Liverpool City Council – The sorry saga continues

Liverpool City Council – The sorry saga continues

9:38 AM, 30th March 2017, About 7 years ago 8

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The saga of Liverpool Landlord licensing continues unabated. This Council have been taken to the First tier Tribunal because it has now come to light that Liverpool have been operating a two tier application process, unheard of by any other local authority.

In essence LCC have issued Draft copy licences to some landlords which are true copies of the actual licences with start dates, while other Landlords have received undated copies which are not copies at all. I will not bore readers unfamiliar with the HA 2004, and the repercussions of undated drafts at this juncture.

The bottom line is that the authority in their pleadings to the Tribunal, firstly attempt to get the Tribunal to abdicate their responsibility and decline jurisdiction, thus letting the Council off the hook. The next point however is far more sinister. Liverpool City Council in their pleadings, state that not only does the HA not require a draft licence not to be a copy but that it should NOT contain a start date. This Despite Liverpool issuing licences to Landlords which have start dates. They are in fact arguing against themselves and seem well on the way to conning the Tribunal.

Perhaps the most shameful part of this sorry saga, is that s public official has been alerted to this shocking state of affairs, and rather than instituting an investigation, the Council have issued concerned landlords with letters attempting to silence them, Good Old Liverpool city Council. The authority have not only refused to answer the questions posed, but have stated that the questions have been answered, and that anyone who dares query this is a “vexatious complainant”.

This is the most appalling abuse of power by any standards, and off Course Good Old LCC are in the frame.

Don’t panic Readers. This is the same Council that was prosecuted and convicted in 2007 in the magistrates court for a criminal offence under the DPA. This is the same Council which again was excoriated by the ICO in May last year for their dodgy application forms for Landlord licensing, and readers this is the same council which drafted Landlord conditions in such a way that Landlords adhering to their Sect 21 condition would break the law with respect to the Deregulation act.

Still silence from a public official who rather than order an investigation, hides behind their internal whitewash “have your say procedure”.What a sorry state of affairs and what a wake up call with respect to devolving more powers to these useless bodies.

Larry


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Comments

Tobias Nightingale

9:47 AM, 30th March 2017, About 7 years ago

Given Liverpool council wanted biz ratesfor LL nothing suprises me. Also given their (i am pretty sure( HMO licencing application form is 40 or so pages!.

21:19 PM, 30th March 2017, About 7 years ago

So why have Liverpool been running two licensing schemes? Surprised they are not trying to charge us double for the privilege!

The arrogance of these people is beyond belief. When they are caught out ( e.g. as with the Section 21 fiasco ) they simply say they have amended the terms, no acceptance that they were completely wrong and potentially leaving landlords open to civil and legal action. They are parading successful prosecutions of people in the local press who had not applied for licences, but not a single prosecution for poor housing conditions - as ever going for the easy targets. Not applying for a licence is stupid, but keeping people in poor housing conditions is a crime - or should be. I still meet landlords who do not know there is a licensing scheme in place! I find it hard to believe myself - hopefully one of their attempts at prosecution will be fought and fought HARD. No doubt there are bad landlords in Liverpool, as there are bad councillors, bad council employees and bad bankers, but the bad landlords will not be the ones to get caught; just the badly informed ones.

Jenniefer Mulligan

23:18 PM, 30th March 2017, About 7 years ago

Liverpool council at it's best. Making landlords adhere to laws and rules, that seem not to apply to them. How can landlords be legal when the council is not!! What is worse is the public official is refusing to acknowledge or comment in any way, is he really that arrogant to think he and the council are not accountable..

Luke P

14:46 PM, 31st March 2017, About 7 years ago

They're all the same. I have North East Lincolnshire Council at First Tier Tribunal at the moment for lying to Information Commissioner and, without going into the detail, that lie proved another point of mine which they'd first tried to deny.

No apologies, no admission of wrongdoing. Just further attempts to muddy the waters.

Local authorities should hold their hands up and jobs (including all pension contributions) should be on the line, not fines which ultimately come out of the tax payers pockets!

david corless

16:16 PM, 31st March 2017, About 7 years ago

seems the more you pay the more ways the get to make you pay extras

Russell Thomas

18:19 PM, 31st March 2017, About 7 years ago

Larry, where did you get this information from?

Larry Sweeney

22:01 PM, 31st March 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Russell Thomas" at "31/03/2017 - 18:19":

Hi Russell,
I am the landlord who took Liverpool to Tribunal,
Once again Luke, You are absolutely correct, it would appear that these zealots are beyond accountability.

Russell Thomas

22:54 PM, 31st March 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Larry Sweeney" at "31/03/2017 - 22:01":

Respect!

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