By Gabriel Princewill-
An MP has intervened in the running dispute between a landlady assaulted by her former tenant, and her local council- The Royal Borough of Greenwich.
Eltham and Plumstead MP, Clive Efford was contacted by the desperate landlady after what she considers to be continuous harassment by a councillor from Greenwich council due to complaints from a former tenant who was convicted in the courts this year for assaulting her. The Eye Of Media.Com cannot name the landlady given her strenuous requests for us not to do so.
MP Efford was kind enough to invite her to his office for a chat about her grievance months ago. Her complaint at the time was a request for his intervention about harassment being posed by 47 year old Christian Nwala, who was constantly calling police for her and her workmen for no justified course. Efford’s positive invitation led to the MP making a commitment to instruct Plumstead Police to stop wasting tax payers money by attending the address repeatedly without any meaningful outcome.
Efford was contacted again this week by the desperate landlord who claims she is suffering enormous trauma as a result of what she considers an assault on her dignity by both her attacker and Greenwich Council. The Mp’s office responded by contacting the council to directly respond to the landlady’s grievances, but we are not aware that any solutions or recommendations have been made.
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The environmental health section of Greenwich Council have been pursuing the aggrieved businesswoman to conduct repairs to the property, citing the Housing Act as the basis for their pursuit. The complication here is that the pursuit over repairs at the property has arisen due to the influence of a man who physically assaulted her and still resides in her property. All despite not paying any rent for 14 months. Exacerbating an already disturbing set of events is the fact the former tenant caused most of the damage the landlady is being pursued to repair.
When a holistic view is taken on this matter, the convicted criminal has no rights to contact the council for any repairs in the property. He is considered a persona non grata(an unwelcome entity) in the property, and living on borrowed time. In fact, but for his declared lack of funds, the landlady should be billing troublesome Nwala for the damage in the property. When The Eye Of Media.Com approached Greenwich Council about the complaint, a spokesperson for the Royal Borough Of Greenwich said:
“We are aware of a dispute between the private landlord in question, and a tenant living there. We are in discussions with the parties with a view to assisting them to resolve matters. In addition we are also advising the landlord as to her obligations as the landlord of a possible HMO. “The Council is committed to ensuring that standards in the private rented sector are met. Any landlord of a HMO who fails to obtain a licence is liable to prosecution. “The issue of any unpaid rent is a civil matter for the Landlord to pursue through the appropriate channels open to her, and are not a matter for the Council.”
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FLAWED
The Council’s position is somewhat understandable, but inherently flawed. The Housing Act 2004 outlines the jurisdiction of every Local Housing Authority with respect to the implementation of acceptable standards in every dwelling presided over by a landlord. However, the statutory provisions in the Housing Act 2004 was not intended to facilitate a criminal whose tenancy has expired, who pays no bills whatsoever including electricity or gas, and who constitutes a nuisance to his landlady and other tenants in the property.
Nwala’s tenancy has expired since September 2017, he has been convicted of a violent assault against his landlady, and therefore cannot be given a platform to frustrate his victim without respite. It would be an affront to the intelligence of Parliament and all decent citizens if he were allowed to do so.The Eye Of Media.Com has recommended that the landlady, whom we can’t name, conducts no further repairs until this man is out of the property.
Every local Housing Authority should be committed to facilitating the eviction of a man like this under similar circumstances, rather than accommodating his/her complaints. The Eye Of Media.Com has identified one member of the Royal Borough Of Greenwich Council who has continuously contacted the landlady on a daily basis over the repairs. We have written to the Council to formerly request that he completely desist from his unprofessional conduct.
We won’t name him on this occasion , following our conclusion that he may have had reasonable grounds to believe he was acting within his professional remit. However, we conclude he was inadvertently acting in excess of his professional remit, especially as the criminal former tenant was constantly using the same councillor. The landlady has been told to ignore any further calls from this councillor and inform us of any continuation.
Our overall conclusion is not an automatic recommendation for all landlords to ignore their statutory duties to their properties because of defaulting tenants, each case must be viewed on a case by case basis. If other tenants in the property in question had been equally complaining to the Council about the same damage, responsible evaluation would be different. In this case, the offending former tenant has intimidated other tenants from the property from the five bedroom property, leaving only one tenant at the property. If the landlady were to conduct immediate repairs it would benefit the offender more since the damage is mainly on his floor, and the landlady accuses him of the damage.
The Eye Of Media.Com has recommended that she conducts no further repairs until this man is out of the property.
We have recommended that once mr.Nwala is evicted from the property, the landlady complies fully with the recommendation of the council. A different councillor should be appointed to chase her up in the event of any observed delays to repairs, but the previous councillor need not ever be in contact with her again since she perceives his actions to be of a harassing nature, in excess of his professional remit.
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