A buy-to-let landlord who threatened to take Doncaster Council to court over alleged slander has secured a £100,000 payout from the local authority.
Landlord Rod Bloor, who previously owned 100 homes in the borough, provided these properties to vulnerable people at the request of Doncaster Council, but his relationship with the authority deteriorated after he had won an appeal over council tax payments, following changes to housing benefit regulations.
Bloor accused the council of making unsubstantiated remarks about his sincerity to people who were looking to use his services to rent property.
He claimed the council had subsequently slandered him by making disparaging remarks to people, a claim the council denies.
The landlord took the case to court after a fall out with the council, claiming that the case had left him more than £200,000 out of pocket in terms of his own legal costs, even after taking into account of the council’s payment to him.
But the case was dropped when the authority agreed a statement confirming Bloor’s honesty, as well as paying out the £100,000 towards his legal costs.
The statement stated: “DMBC is able to confirm that any allegation Mr Bloor was untrustworthy, dishonest or had fabricated documents, would be false.
“DMBC and Mr Bloor are pleased to confirm that this action has now been concluded to the satisfaction of both parties.”
Bloor, who has reduced his property portfolio to 60 properties, said: “I’m elated in the respect that my name has been cleared.”
Debbie Hogg, Doncaster Council’s director of corporate resources, commented: “Mr Bloor issued High Court proceedings against the council which we have defended. As a result, unnecessary court costs have been incurred.
“At the eleventh hour Mr Bloor decided to withdraw his claim, as confirmed by the court, which underlines our view that this case was not substantiated and has now been concluded.”
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If Mr Bloors case was ' Not substantiated ' why would Doncaster Council pay him £100 k towards his legal costs ?
someone's telling Porkies and I don't think its Mr Bloor !
Good for Rod Bloor, if Doncaster Council were so sure of their case they would have gone to court. It seems to me, as I deal with Local Authority staff regularly, that being an accomplished liar is the first requirement on their job descriptions. I wouldn't trust any of them these days.
Correct all council office bods are thick and clueless and steal Council Tax.
no comment on this one. There is currently a save Section 21 campaign live and urge every Landlord to take part. There seems to be only a handful of us LL's trying to fight for our rights and that's a bit obvious, this is no different than before when we were campaigning to have s21 introduced all those years ago and since to have squatters rights removed from Residential properties, they are quiet happy to sit on the sidelines & avail of any concessions we might achieve, this is totally wrong & I assume there are 2 million private LL's in UK, so don't leave it to a dozen of us, stand up & be counted / stop hiding behind the Bush unless you are so crooked you can't shoe your face.
Unfortunately these LL will not stand up and be counted.
They mostly have the ostrich mentality.
Nothing will ever happen to them!
I reckon S24 had been a rude awakening for many of the ostrich LL!!
Personally I believe it should be compulsory to join a LL Association.
I believe there should be only one which all 2 million LL join.
It could be called the
National Residential Landlords Association
Has a certain ring to it!.
With 2 million members Govt might even take some notice of the NRLA
I detest councils to the core of my body
Well said Paul, it's absolutely ridiculous that we don't have a strong lobby group to represent us. The most powerful lobby group has destroyed our business, made rules, even changed the law of the land, they are not Elected Representatives, it's so farcical its too hard to comprehend, they do not supply the housing, they do not own the property / finance or pay the loan so they are nothing only living off our backs, why the Government entertain I don't know.
We should have a unified LL Association. I have been a member of 3 but currently a member of 2, NLA & iHowz. I agree we should have one and better if they all amalgamated and better still if all LL's joined but some are so mean they would begrudge the very reasonable annual fee. We are the LL's we own the properties so we are the very people that should have a strong lobby group and not some lame duck organisation with no Housing to put a roof over anyone head, charity status indeed while paying their top brass in excess of £100k pa. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised when a Minister give a huge Contract to a shipping Company with no Ships. The Government should show us some respect giving that we are the biggest provider of quality affordable Private Housing in the Country and the contribution we make to the economy & Revenue.
There is already a Land Lord Association . I have a friend who is a member of it . I Googled it up.
Council dont care about the fine as it comes out of the council tax they nick from us
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