A Bradford landlord has been fined £2,500 for failing to repair one of his buy to let investment properties that had a leaking roof.
Bradford landlord, Mohammed Majeen Khan, failed to comply with a notice from Bradford Council ordering him to improve the property he owned.
Tenants of the Great Horton property, a family of six, had complained to the Council after Khan had failed to replace damage to the building’s roof, leading to water leaking in and damp spreading.
When Bradford Council officers visited on June 26 2018 they found a number of issues with the property in addition to the leaking roof. These included the absence of a working fire alarm system, the absence of any linked smoke detectors, and an inadequate number of working electrical sockets.
There were also other issues, including cupboards missing doors and the property was found to be a generally poor state.
The Bradford landlord failed to respond to a number of requests through to late October. He was given a two-week extension, to November 13, to carry out the work, but when the Council inspected in late November the works had still not been done. Another inspection in March found no work had been completed.
Further to the latest visit a prosecution of the Bradford landlord was brought by the council.
Khan, of Aireville Road, was not at court – Magistrates were told that he had phoned the court earlier in the morning to say that although he wanted his day in court, he woke up that morning to find he was not able to move his foot.
However, council prosecutor Harjit Ryatt pointed out that Khan had made similar last-minute calls before important meetings in the past.
He said: ‘Historically when asked to attend police interviews things have followed the same pattern – half an hour before the interview he’ll phone up to say he’s at a hospital appointment or has fallen ill. That is his modus operandi.’
Hearing this, magistrates agreed to go ahead with the case in his absence.
Bradford and Keighley Magistrates Court found Mr Khan guilty in his absence. Along with costs – the Bradford landlord will have to pay a total of £3,490.
Source: Residential Landlord