An Oxford landlord is threatening to send the bailiffs into the offices of an Oxford letting agent after receiving a court judgement against them for rent owed.

Oxford academic Dr Andrew Fry, who employed Charles Lawson (Lettings) to rent out his flat in Southfield Park, East Oxford, in November 2007 after moving to Cardiff, said: “The agents took six months rent in advance, plus a deposit of £1,200, but were then slow to pay me anything.

“In March they paid me two cheques which bounced. And now they are three months in arrears and I have a county court cash order against them for £2,622 plus costs “ He explained: “Charles Lawson have never been great at forwarding rent (usually four-six weeks late) but they always paid in the end.

“But that changed in January. “Now they have moved the lettings office, which was at 220 Cowley Road, to their estate agency office down the road at 280 Cowley Road.

“When I contacted the tenants directly, they told me that they had paid £1,200 deposit to the agency as well as six months rent in advance — a total of £7,200.”

By law, lettings agencies now have to hold tenants’ deposits in a separate account with a registered deposit organisation.

Mr Fry said: “Charles Lawson have failed to give me or the tenants the reference number or name of the deposit protection organisation holding the deposit, which is worrying.

“But perhaps they will still pay back the deposit.”

He added that he had obtained the court judgement against Charles Lawson (Lettings) in Northampton County Court through the Internet based service moneyclaim online and was now considering his options, including sending in the bailiffs.

According to records at Companies House, a director of Charles Lawson (Lettings) is Zulfqar Hussein, whose address is 11 Glanville Road, Oxford He was also appointed a director of James C Penny (Estate Agents) and of James C Penny (Lettings) on January 28th this year.

He was formerly company secretary of James C Penny Ltd.

James C Penny Ltd, earlier this year went into liquidation with debts of more than £400,000.

Four staff were made redundant but were then almost immediately re-employed by a new company called James C Penny (Estate Agents) Ltd., according to the report from liquidator Bridge business Recovery.

Trading Standards officer Graham Southern told The Oxford Times: “We are aware of the situation (with James C Penny and Charles Lawson) and we are monitoring it with interest.”

Mr Hussain was not availaible to comment at any of the companies involved, nor was family member Ifty Hussain who works as a manager at Charles Lawson .

And James C Penny, who still works at James C Penny (Lettings) also declined to comment.

Dr Fry added: “I have submitted a request for a Warrant of Execution to moneyclaim online which, if granted by the court, will be forwarded to the Oxford County Court Bailiffs asking them to recover the debt.”

He added: “Charles Lawson paid me two months’ rent in mid-December and one more month’s rent at the end of march. So three months’ rent are missing.”

A search of county court records revealed that in addition to the debt to Dr Fry, for which a county court judgement was issued in his favour on April 23, there are three other unsatisfied county court judgements against Charles Lawson, for £1,922, £1,897, and £4,936 at 220 Cowley Road.

The lettings department of Charles Lawson moved to 280 Cowley Road on May 1.

Dr Fry said: “The last time I spoke to Ifty Hussain was in the early autumn of last year. He has been unwilling to come to the phone (or out of his office to see me) since then.”