not give notice on 17/12/09 then?" the reply came back "because she went on holiday on 17/12/09". Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!! I managed a short but polite rant, apologised to the lady at the end of the phone for the rant, and wished her a merry christmas through gritted teeth.

So, between the acts of my errant Tenant, aided and abbetted by the County Court System, and in connivance with Royal Snail Mail, I am about to lose another month's rent. Not good tidings of joy is it!

And the gofmint calls this an "accelerated possession process"!! Pleeeeeeeeeease, give me a break. There is Law and there is Justice, but when will the two meet?? Hopefully sometime in my lifetime-and they had better hurry......