It's on the way - Philip James court summons No2

Whilst waiting patiently for their ridiculous "counterclaim" alleging stalking, harassment, defamation and threatening ex tenants with prison and torture (not really torture) but the wrath of hellfire etc, they must have thought they had got away with perjury.


This disgusting petty firm stole money from my deposit, despite assuring a Judge they would refund it, are probably feeling pretty smug with themselves.


Well they will be delighted to know they will shortly be served with summons No2. Yes, they will be back in court explaining to the Judge why they promised to refund my deposit, and then swiftly stole part of it.
They always object to my use of the word "stole" or "stolen" in my claims against them. For their benefit, here is the dictionary definition:

steal verb, stole, sto·len, steal·ing, noun

verb (used with object)

1.

to take (the property of another or others) without permission or right, especially secretly or by force.

This is exactly what Philip James have done. They have stolen part of my deposit, they have been deceitful in their actions. They expressly told a Judge they would return it to me, without mention of stealing any part of it (perjury) see below for the dictionary definition:

per·ju·ry

the willful giving of false testimony under oath or affirmation, before a competent tribunal, upon a point material to a legal inquiry.

They have no shame, their greedy staff probably sit there on a daily basis scheming how they can earn an extra quid or two stealing from their tenants and landlords. The most vulnerable will be students, who for various reasons give up the fight to get their money back in full from these penny pinching, smug, arrogant con artists. 

You should NEVER EVER give up. If someone sneaked into your room and stole from you, you would want the thief caught and humiliated. You would want your money back from them. DO NOT ever let these people steal from you.

Miss-Fortune(Nesbitt) and Danielle Beswick are probably sat there right now checking their salaries and commission.

Help!!

I just found out today that I've had £205 stolen from my deposit by Philip James and am looking for help for appealing against this. I left my flat in exactly the same condition as when I moved in, and this is the first I've heard from anyone about any deductions being made. I feel so helpless that I've never had the opportunity to dispute this. How do I go about appealing? £205 is a lot of money to me. I'm willing to help you guys bring these criminals down in any way possible.
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Reply: OK- No panic - firstly, send us a contact, either an e mail address or a mobile No: You can send it again as a comment and it will not be published.

Jailed letting agent case highlights lack of controls in industry

A letting agent has been jailed for two years after stealing £140,000. The 43 victims included people who were his friends.

Robert Stagg pocketed rents and deposits paid by tenants which should have been handed over to landlords.

He had earlier been spared jail after promising to start paying the money back. But he had failed to do so and has now been sent to prison.

The case highlights the fundamental lack of controls on letting agents, which allows them to handle client money without having to ring-fence the amounts in separate accounts or to have client money protection insurance. There is also nothing to stop Stagg re-entering the lettings industry and, should he do so, he would not have to sign up to an ombudsman scheme.

Shock as agent tells Ombudsman to get lost

Tuesday 2nd August 2011

In what can only be described as a V-sign to the Ombudsman, the estate and letting agent kicked out of the scheme has told it to go f*** itself.

He has also told local agents worried about his ‘overnight success’ to go to the Samaritans for counselling.

Yesterday, on LAT’s sister site EAT, we reported that wli.uk.com agent had been expelled from the Ombudsman scheme because of convictions for fraud.

Amerjit Singh Dhuga, the owner of wli.uk.com which has sales and lettings offices in the Midlands, was fined £3,120 with £3,417 costs for 26 offences.

As reported, although Dhuga has been expelled from voluntary membership, the law as it stands means – that unless the OFT bans him – he must continue with the basic TPO membership.

As such, he can continue to trade, deal with the public, and cock a snook at both TPO and other agents.

Another agent pleads guilty to withholding rents and deposits

Thursday 8th September 2011

A lettings agent pleaded guilty to withholding thousands of pounds in deposits and rent from tenants and landlords.

Zulfiqar Hussain, 43, who traded as Charles Lawson Lettings, pleaded guilty to eight charges at Oxford Crown Court yesterday for offences committed between December 2007 and October 2009.

He admitted seven counts of engaging in unfair commercial practice and one count of transferring criminal property.

The seven charges relate to not returning deposits to tenants or not passing on rent to landlords.

Oxfordshire trading standards, which brought the case to court, initially said Hussain had transferred £157,000 of illegally obtained money out of the business. But the figure was amended to “not less than £33,000” after both sides disagreed about the true amount.

Hussain said his business had hit difficulty in 2007 and he had used the deposits and rent money to keep it afloat. Prosecutor Nigel Lickley said the county council disputed the claim and believed the money had gone missing.

The sentencing judge will be asked to decide the issue. Sentencing is due to take place later this month.

Oxfordshire trading standards officer Ian Marriott warned that he did not think the case was a on-off.

He said: “I do not think this is exceptional.

“There is a large amount of rented property in Oxford, particularly for students, and it is difficult for people to go on recommendations because of the high turnover of students.

“That gives an environment where something like this could carry on for quite some time.

“Letting agencies handle an awful lot of money and the cashflow is enormous.”

In the long-running case, the premises of Charles Lawson (Lettings) and another agent were raided by police and trading standards in November 2009.

As well as Hussain, two other letting agents are awaiting sentencing in unrelated cases.

Shelter accuses local councils of turning blind eye to bad landlords

Tuesday 13th September 2011

New research published by Shelter today reveals that rogue landlords are operating unchecked across the country, even after they have been reported to local authorities.

The report shows that local councils are dragging their feet when it comes to enforcement action.

The housing and homelessness charity used Freedom of Information procedures to ask every local authority in England 12 key questions about the scale of problems with rogue landlords and what each council is doing about it.

Out of 326 local authorities, all but four replied.

The results show that there are 1,477 landlords known to local authorities who are said to be repeatedly making tenants’ lives a misery.

Of particular worry, the responses show that complaints about serious and potentially life-threatening hazards, including dangerous gas and electrics, have risen by 25% over the past two years.

The research also shows that overall complaints to local authorities about private landlords have increased, taking them to 86,628 in the last year.

Yet despite the sharp increase in problems, just 270 successful prosecutions have been brought by local authorities against landlords during the same period.

Shelter is warning that unless councils urgently crack down on this small but highly dangerous minority, more tenants will be at risk.

Campbell Robb, Shelter’s chief executive, said: “The reality is that rogue landlords are out there and they’re getting away with it.
“Every day at Shelter we see the devastating impact rogue landlords have on people’s lives as they remain trapped in homes that cause misery and, in some cases, put lives at risk.

“What’s more, we believe there could be thousands more tenants who are suffering in silence, holding back from complaining out of fear of the consequences or because they don’t feel their voices will be heard.

“Local authorities have the powers to tackle rogue landlords but too many aren’t making the most of their armoury.

“They must follow the lead of those councils taking a zero tolerance approach to rogue landlords, and support tenants who are suffering by cracking down on the worst offenders in their area.”

Citizens Advice chief executive Gillian Guy said the Shelter report was deeply concerning. She said: “Good landlords respond effectively to reasonable requests from tenants around repairs, maintenance and health and safety issues.

“However, we still see tenants threatened with eviction from rogue landlords if they complain. We have long campaigned on this issue.

“Tenants need protection from retaliatory eviction and other forms of harassment. This timely report from Shelter shows that the problem has not gone away.”

As part of its Evict Rogue Landlords campaign, Shelter has set up Rogue Landlord Watch, an interactive map to help people avoid falling victim to rogue operators in their local area.

TDS publishes new guidance notes on disputes

Thursday 15th September 2011

The Tenancy Deposit Scheme has published a new set of case studies on its site, illustrating how adjudicators approach a deposit dispute when landlords and tenants cannot reach an amicable agreement between themselves.

It is part of a continuing campaign by the TDS to make deposit resolution open and easy to understand.

This latest set of examples cover redecoration problems at the end of a tenancy, where the tenant had done a better decorating job than the landlord.

Guidance notes deal with issues of ‘betterment’ and replacement costs, and also wear and tear.

The publication of these guidance notes and case histories follows consultation with the Members’ Forum of the TDS as well as incorporating the views sought from consumer organisations such as the National Union of Students, Citizens Advice and Shelter.

TDS chief executive Steve Harriott said: “Although disputes cannot always be avoided, by publishing the experience we have gained, we can help landlords and tenants and their letting agents to find an amicable solution without going through the process of Alternative Dispute Resolution.”

The full case studies and guidance notes can be found on www.tds.gb.com in both the Landlords and Tenants sections.

Manchester estate agent in prison after terrorist plot to kill British soldiers

Monday 12th September 2011

An estate agent is starting a six-year jail sentence after being found guilty for his part in a terrorist recruitment ring.

Matthew Newton, a white British citizen, took part in a plot to recruit young men to ‘fight, kill and die’ in Afghanistan, where their intended victims were to be British servicemen.

Newton, 29, was the son of a born-again Christian mother who became interested in Islam about five years ago when he started working for an estate agent in Manchester. He then converted and took the Islamic name Hamza.

Shortly after this, he met former Taliban fighter Munir Farooqi, a Pakistani-born British citizen, who had already been jailed for being an active terrorist in Pakistan. On release, he headed back to Britain, recruiting the estate agent plus local gang members to his cause.

The plot was revealed when two undercover anti-terrorism officers infiltrated the group. They spent a year pretending to be radicalised by it.

Relatives recalled how Newton changed from being a quiet, easy-going child, growing up into a hate-filled religious extremist.

At the trial, he was described as deeply anti-Semitic. He was convicted of preparing for acts of terrorism and two counts of dissemination of terrorist publications.

Although he was described by Mr Justice Richard Henriques as a ‘significant’ member of Farooqi’s team, the judge said that Newton told one of the undercover investigators he might not follow through with a plan to go to Afghanistan.

During the terrorism trial, Newton was out on bail and continued to work, this time on a perfume stall at Longsight market in Manchester – ironically, the same market where the plotters ran an Islamic bookstall to spread the word of Islam. In breaks in court proceedings, reporters noted that Newton always appeared friendly and jovial.

Estate agent faces jail after masterminding property scam

Wednesday 14th September 2011

An estate agent who was an undischarged bankrupt is awaiting sentencing after masterminding a property scam worth over £1m.

One of his accomplices was a mortgage adviser.

Both Raymond Abramson, 68, and Mark Jopson, 52, who ran Mark Jopson Financial Services, admitted conning investors into buying 21 homes in Lancashire.

The values of the properties being sold were inflated on the promises of guaranteed tenancies, rental income and refurbishments that didn’t materialise.

The investors were from Ireland, with the frauds taking place between January 2005 and September 2008.

The two men, together with a third accomplice, John Edwards, 43, were originally charged in October 2009 after an investigation by Greater Manchester Police’s fraud unit, and had been due to face a lengthy trial but changed their pleas at the last moment.

Prosecutor Andrew Nuttall QC told Manchester Crown Court how investors from Ireland were tempted with the promise of purchasing properties with guaranteed rental income. The offences related to 21 properties out of 31 on the defendants’ books.

Abramson masterminded the scam, using the pseudonym Trevor Smith so that he could prevent investors from finding out that he was trading illegally as a bankrupt. He recruited Jopson to arrange the mortgages, bringing in Edwards to help.

The three men all admitted conspiracy to defraud, and are due to be sentenced on November 28.

Medical reports will be sought for Abramson, who is said to have a number of medical difficulties, and a psychiatric report will be compiled on Edwards.

The defendants will also face Proceeds of Crime Act hearings following their sentencing.

Jeffrey Samuels QC, defending Abramson, said it was understood by the defendants that they were at risk of receiving custodial sentences.

Considering a rental from Philip James Lettings Didsbury?? BEWARE!!

Considering a rental from Philip James Lettings Didsbury?? BEWARE!!

You should always choose your letting agent with care. My experience with this company has been horrendous. Trying to extort money for "admin" (£150) this was to ring someone to clean a cupboard, although they haven't replied to my letter.


The staff in Didsbury - namely Danielle Beswick and her angry sidekick Nadia Fortune appear to be in control of the illegal withholding of deposits.

This story will continue until they repay my stolen money.

There is  much more to come and leaflets are being prepared as a handout at their offices and through the doors of their available properties. In the meantime, choose you rental with great care.


Students in Manchester are particularly vulnerable to poor practice. If you have had a similar experience with this firm please post comments or contact me.

Here is some advice from shelter:

What if there is a dispute about getting my deposit back?
Your landlord or agent is only entitled to keep all or part of your deposit if they can show that they have lost out financially because of your actions, for example, if you have caused damage to the property or you owe rent. Ask your landlord or agent for a breakdown of the specific costs that they are taking out of your deposit. Your landlord or agent cannot keep your deposit to cover putting right normal wear and tear. There are rules on what costs can be deducted from your deposit.
if you cannot agree, the dispute will usually go to the county court.

How to get your deposit back - WITHOUT proof of bills

Miss-Fortune and Danielle Beswick from Philip James will try to insist you provide proof you have paid all your bills (probably a delaying tactic) to hold on to your cash. However you should !! Click Here !! to down load the full booklet from the TDS who hold their deposits. In particular, section 8 deals with this issue.

Recession?? What recession at THE PHILIP JAMES PARTNERSHIP LIMITED

Company Information The status of THE PHILIP JAMES PARTNERSHIP LIMITED recorded at Companies house is: Active THE PHILIP JAMES PARTNERSHIP LIMITED was first registered at Companies House on 20/05/1998 as a "Private Limited with share capital" company, registration number 03567803. On the last annual return they registered as SIC classification code 70310, stating that the main activity of the company was "Real estate agencies". The company last filed accounts on 16/03/2011 of type "TotalExemptionSmall".
Registered office address C/O FERGUS & FERGUS, 24 OSWALD ROAD CHORLTON CUM HARDY M21 9LP (Find all company directors at M21 9LP )	Telephone Number 01612560808
Directors Mr Philip Anthony Nolan ACA
DIRECTOR: NOLAN, PHILIP ANTHONY MR Appointed: 04/05/2001 Date of Birth: 21/01/1967 Nationality: IRISH No. of Appointments: 10 Address: 30 HAZELBROOK ROAD TERENURE DUBLIN 6W IRELAND IRISH Country/State of Residence: IRELAND SECRETARY: BIDDLE, ELIZABETH JANE Appointed: 16/01/2006 Nationality: BRITISH No. of Appointments: 2 Address: 15 CHASELEY ROAD SALFORD LANCASHIRE M6 7DZ
The below financials figures are extracted from accounts filed on 16/03/2011 at Companies House  and digitised by ukdata.com . Cash at Bank From the most recent set of accounts filed by THE PHILIP JAMES PARTNERSHIP LIMITED their cash at bank in 2010 was: £1,762,989