Martin & Co agency owner jailed for fraud offences
Bhavander Singh Sanghera was convicted after a court heard a tenant was told to pay the utility bills for two properties, among other serious crimes.
A letting agent has been jailed for more than two years after being convicted of fraud and unfair trading.
Bhavander Singh Sanghera from Walsall, who traded as EBS Property but ran a franchise under the Martin & Co name in Wolverhampton, was also disqualified as a director for eight years
One of the charges faced by Sanghera related to two properties where the gas and electricity meters were connected, and one of the tenants was expected to pay the bill for both homes.
The tenant was told they had received a discounted rent so had to meet the energy costs of both properties in Penn Road, Wolverhampton.
Another tenant had their £845 deposit wrongly withheld when a series of criticisms were added onto a check-out form, after the tenant’s guarantor signature was received.
The court heard how employees at Martin & Co were ordered by Sanghera, the sole director, to add excessive amounts onto maintenance costs issued to landlords to meet monthly targets.
False reviews
Staff were also advised to get friends and family to post fabricated positive reviews of the business on Google, and to send out of date, misleading photographs of properties to the Deposit Protection Scheme.
Sanghera, of Jesson Road, Walsall, was found guilty of three counts of fraud or fraudulent trading. He also pleaded guilty on behalf of his company, EBS Property Ltd, to four further charges under Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008.
He was sentenced to 28 months in jail for the fraud offences, and is awaiting sentencing for the unfair trading offences.
