Ouch! Landlord hit with £1.4m Proceeds of Crime penalty

Ouch! Landlord hit with £1.4m Proceeds of Crime penalty


Todays other news
The courts will have to handle a significant increase in...
Taxes and spending cuts are set to be on the...
The Spring Statement comes up this Wednesday...
The Bill is expected to become law in the summer...


A landlord who was involved in a decade-long dispute with a London council has been hit with a £1.44 million penalty after repeatedly breaking planning laws. 

Ali Bahbahani has been ordered to pay £1,283,444 for converting a home to create flats, including an extension, in Ealing, west London. 

He had not secured planning consent and had refused to stop using the property and accept the unauthorised extensions should be demolished.

The authority secured the confiscation order under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The council has repeatedly issued court applications to have the property restored to its original condition for some 10 years.

The case was heard at several courts before finally being concluded at Isleworth Crown Court – at which it was revealed that someone impersonating the landlord had attended the initial hearings. Bahbahani, who lives overseas, failed to appear in person.

A council spokesperson says: “You must make sure you have planning permission for major changes of any sort to your property. Failure to do so will result in court action and, as we have seen, can be very costly.”

The council will also be recovering some £16,000 in unpaid council tax and business rates, and will work with a receiver to recover costs. It will also be working with the Ealing property’s new owner to resolve the illegal building works.

Share this article ...

Join the conversation: Login and have your say

Want to comment on this story? Our focus is on providing a platform for you to share your insights and views and we welcome contributions. All comments are screened using specialist software and may be reviewed by our editorial team before publication. Landlord Today reserves the right to edit, withhold or delete comments that violate our guidelines, including those that harass, degrade, or intimidate others. Users who post such content may be banned from commenting.
By commenting, you agree to our Commenting Terms of Use.
6 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Recommended for you
Related Articles
The Bill is expected to become law in the summer...
Shelter has coordinated an open letter from 40 economists...
The activist group took to X to criticise Liz Kendall,...
The NRLA has written to the Works and Pensions Secretary...
The tenant was in hospital when he was evicted illegally...
The most vulnerable tenants may pay the highest price...
The controversial proposal is backed by the Welsh Government...
Recommended for you
Latest Features
The courts will have to handle a significant increase in...
Taxes and spending cuts are set to be on the...
The Spring Statement comes up this Wednesday...
Sponsored Content

Send to a friend

In order to send this article to a friend you must first login. Click on the button below to login or sign up.

No one likes pop-ups ...
But while you're here