The freehold owner of an estate of eight blocks of flats in

Tividale has been handed a further penalty of £16,800 following a prosecution by Sandwell Council over a continued failure to deal with repairs.

The company - Trafalgar Court Property Ltd - was previously fined £45,900 by magistrates in April. This is one of the largest penalties awarded against a single landlord for these types of offences that Sandwell Council has been involved with.

Trafalgar Court Property Ltd was found guilty of failing to comply with another two improvement notices and a further abatement notice served by Sandwell Council . The company has still failed to carry out any repairs and the hearings were all held in its absence as no one attended court on two seperate occations to dispute the charges.

Sandwell Magistrates Court heard on July 1, that Trafalgar Court Property Ltd had not completed any of the works required on these new notices to a satisfactory standard as outlined within the improvement and abatement notices.

The notices required the company to repair dilapidated and dangerous stairs, walkways and porches in the communal areas of the blocks. The Magistrates were again critical of Trafalgar Court Property Ltd’s failure to carry out such serious repairs. Trafalgar Court Property Ltd were fined the maximum £5,000 for each offence as well as £1,690 in costs and a victims surcharge.

Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for housing Councillor Ian Jones said: “It is clear that Trafalgar Court Property Ltd has no intention of maintaining this estate or caring for the tenants that live there. "Sandwell Council is committed to ensuring good quality housing in the borough and will not tolerate poor housing conditions being caused by landlords and land owners not meeting their obligations.”

Kerry Bolister, Sandwell Council’s area director for homes and communities, said: “It is disappointing that Trafalgar Court Property Ltd continue to fail in their duties as freeholders which has led to the council having to again use its own resources to take action. I again thank the tenants of Trafalgar Court and the Private Sector Housing Team for continuing to pursue the case.”

For further information please contact: Sandwell Council Communications Unit 0121 569 3031 Out of hours/emergency: 07920 027 723 www.twitter.com/sandwellcouncil www.facebook.com/sandwellcouncil