A family of landlords in London has been ordered by a court to pay over £900,000 for illegally converting a property and breaking planning laws.

Ealing council has concluded a six year long legal action against Jagdishbhai Patel, Minaxiben Patel, and their son Alpesh Patel of Hanwell, and daughter Parul Patel of Perivale.

In total, the defendants, who are all named as legal owners of the property, were ordered to pay £929,621.11 at Isleworth Crown Court. The amount includes a confiscation order, fines, victim surcharge, and prosecution costs.

Two planning enforcement notice were served in August 2019 for extensions which were completed without planning permission to another property the family owns in Hanwell. 

One of the notices was to stop the use of an outbuilding at the back of the property as a self-contained flat. The other was to stop the use of the first and second floor as four self-contained flats, including the instruction to remove the kitchen and bathroom facilities.

An appeal was made against one of the notices which was rejected by the planning inspectorate, and the family was told to put the property back to how it was before the work had been done by October 2020.

As warning letters to comply with the notices were ignored, council officers visited the property under a warrant in April 2022 and found that it still wasn’t compliant with both notices. The flats and illegal outbuilding were being let to tenants and the defendants had continued to profit from the illegal conversions and receive rental income.

All 4 owners were summoned to court in January 2023, but failed to appear. They pleaded guilty to failing to comply with the requirements of both the enforcement notices, at a hearing in June that year, but attempts to change their pleas and failing to show up to hearings caused more delays.

During a further enforcement visit in July 2025, the owners had still not complied with the council’s enforcement notices. Council tax records confirmed that all five dwellings remained occupied and the owners had been receiving rental income all this time.

At a hearing in October 2025, details of which have only just been released, a confiscation order of £900,217.11 was imposed on Jagdishbhai and Minaxiben Patel. They were also issued a £4,500 fine each, totalling £9,000, and ordered to pay legal costs of £8,000 each, and victim surcharges of £181 each.

Siblings Alpesh and Parul Patel, were registered owners of the property but the court agreed they were less culpable for the failure to comply with the notices, and were each ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £21, and costs of £2,000.

The defendants have been warned that failure to comply with the original enforcement notices would result in further court action.

Last month Ealing council tightened its planning controls which means that all new HMOs, however small, will have to apply for planning permission. 

A council spokesperson says: “The outcome of this prosecution sends a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal property conversions that undermine our planning system and put residents at risk. We will use every legal tool available to us to ensure offenders who wilfully ignore the rules are financially punished.

“This outcome reflects the seriousness of these breaches. Anyone intending to make changes to their property must get approval first. We remain committed to protecting private tenants and ensure they have safe, well-maintained homes.”