Sweet Property Services have stolen Landlords Rent

G_Man2015

Thanks Tigsteroonie - this is really useful information.

I've emailed and tried to call the administrators on several occasions but have had no reply as yet.

Is it just a case of waiting now for the administrators to conclude their business - as I gather that nothing can be done until the administrators have finished - is this correct?

Is there any way possible for landlord to get their money back? I don't know if there is anyway to claim against Richard Sweet directly?

Sweet Lettings Ltd never placed my tenants money into a DPS either and this is the case with many others too, therefore they have effectively stolen this too.

Is there any value now in me making a claim via the small claims court now?

macman

There is no point in claiming anything if the company has no assets-that is for the administrators to determine.
And unless they owned the property their office was based in, it's unlikely that they do.

jayhow

I had dealings with this business in 2014 and have since discovered they have been fraudulently keeping tenants deposits and not putting them in any deposit protection schemes but keeping the money for their own cashflow also they have not been passing on rent paid by tenants to landlords but sending landlords cheques that bounce several times.The directors Richard Sweet and Susan Helen Sweet have now placed the company in administration to try and avoid paying their creditors leaving landlords and tenants in the lurch. They also haven't paid rent on their high street office so it has been closed. A new company has been registered with companies house with the same directors called mysweetproperty and they are operating online so avoid them like the plague,they are con artists and crooks and should not be allowed to continue in business.[TEXT REMOVED BY FORUM TEAM].

jayhow

I did report them to Medway trading standards last year regarding their activities and breaches of the property ombudsman code of practice and was told by trading standards that it appeared criminal activity had taken place so believe they are being investigated,so any extra complaints will probably be taken notice of. I have quite a lot I could tell you about how these people operate but its a long story but happy to divulge by email if you pm me your email address.

Annie1960

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/debt-and-money/banking/cheques/

It is a criminal offence to write a cheque you know will bounce.

Running_Horse

Tassotti wrote: »

MYSWEETPROPERTY LIMITED
PO Box 679
SWEET
HIGH STREET
ROCHESTER
UNITED KINGDOM
ME1 9JW
Company No. 09279895

Hmmm, didn't think you could register a company using a PO Box number?

Is it not also the case that there must be a publicly available real address for a PO Box number?

Running_Horse

macman wrote: »

There is no point in claiming anything if the company has no assets-that is for the administrators to determine.
And unless they owned the property their office was based in, it's unlikely that they do.

Walked past their office the other week and there is a notice in the window saying the owners have taken possession.

jayhow

More info, I believe this may be where Richard Sweet is currently living: [TEXT REMOVED BY FORUM TEAM].

Interestingly enough, I drove past here a few weeks ago not realising this is his house and noticed outside the house there was a car that had been torched. My sister lives not far from here so when i got to her house i asked her what had happened and she said this was the 2nd car that had been torched in the space of a few days outside these houses, so looks like someone is !!!!ed off enough to be taking matters into their own hands, can't say i blame them to be honest!

I have submitted a report to the Serious Fraud office about Richard and Susan Sweets' activities today, not sure if it will do any good but worth a try

jayhow

Also if anyone is inclined it would be worth submitting reports to the police and also contacting the local MP to raise this issue with her as she may be able to apply some pressure to get these people properly investigated

jayhow

Another update for those interested. This issue is being raised with the housing minister next week during a meeting with the head of the south east region for ARLA as they are assisting people with this matter and they are also going to be speaking to Kelly Tolhurst the MP for Rochester and Strood, hopefully we can get some help for those that have lost money but also assistance with getting the Directors of Sweet banned from being company directors.

I would urge anyone who has been effected to lodge formal complaints with the below departments:

https://www.gov.uk/complain-about-a-limited-company
https://www.insolvencydirect.bis.gov.uk/eiir/
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/insolvency-service