County court housing advice and representation schemes aim to provide free, independent and confidential advice on representation to homeowners and tenants attending hearings in possession proceedings brought on grounds of arrears, who either have not previously obtained advice and/or are without legal representation.
Most schemes have been initiated by advice agencies and/or solicitors in private practice who attend court on a voluntary basis, but the impetus for some has come from the courts.
The way in which schemes are organised varies considerably. The main distinctions are:
- Some deal with either mortgage or rent cases - others with both; activities at court are commonly limited to dealing with repossession cases, but some also provide help with other matters, e.g. debt problems unrelated to housing;
- Most involve duty advisers attending court on a rota basis on set days when cases are listed for hearing - only a few have a permanent or daily presence at court:
- Some are staffed by advisers from only one advice agency, others by advisers from several agencies, including local solicitors' firms.
As well as performing their core role, these schemes are well placed to identify other advice needs which might otherwise not be met. Few can meet clients' every need for advice, but duty advisers are often able to make referrals to agencies which can.
How to contact us
Contact Details for our Local Housing Offices are as follows:
West Office (Kinson area)
Kinson Neighbourhood Office
1599/1601 Wimborne Road
Bournemouth BH11 9AB
Tel: 01202 453907
East Office (Pokesdown, Southbourne, Boscombe, Strouden & Winton)
Housing East Office
Strouden Library
Castlepoint
Castle Lane West
Bournemouth BH8 9UP
Tel: 01202 451915
Our housing visitors can come and see you in your own home. If you want to discuss anything confidentially we can provide an interview room at each of our offices above. Due to safety reasons we cannot currently offer a safe play area for children but can provide colouring pages on request.
We hope this information has been useful. If you require it in another language or format such as audio or large print, please contact us as follows:
Housing Landlord Services
Bournemouth Borough Council
Unit 4
Dalling Road
Poole
BH12 1DJ
Tel 01202 458331
Minicom: 01202 454728
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