Landlord fined nearly £1,000 for ignoring fly-tipping mess

A landlord has been fined £956 after neglecting to clear a pile of discarded fridges and other debris from a small garden at his rented property.

The issue came to light in September 2024 when council officers discovered the unsightly heap in the front garden of the landlord’s empty home.

Despite repeated attempts by the council to contact him through warning letters, Kenneth Goudie, from Waltham, Lincs, failed to respond.

That led to North East Lincolnshire council issuing a Section 215 Notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

This legal order mandates property owners to remove waste that causes a nuisance to the community, regardless of who dumped it.

A lesson for not dumping waste

The council’s portfolio holder for safer and stronger communities, Councillor Ron Shepherd, said: “This case is the perfect example of how we are a zero-tolerance council.

“Fly-tipping will not be tolerated in North East Lincolnshire.”

He added: “Whether you have dumped the waste or own the land it has been left on, you still have a responsibility.

“I hope this is a lesson to those who feel they can dump their waste anywhere.”

Empty homes attract fly tippers

Mr Goudie’s failure to act led to his prosecution and though he did not attend the court hearing, he was found guilty in absentia.

Grimsby Magistrates imposed a £440 fine, a £176 victim surcharge and £340 in legal costs, totalling £956.

The council eventually stepped in to remove the waste, and it said vacant properties like Mr Goudie’s are often magnets for vandalism, fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.