Punch tenant claims legal victory

A former Punch Taverns tenant has claimed a legal victory against the pubco after a six-week delay in refunding his rent deposit.

Ben Hope, former licensee of the Hope Inn, in Chichester, was awarded £92.73, to be paid by Punch, for the interest that had accrued on the deposit payment and legal costs.

In his claim to Chichester County Court, Hope stated that he chased Punch repeatedly for his deposit, but the company did not respond to a number of his emails.

Hope sold his lease and assigned it to a new tenant in August 2006, after six years in the pub. At the time he handed over the lease the balance of his rent deposit account was £11,168.02.

But when his deposit was eventually returned Punch had not added the interest that Hope claimed he was due because of the delay.

He claims he urgently needed the money to invest in a new business.

Hope told The Publican: "I chased and chased and nothing happened. They washed their hands of it.

"The interest was only a relatively small amount of money but it's the principle of the matter. Effectively they had held my money for six weeks without my permission and to my cost."

But Punch has said sorry for the delay in returning its former tenant's deposit.

A spokesperson for the company said: "Deposits are normally returned to retailers within two weeks, although this turnaround time does vary according to the terms of the specific lease agreement signed.

"In this case we accept there was an error in processing Mr Hope's paperwork which delayed the refunding of his deposit. We apologise for this delay and are glad the matter has now been resolved."