Letting Agent not protected tenants deposits (M&W Lettings)

[GroanUP]

I see. I've written to my MP about this specific matter and the question of the regulation of letting agents generally and I will first await that response. I'm also going to press mydeposit as they seem to have accepted a deposit from a company that doesn't exist.

[agencynightmare]

What we have here is:

 

M&W Sales and Lettings - OC385074 - Limited Liability Partnership

M&W Property Consultants Ltd - Ltd Co, 08522837

M&W Property Consultants (St Leonards) Ltd - Ltd Co 09082292 - Interestingly, this one is JC only as Director and Secretary.

 

MyDeposits Certificate lists M & W Residential Lettings - this does not seem to exist, and no Ltd at the end of it. So where does that leave people with monies insured by My Desposits?

 

Further more, Terms of Business simply state the business name as M&W throughout the agreement. That doesn't exist in it's own enitity.

 

Anyone with any thoughts specifically around the deposits and terms of business?

[GroanUP]

Its a complete mess. I cannot see that the terms and conditions can have any validity, even if they were signed. I do not understand how my deposits registered a deposit in the name of something which has no legal identity. If the industry was properly regulated this would be far less likely to happen.

[agencynightmare]

What we have here is:

 

M&W Sales and Lettings - OC385074 - Limited Liability Partnership

M&W Property Consultants Ltd - Ltd Co, 08522837

M&W Property Consultants (St Leonards) Ltd - Ltd Co 09082292 - Interestingly, this one is JC only as Director and Secretary.

 

MyDeposits Certificate lists M & W Residential Lettings - this does not seem to exist, and no Ltd at the end of it. So where does that leave people with monies insured by My Desposits?

 

Further more, Terms of Business simply state the business name as M&W throughout the agreement. That doesn't exist in it's own enitity.

 

Anyone with any thoughts specifically around the deposits and terms of business?

 

BTW, their VAT registration is attached to:

 

M&W Property Consultants Ltd - Ltd Co, 08522837

 

So if anyone has any invoices from them, worth checking which company of theirs it is from.

[Davidgb]

I am not very surprised to find issues with M&W.

 

 

 

 

 

M&W Lettings was previously Solutions for Men and Women, that's where the M&W came from, another of her failed businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

She has just been to court for £30k worth of benefit fraud in Maidstone to which she pleaded guilty and got a nine month sentence suspended for 18 months and 200 hours community service.

 

 

People are finally coming out of the woodwork and Action Fraud are looking into her, they are after as much info as possible so please call, its anonymous, 0300 1232040 and the ref number is 140 800 729 141

 

 

I have come across several other disgruntled landlords, she will continue to get away with this as long as no one takes action.

 

 

 

 

 

The Courior are also looking into her, with a possible story this Friday.

 

 

Good luck to all of you and please do whatever you can to assist those that can finally bring her to task for all she has done.

Edited August 30, 2014 by ims21

[agencynightmare]

WOW! I knew some of this stuff.

 

Are you a landlord?

 

I am not very surprised to find issues with M&W.

 

 

 

 

 

M&W Lettings was previously Solutions for Men and Women, that's where the M&W came from, another of her failed businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

She has just been to court for £30k worth of benefit fraud in Maidstone to which she pleaded guilty and got a nine month sentence suspended for 18 months and 200 hours community service.

 

 

People are finally coming out of the woodwork and Action Fraud are looking into her, they are after as much info as possible so please call, its anonymous, 0300 1232040 and the ref number is 140 800 729 141

 

 

I have come across several other disgruntled landlords, she will continue to get away with this as long as no one takes action.

 

 

 

 

 

The Courior are also looking into her, with a possible story this Friday.

 

 

Good luck to all of you and please do whatever you can to assist those that can finally bring her to task for all she has done.

Edited August 30, 2014 by ims21

[agencynightmare]

Whilst I think everyone who has issues MUST contact Action Fraud, on the basis that they may act more quickly, I don't think this is going to help those of us who have large sums of money at risk. Any idea's of the best course of action to get some immediate attention on this? Come Friday, if there is a story in the press, she will run.

[agencynightmare]

Rumor was that they had split up, this was obviously to distance Jon from the outcome of her trial, and hence as mentioned above, setting up new company.

 

They were however, spotted together in the PW office one afternoon / evening over Bank Holiday.

Edited August 27, 2014 by Reluctant Landlord

[Davidgb]

no not a landlord, an enemy.

 

 

 

 

 

I just wrote out a reply and tried to post it but seem to have lost it!!!!!

 

 

They were seen together at M&W paddock wood then at her house

 

 

I would suggest small claims court asap and try and get a charge on her property, if there is enough of you, you may be able to force the sale of her house,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

No real assets to her name apart from her house.

 

 

They advertised her house on with H&H and then M&W and listed it as sold so as to try and throw people off the scent.

 

 

All you can do is try and warn prospective clients and make sure that she never does this again.

Edited August 30, 2014 by ims21

[Davidgb]

If you can get her convicted of fraud then you will increase your chances of getting your money back as once convicted you could argue that she used the proceeds of her fraudulent activities to fund her lifestyle and improvements to her principle asset, her house.

 

 

You would then have more of a case to get the house sold and the proceeds split between you, long process though.

[Davidgb]

Interestingly one of her friends was and possibly still is a guy called [EDIT] who was a tax advisor at the QED Partnership in Tunbridge Wells. [EDIT].

 

 

He folded up everything of his and left massive debts, £1m+ and basically showed two fingers up to everyone whilst his little girl carried on boarding at Kent College!

 

 

Bailiffs did their best to find him but don't really know what came of that, anyhow, he was LLP and he was advising Lucy on how to set everything up!

Edited August 28, 2014 by stu007

[Davidgb]

Thought it would have all gone up by now but probably waiting for her builder to do it with all the rubbish he has on it.

[agencynightmare]

Can I ask, if you are aware that a fraudster, is in process of defrauding a number of people, and that she has corporate documents sitting on a bonfire waiting to be lit, why you have not contacted Maidstone Police? You seem to have come on here wanting to help, but right now you are just ensuring a night of no sleep and us knowing incriminating documents are potentially waiting to be burnt. But for anyone else to call the police at this stage is pure heresay on an internet forum. Not likely to induce the police to do anything?

[agencynightmare]

I think, it light of what has come out today, anybody affected should:

 

1. Contact Action Fraud. I really don't know much about any of this, never dealt with anything like this before.

 

2. Contact Maidstone Police.

 

Would really appreciate some weigh in from forum regulars here who may have come across this before.

[agencynightmare]

no not a landlord, an enemy.

 

 

I can provide you with the details of the solicitor who won the first charge for the builder if you need it.

 

 

I just wrote out a reply and tried to post it but seem to have lost it!!!!!

 

 

They were seen together at M&W paddock wood then at her house removing files etc, a large bonfire in the back garden which will be lit shortly.

 

 

I would imagine that they are in the process of running from Paddock Wood. I would suggest small claims court asap and try and get a charge on her property, if there is enough of you, you may be able to force the sale of her house, wont really matter about the kids as they are looked after by daddy in expensive private school, boarding.

 

 

Your money is being used to finance the £50k extension on the side of her house.

 

 

I very much doubt that they will ever file accounts, or have ever paid corporation tax or VAT. I know someone who used to work for her and they say that she is not VAT reg, but they may have changed.

 

 

No real assets to her name apart from her house.

 

 

They advertised her house on with H&H and then M&W and listed it as sold so as to try and throw people off the scent.

 

 

All you can do is try and warn prospective clients and make sure that she never does this again.

 

 

I am trying to verify this but I have been told that J was done for fraud a while ago, also take into consideration that when L worked for an agent many years ago, the deposits all went missing and she was blamed, her ex got her off that one, but I doubt that he will stick up for her now, not after his firm had to sue her, he is [removed].

 

 

 

Would be interested to know:

 

Solicitor who won the first charge on her house.

 

When were LS and JC seen at office and then her house?

 

Do you know who the Builder of her extension is?

 

With regards to her house being marketed and then listed as sold, do you have links to the adverts? How could we find listings?

Edited August 30, 2014 by ims21

[Davidgb]

Ian [edited] for and on behalf of Berry & Berry LLP

Berry & Berry Solicitors

Tunbridge Wells - Tonbridge - Maidstone - Sevenoaks - Paddock Wood - Kings Hill

I have had one of my posts edited by the mods, too much personal information by the looks of it, apologies for that.

They were busy over the weekend, Jon stayed over.

I have not contacted the police on this matter, she has not committed an act of fraud against me, only you guys and you have all the evidence you need, you have copies of all that she sent you, you should take screen shots of her website showing your properties etc etc.

She did try and commit fraud against me but it was spotted on the first letter and quashed over the coming months and as nothing ever came of it she has a good defence so not worth taking further, waste of police time, but given the number of you now and the documentary evidence you have, get together and go to the police.

I have informed all of the relevant bodies with regards her other actions, we think that we are one of the reasons that the benefit fraud case came about, the timings fit to filling out the online report forms.

 

Jon lives in St Leonards in a flat, think its up for sale on his site or shown as sold, for an ex trader he didn't exactly do very well!

If she does get out the swan vestas then it doesn't really matter as I very much doubt that she would have ever produced anything willingly and the bank will have records of everything in and out, assuming you all paid her by cheque or electronic transfer so the paper trail is there. Bet that there are more than one bank account anyhow, be interested to see you all compare notes.

I don't know the builder but I know of him, He's called Tony, I know where he used to live in Goudhurst but he sold that,.

 

To the mods, advice on posting the information the other people in this thread have asked for please, pm or open forum?

In addition, the police did absolutely nothing when we reported her for driving her Audi convertible with the plate [edited], the plate wasn't even registered to her and they did nothing apart from tell her to take it off and register the vehicle properly, I think she has her own drawer in the filing cabinet at Cranbrook police station!

She will be your best witness as she will incriminate herself at every turn.

good luck

Edited August 30, 2014 by ims21

[GroanUP]

The issue is that the system needs to be changed to prevent people with a conviction from being involved in businesses where they handle client money. The financial services industry is heavily regulated and the Financial Conduct Authority has to approve individuals working in the industry, including company directors as being 'fit and proper'. They also regulate the way businesses are run.

 

A person with a conviction for benefit fraud would be barred from the financial services industry probably for life. Similar standards should be applied to letting agents. A fraudster will always take advantage if the system allows them the opportunity so change the system. I have written to my local MP about my experiences in this case and perhaps other should do something similar. It might also be worth alerting the national press to the story.

[Kentsussex]

M&W LS is a nasty piece of work but seems you all know that, she has threatened a neighbour just to try to sell a house, her builder is also very suspect, makes neighbours lives a misery and doesn't give a damn about anyone but himself, sounds like this is the same builder doing her extension, TB, him and his wife are also known to Police in Goudhurst/Cranbrook area, and his latest property, gutting a lovely cottage and turning it into a modern eyesore is for sale in Goudhurst thru M&W, they clearly compliment each other.

Edited August 28, 2014 by honeybee13

[bentilley]

My guess is that Jon has set up the M&W arm in St Leonards so as to distance himself from the M&W that is about to go down the pan.

 

I can't see that working if that is why they've done it - Jon is still a director, company secretary and equal shareholder in M&W property consultants ltd, and a designated partner in the LLP.

[Davidgb]

I see where you're coming from, but I think the split may have been orchestrated to remove her from the companies prior to her court case for benefit fraud, either way the other one is a LLP so even less regulation and easier to walk away from and he would try and get away from the paddock wood one when it goes and say it had nothing to do with the St Leonards one, either way I would say that the paddock wood one will go into liquidation soon.

 

Hopefully you will all be able to combine your complaints and the police will finally act. I am intrigued by the VAT, is she actually registered?

 

As she pleaded guilty to the benefit fraud at Maidstone crown court, does anyone know how we can find out if she paid it back?

[raydetinu]

Quite a saga.

Just shows you cant trust anyone, well agents anyway! you have to check and check again before handing any money over.

Good luck everyone; they need to be stopped before anymore are duped!

Hope someone has informed the Landlordzone site. Many interested parties there I bet.

[Davidgb]

Just thinking, I've had a company go bust on me for VAT irregularities, basically they ran up a VAT bill of £120k and then shut down, I have been arguing with the VAT man and the police that it's fraud as the money must have gone somewhere! As it was the company I can't go after the individual, unless it can be proven that they committed an act of fraud.

 

So, if you all go to the police, my understanding of the situation would be that you could then go after the individuals and go after personal assets. I know it's a long game but at least you would have more chance of getting your money back. From the sounds I it you all have documentation in your possession that proves a fraud was committed.

 

Now if this goes to court and taking into consideration that she is currently serving a suspended sentence over the next 18 months, she would be removed from society where she cannot rip anyone off again.

 

Thankfully a forum like this exists for you to discuss what's going on and to find others in the same boat, good luck

[Javert]

she definitely has at least one active VAT registration I think on M&W Property Consultants (if someone would like to confirm) VAT number GB161513731. Not sure what this means if she is trading in other names though? thought anyone..!!

 

I've seen one or two detailed explanations of what she has done to people but would be good to collate them all together for anyone who is reading this and I can see that there are more than 15 non registered members looking at it so please feel free to get involved and register to post your comments too.

 

There are so many people hopefully looking at this now that someone surely must fully investigate this and all the other "issues" involved here.

 

According to an earlier post I read here someone is suggesting that there might have been other historical court cases so if anyone is familiar with this it would be good to get the details recorded also as it will surely provide additional impetus to get action taken.

 

The old adage no smoke without fire and it would appear the smoke is getting thicker by the day

[agencynightmare]

If you ask for a refund and have paid VAT, should you get the VAT element back?

[raydetinu]

Correct any monies returned must be the full price you paid including the VAT element ( it is up to them to claim it back if they have actually paid it to HMRC ).

Faulty goods for instance, you would not accept 20% less than what you actually paid and they would not of actually paid the vat amount to HMRC anyway!