A LANDLORD has been fined £2,000 plus costs after pleading guilty to having tenants in a flat in Burton which was deemed dangerous by inspection teams.
Alan Wong, from South Wimbledon, London, admitted not complying with a Prohibition Order under Section 32 of the Housing Act 2004.when he appeared before the town's magistrates.
The court heard how a first floor apartment above the Royal Harris restaurant in Borough Road had been closed by East Staffordshire Borough Council officers back in April following an inspection that revealed serious risks associated with access to the flat, inadequate fire protection and defects to the electrical installation.
However, following up on information that the property had been reoccupied, the council executed a warrant in September and found several migrant workers living in the property. Wong, who did not attend court but pleaded guilty by letter, was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £838.90 costs.
Councillor Robert Hardwick, deputy leader for development and regeneration, said: “The law relating to unacceptable housing conditions is there to protect people. In this case a serious risk was identified by council officers and a prohibition order was put in place on the property. Due to the diligence of officers they identified a breach of this order and acted with speed and professionalism.
“Residents of East Staffordshire should expect to be protected against such housing conditions and this is an example of positive action doing exactly that.”
• A tenant has been given a two week suspended sentence for persistently upsetting his neighbours by making too much noise.
Neville Ingleton of 32 Rathcoole Avenue, London, N8, was given the suspended sentence after breaching a six month injunction issued by Clerkenwell & Shoreditch County Court in January this year.
After sentencing him, the Judge told Ingleton that it was only due to his ill health that he did not impose an immediate custodial sentence.
The Haringey Council tenant was living in a house converted into two flats. The court heard that he had been causing noise nuisance deliberately despite the injunction which had been issued after investigations by Haringey's Anti-Social Behaviour Action Team and the Noise Team following complaints of noise.
In April Haringey Council's noise team then witnessed a breach of the injunction and issued a letter warning of impending enforcement action.
The injunction and its breach has been supported by joint working between the Anti Social Behaviour Action Team , Homes for Haringey and the Enforcement Response out of hours team who were represented at the hearing.
