Online legal resources and legal sites

British and Irish Legal Information Instiute www.bailii.org

Community Legal Service Direct www.clsdirect.org.uk

Courts Service www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk

Delia Venables www.venables.co.uk

Department of Constitutional Affairs (for the Civil Procedures Rules) www.dca.gov.uk/civil.procrules_fin/index.htm

Landlord Law www.landlordlaw.co.uk

Law Commission www.lawcom.gov.uk

Law Society www.lawsociety.org.uk

Neil Addison's harassment site www.harassment-law.co.uk

Office of Public Sector Information (where you can find Acts of Parliament since 1988) www.opsi.gov.uk/acts.htm

Office of Public Sector Information (where you can find Statutory Instruments since 1987) www.opsi.gov.uk/stat.htm

Residential Property Tribunal www.rpts.gov.uk

UK Parliament (where you can find House of Lords' decisions in the 'Judicial Work' section) www.parliament.uk

OMBUDSMEN

Independent Housing Ombudsman www.ihos.org.uk

Local Government Ombudsman www.lgo.org.uk

NOT FOR PROFIT ADVICE ORGANISATIONS

Homeswapper www.homeswapper.co.uk

Commission for Equality and Human Rights www.cehr.org.uk

Commission for Racial Equality www.cre.gov.uk

Disabilities Rights Commission www.drc-gb.org

Equal Opportunities Commission www.eoc.org.uk

Law Centres Federation www.lawcentres.org.uk

Leasehold Advisory Service www.lease-advice.org

National advice website www.adviceguide.org.uk

National Association of Citizens' Advice Bureaux www.nacab.org.uk

Tenant Participation Advisory Service www.tpas.org.uk

Victim Support www.victimsupport.com

GOVERNMENT AND QUASI-GOVERNMENT SITES

Communities and Local Government www.communities.gov.uk

Housing Corporation www.housingcorp.gov.uk

Offices of Court Funds, Official www.officialsolicitor.gov.uk

Solicitor and Public Trustee www.officialsolicitor.gov.uk

Office for Fair Trading www.oft.gov.uk

Rent Service www.therentservice.gov.uk

Trading Standards www.tradingstandards.gov.uk

LANDLORDS' AND AGENTS' ORGANISATIONS AND SITES

Association of Residential Letting Agents www.arla.co.uk

National Approved Letting Scheme www.nalscheme.co.uk

National Association of Estate Agents www.naea.co.uk

National Federation of Landlords www.nfrl.org.uk

LandlordZone www.landlordzone.co.uk

Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) www.rics.org

UK Accreditation Network www.anuk.org.uk

OTHER ORGANISATIONS AND SITES

Association of Law Costs Draftsmen www.alcd.org.uk

CORGI www.trustcorgi.com/consumers.htmx

Legal Complaints Service www.legalcompliants.org.uk

National Housing Building Council www.nhbc.co.uk

NICEIC www.niceic.org.uk

Write To Them (for detailsof MPs) www.writetothem.com

TELEPHONE HELPLINES

Accident Line 0870 607 8999

Community Legal Service 0845 345 3 345

Gas Safety Advice Line 0800 300 363

Legal Complaints Service 0845 608 6565

National Grid Transco 0800 111 999

ENFORCEMENT

Courts have procedures to force losing parties to comply with Court Orders. When a judgement is made, the winner is known as the 'judgement creditor' and the person liable to pay the money as the 'judgement debtor'.

30% of defendents fail to pay the money due under a judgement. These are the court enforcement prodedures available to force a judgement debtor to pay but they are not always successful.

BAILIFFS/SHEFIFFS: Sending the County Court bailiffs or (for judgments of over £600) the High Court Sheriffs round to 'levy execution', i.e. take the judgment debtor's goods away to sell at auction to pay off the debt.

ATTACHMENT OF EARNINGS ORDERS: Where the court orders the judgment debtor's employer to pay part of his wages direct to the judgment creditor.

THIRD PARTY PAYMENT ORDERS: Where someone who owes or holds money for the judgement debtors (usually a bank or building society) is ordered to pay this over to the judgment creditor.

CHARGING ORDERS: Where the judgment debt is registered against a house or flar or other property/land owned by the judgment debtor as a mortgageor legal charge. This can then be enforced by obtaining an order for sale.

STATUTORY DEMAND/BANKRUPTCY: Serving a statutory demand and then bringing bankruptcy proceedings against an individual or winding up proceedings against a company (although this can be made without obtaining a judgment first).

COURT SUMMONS: Where a judgment debtor can be summoned to court to answer questions on oath about his assets.

More information on enforcements procedures can be found www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk