Editor's note: This brief was summarised by The Property AI Newsroom from a report by PropertyWire. Read the original article for full details.
Former Norfolk Agent Faces £47,685 Fraud Charges Over Lettings Failures
A former Norfolk estate agent has appeared in court facing 19 charges of fraud by false representation, with the total amount allegedly defrauded reported as £47,685. The charges relate to withheld landlord rental payments and failures to secure tenant deposits in Government-approved protection schemes.
Victoria Steele, 51, was the sole director and shareholder of Swaffham-based eHomes between November 2011 and June 2018. The case was brought after up to 40 complainants contacted Norfolk Police and Action Fraud, including a landlord undergoing cancer treatment and a Methodist church. Individual losses reported range from £690 to more than £4,100.
At Norwich Magistrates’ Court, prosecutor Katherine Newsom described the evidence as extensive and financially complex, with a significant number of complainants. All charges relate to the period when Steele operated eHomes, previously known as Prestige Properties Limited.
The case highlights ongoing concerns in the lettings sector regarding landlord compliance failures and the legal requirement to protect tenant deposits. The alleged offences occurred during a period of regulatory reform in the lettings industry.
Steele entered no pleas at the hearing. Magistrates determined the case was beyond their sentencing powers and committed it to Norwich Crown Court, where a plea and trial preparation hearing is scheduled for 19 June. The court heard that the sentencing starting point, if found guilty, is 18 months in prison.
eHomes closed its Swaffham premises in 2018 and was formally dissolved in April 2019. Steele was released on unconditional bail.
Source: PropertyWire