Two estate agencies have been fined by magistrates after their local council were found to have put For Sale and To Rent boards on properties which they were not instructed to sell or rent.

Spelthorne Council, which includes Staines, took both companies one of which is a large multi-branch firm to court after what appears to have been a detailed investigation into multiple boards within its borders. These are Staines Seymore Ltd and The Frost Partnership (Berkshire) Ltd (main image).

Staines Seymour Ltd pleaded guilty to seven offences of breaching advertisement control by displaying estate agent boards on properties that were not for sale or rent, advertising not only charity events but also their business.

Mitigating circumstances

A co-owner of the company, Mrs D’Costa represented the firm and pled mitigating circumstances.
The court gave credit to her for appearing and therefore reduced the amount of fine to £295 per offence, rather than the usual penalty of £440. The court also awarded a victim surcharge of £826 and costs against them in the sum of £2,400. The total of £5,291 will need to be paid to the court by 1 October.

The Frost Partnership (Berkshire) Ltd, which has 15 branches across Berkshire, Buckingham,shire and beyond, did not attend court but the magistrates agreed to hear the case in their absence.

The company was found guilty of 14 offences of breaching advertisement control by displaying estate agent boards on properties that were not for sale or rent, advertising charity events and their own business.

As the company failed to attend the magistrates fined them £440 per offence, a victim surcharge of £,2464 and costs against them in the sum of £2,363. The total of £10,987will need to be paid to the court by 9 September.

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