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Liverpool Students’
Landlords Fined
2 landlords who operated
students’ flats without licenses have been fined at Liverpool
Magistrates Court. Louis Silverbeck, aged 68, of 197 Queens
Drive Liverpool pleaded guilty to operating a House in Multiple
Occupation without a licence and was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay
the City Council £2,300 costs.
Following a complaint by one of the tenants, Enviromental Health
Officers visited a three storey house in Rutland Avenue in January.
They found that it was occupied by 6 students paying £277.33 each
per month rent and sharing a kitchen, lounge, bathroom and wc,
confirming that it was a House in Multiple Occupation that needed a
licence. A check on council records showed that it wasn’t licensed
and no application had been received.
District Judge Michael Abelson said that this was a serious matter
with a maximum fine of £20,000. He said that the licensing
requirement was there to enable the council to inspect properties
and ensure that rented accommodation was safe.
Anthony Mould, aged 48, of 19 Lindsworth Road. Kings Norton,
Birmingham pleaded guilty to operating a House in Multiple
Occupation and two offences relating to management breaches. He was
fined £750 for the licensing offence and £100 on each of the other 2
counts. He was ordered to pay the city council £2,000 towards costs.
The court was told that following a complaint from one of the
tenants, Enviromental Health Officers visited the 3-storey property
in Jubilee Drive in December. They found was occupied by 6 students
each paying £258 per month sharing a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and
wc, confirming that it was a House in Multiple Occupation that was
required to be licensed.
They also noted that the banister of the staircase to the basement,
where the electricity and gas meters were located, was loose and
insecure and that the basement ceiling and the staircase were in
poor condition with exposed floor joists throughout the basement
which did not offer the 30 minutes resistance required in the event
of a fire.
Checks revealed that the property did not have a licence and no
application had been received.
Mr Mould said in court that he originally bought the house for his
son who intended to go to Liverpool University but changed his mind
and went to Southampton instead. He had rented it out because he
could not sell it without incurring mortgage repayment penalties. He
said that he had no other properties and did not realise it needed a
licence.
Councillor Ann O’Byrne, cabinet member for housing said:-
“This city has a very high student population. Many are away from
home for the first time and are vulnerable to exploitation.
Statistics show that you are 16 times more likely to die in a fire
in a House in Multiple Occupation than you are in a single family
dwelling and our Environmental Health Officers are determined to
ensure that these young people are kept safe so that they can
further their education and experience our great city” |
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Shameful Benefit
Cuts ‘Demonize’ Society’s Most Vulnerable
WHILE the London
Paralympics was helping ‘inspire a generation’ with its
athletes’ skills and determination, the Coalition, according to the
Green Party, have been putting the
finishing touches to a scheme which could take 70% of benefits from
the sick, and people with disabilities.
A ‘specimen letter’ prepared by the Department for Work and
Pensions, and leaked to the media, contains threats to take £71 per
week away from some of society’s most vulnerable people, if they
refuse to take either jobs or, potentially, volunteer roles.
It’s a measure which the Green Party says represents more
demonization of the underprivileged by the Coalition.
Green Party London Assembly Member, Jenny Jones, comments:-
“Ironic that just as we've improved our credentials in how we think
of disabled people, the Government is dead set on making life harder
for them. We have seen that people can overcome the many obstacles
society puts in their path, but now new official barriers are being
erected. "
The DWP letter represents part of the Coalition’s welfare reforms.
It will be delivered to claimants of Employment Support Allowance
(ESA); a benefit worth a maximum of £99.15 per week; and explain
that from 3 December 2012, they can be fined £71 per week if they
refuse to take part in ‘work related activity’. At
present, the maximum ‘fine’ in place is £28.15.
ESA is a benefit paid to people who cannot work because of illness
or disability. It can be paid to people who are unable to work for
long or relatively short periods. But it is also paid on the
understanding that recipients will receive ‘encouragement’
to
take part in ‘work related activities’. These activities are
not limited to paid employment, but also include attending
interviews and thanks to a recent DWP law change, are set to include
an unlimited amount of volunteer work.
In a climate of rising prices and falling incomes, £99.15 per week
is already difficult enough to live on. The fines will potentially
leave people too sick, or with disabilities too severe, to accept
work, just £28.15 per week on which to survive.
The Green Party believes the measure attacks those who are already
struggling, demonizing the vulnerable rather than focusing attention
on high-end tax avoidance.
"The UK loses £1.5bn in benefit fraud each year, but an estimated
£70bn in tax avoidance. The wealthy should pay more tax; but at the
very least they must be made to pay the tax they owe us according to
current law." said the Green Party.
Further concerns have been raised regarding whether many of those
regarded as ‘fit to work’ are in fact able to do so.
The Private
firm ATOS, which was ironically a high-profile sponsor of the London
Paralympics, runs the tests on which a decision about ability to
work is made. "It has so far had 40% of its decisions overturned by independent
tribunals." a spokesman for the Green Party added.
So do you agree with this? Email us your views
and feelings related to this and any other of our reports to our
newsroom. |
