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.

I have now had to issue a County Court summons to try and get my deposit back. They keep relying on tiny clauses in the contract to delay repaying me any money.

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

The directors seem unwilling or unable to intervene.


This story will continue until we reach trial, or they repay my stolen money.

There is so much more and leaflets are being prepared with the full details. 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.

re-posted as this is the most viewed post with 163 viewings a month!  I also love the new photo showing what 2 students think of Philip James: PANTS!!

Guilty letting agent ordered to pay over £300,000 or go to jail

conned clients – many of whom were students

Tuesday 14th February 2012

A letting agent in one of the most notorious cases of recent times will have to pay over £300,000 after swindling tenants and landlords.

Zulfiqar Hussain, 44, operated Charles Lawson Lettings in Cowley Road, East Oxford, and conned clients – many of whom were students – out of thousands of pounds between 2007 and 2009.

He walked free from court after being given a nine-month jail term, suspended for two years, at Oxford Crown Court. However, if he does not repay his victims in full within six months, he could face three years in jail. He must also complete 40 hours of unpaid work.

In total, he was ordered to £309,303 – £8,167 in compensation, £51,136 costs and a further £250,000 under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

According to the local newspaper, the money is likely to be taken from the sale of Hussain’s £1.2m property portfolio.

Prosecuting on behalf of Oxfordshire Trading Standards, which had received 60 complaints, Robert Courts said Hussain failed to ring-fence tenants’ deposits, let properties without the authority of their owners and did not pass on rent.

He said the majority of victims were students who put down large deposits and paid administration fees, but found that the firm had gone out of business before they could move in.

Hussain also illegally took money out of the business for his own use. The initial charge put this amount at £157,000, but this figure was reduced to ‘not less than £33,000’ on the agreement of both the prosecution and defence.

Hussain last September admitted seven counts of engaging in an unfair commercial practice and one charge of money laundering.

Ecky Tiwana, defending, said his client was very remorseful. He had tried to expand too quickly and got into financial difficulty when the recession struck. He said it was agreed that Hussain had benefited by £250,000 through illegal practices.

Recorder Peter Lodder told Hussain: “You chose to use other people’s money. In my judgement that means these offences merit a custodial sentence. However, I accept you did not set out to behave in a fraudulent fashion and I think it’s significant that all who have lost out through what you did will be reimbursed.”

Hussain was director of two firms in Oxford, Charles Lawson which became Charles Lawson Lettings which was wound up in January 2010, and James C Penny which went into liquidation in 2010 owing £400,000.

It was the offices of Charles Lawson Lettings and James C Penny which were the subject of early morning raids by police and trading standards as the investigation got under way in November 2009.

 Other firms which are still operating are James C Penny (Lettings) and James C Penny (Estate Agents), which are NAEA members.

Penny & Sinclair has no connection with any of the above, and also continues to trade.

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.

Philip James Partnership - Court date at last

The hearing is set for the 14th July 2011 at the Manchester County Court. Our legal team are currently preparing the documents required to finally obtain the illegally held deposit. In the meanwhile watch this space.

Further proof of the deposit "con" arrived today

Yes folks. the claim by my friends at Philip James Partnership that they are relying on clause 3.12 before repaying my stolen money has taken a further knock today.

The postman brought me a copy of the utility bills that they claim I am withholding. The Gas and Electric company told me they had the originals delivered to their Didsbury office on the 3rd December.
The gas bill shows £91.97 in credit with the electricity £69.93 in credit.

So to clarify, when I signed up with this firm - they took £100 + vat application fee, a further £750.00 deposit and £3800 advance rental. A grand total of £4667.50. Later on they took another £67.00 as a renewal  charge in case I wished to stay any longer, making the total I have paid them to date £4734.50.

When they sent me a notice to quit (something legal) they have to do apparently, I got into a debate with Ms Beswick at the Didsbury branch.

She told me she would sue me for an additional 6 months rent as I had indicated I may wish to stay on. All I have time to tell you today is be afraid - very afraid when you choose your letting agent.

I wonder which clause they will use to avoid repaying the stolen deposit money now??

Below are comments from an internet forum, (Manchester confidential)  it seems they are not happy with the Deansgate office as well as Didsbury:

Stephen14616

03 September 2010, 15:18:44

Phillip James on Deansgate were awful - had been told we had an underground carparking space but I was waiting 6 months for the car park fob, in which time my passenger window got smashed in, I had a dirty and years old mattress for a month before they changed it. Shocking customer services from the staff - arguing and shouting back and never returning calls.

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09 September 2010, 13:44:51

Philip James Kennedy Partnership in Wilmslow/East Didsbury are absolutely terrible! They were rude from the start and messed us around with viewings - we put down a deposit for one flat, they assured us it would be taken off the market, then signed it to someone else! We took another flat with them because the flat itself was lovely, hoping it would be a short lived experience. The landlord herself came by and told us their property management was so poor that the previous tenants complained, and asked us to contact her instead for repairs. We then had trouble getting our deposit back, charged us £150 for not dusting the top of the wardrobe and dealt with the issue unprofessionally and incredibly slowly, refusing to speak to me in person and providing insufficient evidence for their claims. Overall, a terrible letting and property management agent and I would not recommend them to a friend or an enemy. Avoid at all costs