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Charging Order for landlord who ignored civil penalty notice

Northampton council is seeking a so-called Charging Order against a landlord who failed to carry out improvements to her property and then ignored the resulting £12,400 civil penalty.

In December 2018, council officers carried out an inspection of the property in the town, owned by Mrs Alle Sabboth.

They found multiple category one hazards such as faulty door locks and inadequate plug sockets and holes in the ceiling, and issued an Improvement Notice.

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When officers revisited the property in January 2019 they found no improvement works had been undertaken, with tenants still living in the same hazardous conditions.

For failing to comply with the Improvement Notice, a £12,400 civil penalty was issued on January 22 this year that Sabboth neglected to pay.

She filed an appeal against the penalty to the First Tier Tribunal several months past the time limit – this was refused on the grounds that she had failed to provide a good reason for an out-of-time appeal.

The charging order will allow the council to enforce a sale on the property and remove her as the landlord.

Although Sabboth will still be able to act as landlord in future, the council says it could seek a banning order preventing her from operating properties permanently if she commits a repeat offence.

With the council’s support, the tenants will also be able to apply for a rent repayment order to a First-tier Tribunal – allowing them to claim up to one year’s rent.

 

A council spokesman says: “We are taking a hard line against landlords who do not take their responsibilities towards tenants seriously, and will use the most stringent measures available to ensure necessary improvements are made in cases where they are neglectful.

“Unbelievably, this is not the worst property we have investigated and taken action against, which is why I strongly urge landlords to ensure they are fulfilling their duty of care to their tenants.”

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  • PossessionFriendUK PossessionFriend

    Hard to justify conduct like this, and arguably the vast majority of reasonable Landlords wouldn't want to ( understandably, although you are loathe to rely on only one side that you read in the Press )

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    The Reds are not under the beds anymore they are in the Council Offices.

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    • 29 October 2020 13:23 PM

    And now, even "Corbyn The Commie and Anti Semite" has been sacked.
    How come on one noticed for the last 4 years?

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    Faulty locks, holes in ceiling did these occur during the tenency as I can't imagine anyone would let out with these faults present. I've been amazed how heavy handed people can be when they are not invested!

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    Inadequate plug sockets obviously having 5 plug sockets instead of 6 will lead to the deaths of thousands of people

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    I have had to repair ceilings more than once because of misuse of Bathroom above.
    Another case a heavy glass candle jar that they had placed on the window reveal got knocked down and cracked the wash hand basin below, leaked badly but wasn’t reported until more extensive damage was done.
    5 new bedroom door locks with thumb screw that were fitted to comply with HMO regulations, all changed by Tenants. Doors damaged and locks unrepairable because they didn’t know how to remove the locks or the concealed retaining screw behind the face plates.
    All door closers removed.
    Don’t know what is meant by inadequate electric sockets that could be any number of things they didn’t clarify or if the landlord had a DEICR in place.
    Anyway the Tenants can make a Compliant Property non-Compliant in next to no time at all and present you with any number of No. 1 hazards when the guy with MCQ click board degree arrives.

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