The tenant pays three cheques a year through an agency in Dubai, E-Valuations. I am supposed to receive an electronic payment as soon as the agent in Dubai has received a cheque.

This worked well until 18 months ago, since when all the payments have been a month or so late.

The latest payment was apparently made by the tenant on November 4, yet I am still waiting for it.

I cannot get hold of anyone in either the London or Dubai offices, other than the managing director, Amani Choudry. I expected to have this money by now and need it to pay bills.

She has told me four times that an electronic payment has been authorised in Dubai. The rental agreement runs out on March 4 and I have appointed another agent to handle thereafter. DP

The phone number for Mayfair International now rings unobtainable and we were unable to find a listing for an office of E-Valuations in Dubai. (We did locate other businesses called 'E-Valuations', and similar, that are unconnected to the Dubai agency.)

We spoke to Amani Choudry at the beginning of January, who told us that the Mayfair International business in London is no longer trading.

Ms Choudry claimed that a payment had been delayed by the Christmas and New Year holidays and would be with you by the second week of January. She explained that the Dubai agency was responsible for the delay.

Ms Choudry also told us that the payment would be considerably less than the amount you expected. You tell us that previous payments have not been accompanied by any explanation for how the amount was calculated.

We requested from Ms Choudry the details for the Dubai agency in order to contact them to request a reconciliation of the amount that you believe you were due and the sum that Ms Choudry indicated would be paid.

Although she repeatedly promised to provide this information, she failed to do so. Eventually, at the end of January, a firm offer of a final payment of rent collected was made by Ms Choudry.

This consists of 6,000 Arab Emirates Dirham, less deductions for cleaning, fitting a new shower and toilet seat and related labour, providing a net payment of AED 4,730 - about £819 - which you have agreed to accept.

Part of the reason for the delay seems to be a loss of mutual goodwill following your instruction towards the end of last year to the Dubai agency to sell the apartment.

You changed your mind after the agency apparently undertook a substantial amount of work to sell the property.

Ms Choudry advised you to accept the offer of rent, less deductions in a letter sent to you.

She wrote: "I feel that they have been really fair to you.

"Especially after the fact that you decided not to sell when they spent three months trying to achieve your target price."

Apparently you did not get independent legal advice when conducting the sale or appointing an agent in Dubai.

We suggest that professional advice should be taken when entering into such an important transaction and that suitable references are obtained before appointing a property agent in another country.