Telford landlord fined over false tenancies to dodge Council Tax
A director of a Telford lettings agency has been fined for creating false tenancies to avoid paying council tax on empty properties.
Satinderjit Singh Thiara of Jackfield appeared before the Magistrates’ Court sitting at Telford Justice Centre yesterday where he pleaded guilty to three counts of submitting false tenancy agreements contrary to the Fraud Act 2006.
The court was told in July 2018 Mr. Singh, one of the owners of First 4 Let (Telford) Ltd produced two false tenancy documents for a property in Burtondale, Brookside; one for a tenant who had left, the other for someone who didn’t exist.
He also submitted a 12 month tenancy agreement for a property in Dallamoor, Hollinswood in the name of a couple after they had left following the end of their tenancy.
By creating the false tenancy agreements, Mr. Singh made the people who were illegally named in the documents liable for council tax that he should have paid. The court heard Mr. Singh’s actions caused distress to individuals who he tried to make liable for his debts
He was fined £1,000, ordered to pay £2,183 costs and a £100 victim surcharge.
Cllr Richard Overton, Telford & Wrekin Council’s Cabinet Member for Enforcement, said: “Council tax evasion is very serious. I commend our Investigation Team within our Audit and Governance department for their hard work and diligence in bringing this case to court. Let this be a warning to anyone else thinking of doing it in the future.”
