Tenants should be held accountable for criminal damage

Tenants should be held accountable for criminal damage

11:22 AM, 24th April 2018, About 6 years ago 9

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I have a lovely video I received from my letting agent today which would go well towards the argument that tenants should be held accountable for criminal damage to properties.

The house was taken back after being abandoned and the tenant must have left their dog unattended as its covered in dog feces. Whilst in one corner we have the government and its continued landlord bashing, (tenants have many votes and landlords few) and in the other corner Jeremy Corbyn – the less said the better.

Landlords simply have nowhere to turn.

I would love to know any MPs or Councillors look into these matters, as the current media and politicians seem to over look such behaviour, because as one policeman pointed out to me “your a landlord you can afford to deal with this sort of thing”.

Any comments would be welcome.

Philip


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Comments

TheMaluka

12:28 PM, 24th April 2018, About 6 years ago

I agree but the police will not prosecute. The very first page of the Criminal Damage Act defines Criminal Damage and there is no doubt that tenant damage comes under that category. There is an excellent thread on this subject https://www.property118.com/judge-to-look-into-why-tenants-are-not-prosecuted-for-criminal-damage/

loretta wight

19:46 PM, 24th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by David Price at 24/04/2018 - 12:28
you are right David . It is defined as a criminal act. The police tried in my case not to prosecute so i took it to the complaints dept, who admitted that it was criminal. But they would not prosecute for everything, even in the end the tenant admitted it. They charge him with the broken windows as we couldn't get into the flat. Once in, yet again they refused claiming heritable, yet again I complained , the chief came round and then added a broken cooker to the charge. Although there was damage to doors, kitchen units (sitting in the middle of the floor. He said it is because of statistics..no boxes to tick. I think he looked up my profile so he knew I was aware of this law. Keep fighting the police. The councillors, MSPs etc avoided my letters but I wrote anyway and told them they should all be ashamed of themselves as children and residents had to suffer 9 months of his terrible behaviour . Now they live with their close full of holes in walls and broken windows(by another tenant who was removed by the police and ordered by the court not to return.). Other landlords are refusing to pay for the repairs, but it is not the residents fault. He eventually got another temp flat as policy in Scotland to have a roof. I also billed queen Nickie for the cost of repairs to the flat....still waiting.

11:21 AM, 25th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Yet the police will charge someone with criminal damage for writing their name on a cell wall! That's a serious crime deserving being taken to court yet smashing up a whole house is ok?

Thomas Whitfield

11:34 AM, 25th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Maybe we should have our own youtube channel!

DC

11:37 AM, 25th April 2018, About 6 years ago

You require evidence that a specific person has caused the damage i.e. a video of that person causing the damage or an independent witness confirming as such. Without this and if a suspect is arrested and questioned but does not admit causing the damage, no further action will be taken.
Without an admission or irrefutable evidence the Crown Prosecution Service will not prosecute, hence why the police will not get involved.
If you have both elements to further the matter and the police still refuse to deal with the matter then you probably have grounds to complain that an individual or the police in general are neglecting their duty to deal with it.

TheMaluka

12:04 PM, 25th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by DC at 25/04/2018 - 11:37
The police will not take any action full stop. Even when we have video evidence they still will not take any action, I have a case in hand at the moment with a full facial view of the culprit.
It's not all bad news the police did arrest one of my employees for the heinous crime of collecting the rent.

Rob Thomas

10:32 AM, 30th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Hi David

I'm curious to know on what grounds your employee was arrested for collecting the rent?

I once had a tenant who stole an internal door. He admitted it to me, so I went to the police and they couldn't have sounded less interested even though I gave them his name (although not his forwarding address). Apparently landlords no longer deserve the protection of the criminal law.

TheMaluka

15:33 PM, 30th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by Rob Thomas at 30/04/2018 - 10:32
Harassment, Extortion, Blackmail, Embezzlement. His real 'crime' was to call on a Friday evening to collect a £10 top up. None of the accusations stuck as there was no evidence whatsoever. One of the police accusations was that he had written threatening letters. He is dyslexic and can barely sign his name, writing a letter is impossible for him. The copper concerned was immediately transferred out of the area.
As to tenants and criminal damage I agree that landlords no longer have the support of the law moreover I was threatened with being prosecuted for wasting police time if I dared to report any more crime. Everyone hates landlords.

Rob Thomas

18:40 PM, 30th April 2018, About 6 years ago

Reply to the comment left by David Price at 30/04/2018 - 15:33
It's outrageous that you were threatened with wasting police time. Our taxes pay for them.

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