The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has announced that Gerry Fitzjohn, the Vice Chairman of the Board, will replace Chairman of TPO, Bill McClintock, on 1st January 2016.

McClintock, who has more than 50 years’ experience in estate agency, joined TPO as Chief Operating Officer in January 2003, has held the position of Chairman since January 2014. He will now continue as a Director of The Guild of Professional Estate Agents and Fine & Country, as well as continuing with interests outside work including his role as Church Warden at St John’s, Lockerley, which he has now carried out for 24 years.

During his time at the helm, the volume of offices registered with TPO has increased from 769 firms with 4,251 offices registered with the property watchdog to around 14,400 sales offices and 13,500 lettings offices.

McClintock (left) commented, “I have really enjoyed my time with TPO and shall miss meeting so many connected to the industry. I hope to have made a difference in some way, but now I’m looking forward to taking some time out. I would like to wish my successor and friend Gerry Fitzjohn every success going forward.”

Fitzjohn, who began serving on the TPO Board in 2000, has worked for a number of estate agents, including Taylors Estate Agents, Countrywide and Martin and Co.

He was appointed Vice Chairman of the TPO Board in November 2010 and he also became the Board representative on the TPO Disciplinary and Standards Committee.

“I’m honoured and thrilled to be appointed Board Chairman of The Property Ombudsman,” said Fitzjohn (right). “I look forward to building on Bill McClintock’s achievements and am determined to promote the scheme to the maximum and further improve the image of sales and letting agents throughout the UK as well as the standards in our industry.”

Meanwhile, two more agents, A S Moon & Partners, a sales and letting agent based in Northumberland, and CityWest.co.uk Limited, a sales and letting agent based in Hounslow, have been expelled from membership of TPO for a minimum of two years.

Both had failed to comply with parts of the TPO Codes of Practice, failed to co-operate fully with the Ombudsman’s investigations following complaints and failed to pay awards made.

Commenting on the decision to expel the two companies, Fitzjohn commented, “In these cases, both agents have failed to co-operate fully and both have failed to pay awards made: In the case of A S Moon & Partners the sum of £750 and in the case of CityWest the sum of £2,800.

“I would like to remind agents of their obligation to co-operate with any investigations by TPO, The Ombudsman requires any evidence they can provide and that is their chance to put across their side of the story. While the vast majority of agents do co-operate, the small number who do not do so, put themselves at greater risk of having a complaint upheld, when The Ombudsman has only the consumer’s evidence to consider. Agents must comply with any award and/or direction made by The Ombudsman against them and pay the Complainant the amount of any such award within the required period for payment. Cases of non-compliance are taken very seriously and are dealt with by the Disciplinary and Standards Committee (DSC) of the TPO Council.”