THE Consumer Crew are here to solve your problems.
Mel Hunter will take on readers’ consumer issues, Jane Hamilton will give you the best advice for buying your dream home, and Judge Rinder will tackle your legal woes.
Jane Hamilton, property expert
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Create your own love nest
WANT to build your own love nest for Valentine’s Day? Here are six simple ways to put romance at the heart of your renovations.
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MOOD LIGHTING: Set the mood for love and turn the lights down low with a dimmer switch.
COST: From £3.50 at Wickes
SNUGGLE ON A LOVE SEAT: Mini two-seater sofas look great in any size of room and keep you both cuddled up close.
COST: £169 on eBay
REDECORATE IN A SENSUAL SHADE: From a racy red to a romantic pink, painting a room only costs a few pounds, but can alter the whole feel.
COST: £8.50 for 2.5L paint at Wilko
TACTILE BEDDING: Add soft pillows, a cosy fake fur throw and silky-feel sheets for a boutique hotel feel.
COST: Faux fur throw from £18 at Asda
CANDLES: Choose a heady scent and long-burning candle so you have plenty of time for romance.
COST: Jo Malone dupe candle from £3.50 at Aldi
GO AL FRESCO: Add fairy lights and candles to your outside space and enjoy dinner and drinks under the stars.
COST: Use your Christmas lights to save cash
Buy of the week
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TRENDY Margate on the Kent coast has topped the list of house price growth hotspots, with prices more than doubling in the past decade.
There is a stunning two-bed seaview apartment in this building for £270,000 at rightmove.co.uk/properties/112626674.
HOMES on a love-themed street command prices four per cent higher on average than surrounding roads.
Research by property portal Boomin shows roads with Love in the name sell for an average of £349,000, while “Valentine” streets saw properties typically sell for £325,000.
CEO and founder Michael Bruce said: “It’s fair to say that as a nation we’re infatuated with our homes.”
Deal of the week
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SINK some bubbly in the bubbles on Valentine’s Day. This four-person inflatable square black spa has been reduced from £269.99 to £199.99 at Studio.co.uk
SAVE: £70
Judge Rinder, legal expert
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“‘Bank paid money my pal left me in his will to my co-executor’s account instead of mine – who is to blame?’”
Q) IT the end of 2020 I was joint executor/trustee of a friend’s will, of which we were both beneficiaries. It was during lockdown so when providing the will and our proof of identity at the bank we were not allowed in together.
I explained that the other executor is visually impaired and would need help but this fell on deaf ears. Around five weeks later the inheritance was all paid into his account.
He transferred some money into my account but I am still owed £2,500. He says he doesn’t have any money left.
Am I able to claim what I’m owed and compensation from the bank?
Russell, Lincs
A) From what I can gather, the bank are not to blame in this situation. The fault lies entirely with your co-executor, who must have given the bank instructions on what account to use for any money from the will.
The fact he is visually impaired makes no difference to this. He was perfectly capable of answering basic questions.
Your remedy would be against this co-executor, who had a legal duty to distribute the funds according to the strict wishes set out in the will.
The fact he has spent it instead of doing what was legally required of him isn’t the bank’s fault.
You could either write this money off or get the co-executor to enter into a written agreement to pay you back in instalments.
Debt double-up
Q) SOME time ago I was accepted as guarantor for a loan my son took out – even though I was on benefits.
As he defaulted I started paying a token payment of £1 a month. Since then my son has found employment and the loan company has made an attachment to his salary.
When I knew this I told the company I would stop my payments as I didn’t think they could take two payments for the same loan, but they insist that they can. Is this right?
Bob, North London
A) Just like you, I am struggling to understand why this loan company believes it is legally entitled to continue to take money from you now that your son is paying this debt back.
One possibility is that you remain liable for your son’s debt for the time he was unemployed as the company are now unable to extend the loan period they initially agreed.
Whatever the case, I am deeply troubled that you were accepted as a guarantor in the first place and remain unconvinced that this loan company is not trying to double-recover money, which is not allowed.
Write to the head of the loan company’s legal department asking them to justify all this in writing and get in touch with the Financial Ombudsman, who is very helpful in cases like this.
Q) THERE is an overgrown 150-year-old oak tree that is adjacent to our boundary and overhangs on to our roof. The tree is owned by the council and has a preservation order on it.
With the strong winds we are consistently experiencing, we fear branches could start to fall off, which could ultimately damage the property as well as us.
The council sent a representative out to review the tree and she advised that if the tree was to be cut back it could die of a disease.
Can the council be legally responsible for cutting the tree back away from our property?
Donna, Essex
A) It is true that this protection order forces the council to take serious care (and follow strict guidelines) before cutting the oak tree back. But if it is causing a hazard to your property and, ultimately, damages your home, the council would be legally liable.
I would suggest that you instruct a local surveyor and a tree surgeon to advise you on the risk this tree poses.
If it is as serious as you suspect, you must get in touch with the council representative again along with your local ward representative and insist that the tree is cut back as it is causing a legal nuisance to your property.
Make clear (along with providing all the evidence you have) that unless the council takes the necessary steps to safeguard your home, you will be taking legal action.
Mel Hunter, reader’s champion
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Plane cash is all Thai-d up
Q) WE booked flights to Thailand via Opodo in October 2019.
We were due to travel in July 2020 but the flights, which were with Thai Airways and Bangkok Airways, were cancelled because of the pandemic.
Opodo said it has requested the refund from the airlines, but we still haven’t seen the money. We are owed refunds for five people amounting to more than £4,000.
Lisa, Southampton
A) Opodo located the Bangkok Airways money within a few days, but admitted it was proving harder to secure the majority of your money, which was with Thai Airways.
Speaking to Thai Airways directly, I managed to get all your money back.
I then asked Opodo to rush it through to your bank account, and I am pleased to say that, 18 months late, I managed to get the £4,159 back where it belonged.
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Q) I SENT the watch I got from Fossil to its repair centre to have a new battery fitted. I had already taken it to two jewellers but they could not get one of the screws out and did not want to damage it.
A few weeks later Fossil emailed a quote of £22 for the battery and labour, which I paid. Twenty weeks later, I still do not have my watch back.
After many phone calls, Fossil has now told me the winder is broken and it cannot get a replacement. At no point, until now, was I told that was the problem.
Fossil has now offered me 30 per cent off a watch. I do not find this acceptable as this watch, which was a gift from my husband, should last longer than two years.
Claire, Sheffield
Most read in The Sun
A) Your watch was out of warranty, but it clearly should have lasted longer.
It was also in good order, as far as you were aware, when you sent it to Fossil, and it was therefore reasonable to ask for a replacement.
Getting a response from Fossil proved challenging, despite the company having your timepiece for many months.
Eventually it agreed to let you choose a replacement around the £150 value of your old one, and to refund you the £22 you had paid for the original battery work.
A Fossil spokesman apologised and said: “As a brand, we’re committed to staying connected to our customers, so we hope that Claire accepts our apology and full compensation for the watch.”
Woman reveals chic kitchen makeover using Wilko paint
