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    • Property-a-holics

    £1.5million fine for criminal landlord!

    Replies 9 Views 725 Activity 2 months ago Users 8
    Go to first unread post
    theartfullodger 5 Dec 2018 at 22:27

    A rogue landlord dubbed 'Slumlord Millionaire' has been fined a record-breaking £1.5 million for building an illegal boxroom empire.

    A judge told Vispasp Sarkari he must pay the huge fine or face nine years behind bars after taking advantage of people 'desperate for a roof over their head'.

    And the judge also froze all his accounts and assets until the fine is paid, giving councils the right to sell off his properties if he doesn't comply.

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article...dsits.html

    £1.5Million! Is this a new record?

    Well done Harrow & Brent Councils!

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    LandyLordy 5 Dec 2018 at 22:33

    Ensuing downside for many of these tenants is that London LHA rates fall way short of the cost of self contained rentals - so these families either vacate London/SE or seek other similar bottom of market cheap rentals.

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    Vanessa Warwick 6 Dec 2018 at 08:04

    This story makes me ashamed to be a landlord.  It is utterly despicable what this individual did under the banner of being a landlord.  He abused his position and took advantage of vulnerable people.

    As you can see from the fourth line of this screenshot, this is further fuelling anti-landlord rhetoric. 



    This video by David Smith of the RLA discusses the topic of landlords in the media and our public image:



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    Vanessa Warwick Landlord and Co-Founder of PropertyTribes.com **If you have got value from Property Tribes, find out how you can support it in remaining a free to use community resource**

    Adam_ to Vanessa Warwick 6 Dec 2018 at 13:05

    It doesn't make me ashamed.

    I just wonder why its taken this side of the millenium to finally get this guy - the councils/courts should be ashamed?

    Do you think the Daily Fail would be interested in a good-news landlord story perhaps?!

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    Annier 6 Dec 2018 at 11:22

    This guy was just a criminal who used property to make illegal money.  He is totally unrepresentative of the landlord community - but of course the story is manna to the anti landlord brigade. 

    He had already been fined in 2008 for undertaking illegal gas work, and again in 2012/13 (£300,000) for illegal conversions, so this latest fine is the culmination of many years of illegal activity and treating tenants despicably. 

    Both councils knew his history and knew where (most) of his properties were, so why did they fail to curb his activities years ago? 

    Importantly, where are his tenants now living?  Have the councils helped them to find legal, safe accommodation?

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    LandyLordy to Annier 6 Dec 2018 at 12:15

    I imagine that most of the former tenants simply joined the large pool of homeless households seeking accommodation - and if living in London bedsits must be pretty poor - and indeed some may have failed to pass RTR checks.

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    SarahJW 6 Dec 2018 at 13:21

    There must be a legal reason why it took so long. Surely our justice system is not this slow. Tbh I think this person should not be allowed to rent to anyone again if it is true that he is a serial offender. 

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    Joloughlin 6 Dec 2018 at 13:36

    You would have hoped he would be facing time behind bars and then his assets seized under the proceeds of crime act. Not quite sure why he get the choice.

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    LandyLordy to Joloughlin 7 Dec 2018 at 15:17

    With costs the LL needs to pay around £1.8 million so will likely need to sell a number of properties to raise that.

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    douglas lambourne 7 Dec 2018 at 14:26

    Well its taken 5yrs plus to bring him to book, so all those bad landlords still have plenty of time to continue their bad activities. They can collect lots of dosh hind it away then clear off once they get found out. They don't care as the properties are probably mortgaged and no skin off their nose. If councils really want to get tough then seek action quickly not 5yrs later as that will deter non of them.

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