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News from the Residential Property Investor, the bi-monthly magazine for RLA members

other artilces from the October / November 2000 issue

In brief - October / November 2000

A landlord has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his tenant. Mohamed Ismail 22, had killed his live-in tenant, Mohamed Ibrahim in an apparently 'motiveless attack'. Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court heard how Ismail, who had pleaded not guilty, struck his victim 37 times with a hammer, leaving him in a pool of blood in the London flat they shared. Mahamud Ibrahim's body was found six days later by which time Ismail had fled. He was found by police a week later living in a hostel under a false name.

Claiming to be only the agent of the property owner, a Chingford man has lost his appeal against a £14,000 fine for disturbing the Sunday morning peace of his tenant by sending in a demolition team. Saeed Khaliq and his tenant Tony McAdam had been locked in a row over rent, although McAdam claimed the trouble was really over Khaliq's wish to convert his two-bedroom flat into four one-bed apartments. The demolition work had had the effect of evicting him unlawfully. Bow County Court agreed that Khaliq was responsible for making him homeless and should pay damages.

Failure to ensure that his tenants had hot water has cost a landlord from Grimsby a fine of £400. Gary Short pleaded guilty to being in breach of the Environmental Protection Act. It had been alleged that he had ignored notices to have the necessary work done.

Two former tenants have been cleared by Ipswich Crown Court of beating a landlord who claimed they owed him money.

John Keats had gone to the home of his former tenants Romesh Navaratnam and Katrina Morris to confront them over rent he said was owed. The couple had lived with him for five months and had, he said, agreed to pay rent of £70 a week, although there was no formal written agreement. During the five months the couple had paid only £300 but claimed Keats owed them £500 for a car.

They did not deny a fight had broken out but said Keats had been the aggressor and had grabbed Navaratnam by the throat, who had reacted in self defence.

other artilces from the October / November 2000 issue