George and Kim Overill

Fraudulent Essex lettings agency duo narrowly miss going to jail

Two directors of an Essex lettings agency have narrowly escaped going to jail after the couple failed to lodge deposits totalling £42,794 for 73 rental properties with the approved government schemes. George and Kim Overill, who ran two companies in the county – Oakpark Properties (UK) Ltd and Oakpark Asset Management Limited in Harwich – appeared in court yesterday where they pleaded guilty to two counts each of contravening professional diligence as directors and a further two counts of fraudulent trading. In October last year the couple, who previously ran a roofing company before getting into lettings, faced 38 counts of fraud, engaging in unfair commercial practices and fraudulent trading.They originally denied all the charges. The court heard from a former employee that money at the business was “tight” and that one member of staff had injected £6,000 of her own cash into the businesses to keep them afloat while Mrs Overill went on exotic holidays and extended the couple’s home in Thorpe-le-Stoken. Essex lettings agency In mitigation, defence lawyer Stephen Dyble said the couple had not intended to commit fraud when they set the businesses up and that money owed to tenants had been paid back. Alison Lambert, prosecuting,…

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