Landlady fined £3000 for breaching improvement notice plus a further £1700 in other costs

Date published: 13th April 2018

North Norfolk District Council (NNDC) has been successful in a prosecution against a woman from Buckinghamshire for breaching an improvement notice.

Diane Clementson, of Tattenhoe Lane, Bletchley, was found guilty in her absence at Norwich Magistrates Court, Thursday April 5 for breaching the notice which was originally served in March 2017.

It had been issued following an investigation of the property under the Housing Act 2004 in which mould and damp growth were found to be a category 2 hazard.

Mrs Clementson – who failed to attend court for the hearing and failed to notify the court of her lack of attendance was fined £3000, and ordered to pay the full investigative and prosecution costs totalling £1530. She was also ordered to pay £170 victim surcharge, making the total she will be required to pay £4700.

Cllr Hilary Cox, NNDC Portfolio Holder for Environment, said: “Given the time frame which had elapsed since the first complaint, the ongoing failure to comply with both informal and formal interventions and the worsening conditions at the property for the tenant we feel Mrs Clementson was given more than ample to time to make the required improvements to the dwelling that were causing a detrimental effect to her tenant’s health.”