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A letting agent who defrauded landlords and tenants out of thousands of pounds has been sent to jail for 21 months.

Timothy Glasson - who ran Tim Glasson Estate Agents in Camborne in Cornwall until it closed last year - had previously pleaded guilty to 10 counts of fraud, has now been jailed by a judge at Truro Crown Court.

The court heard that Glasson had debts estimated to be around £40,000. He collected the rent from tenants but failed to pass it on to the landlords; he told landlords that he had not been paid or that his firm had short-term administrative difficulties.

Gleeson also failed to pay deposits into the Deposit Protection Scheme and instead paid the money directly into his business or to fund his private life.

Glasson was described in court as currently receiving Job Seekers' Allowance and had been evicted from his home - although he was in fact suing his own landlord.

Judge Christopher Harvey Clark, QC, said Glasson had caused financial loss, distress, inconvenience and immense frustration to victims. He said as a result of what Glasson did, one victim, an 87-year-old woman, has lost over £2,000 - a sum that represented a small fortune to her.

Comments

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    I agree with both comments below. I am certainly not worried about more regulation in terms of our procedures and practices but I just worry about the burden in terms of administration and costs.

    I just wonder why the PRS is in the politician's spotlight at present. I.e. why not other industries. Oh......wait......I get it - 9 million people in the UK rent and we have a general election next year don't we ! ;)

    • 17 October 2014 05:46 AM
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    True. These regular stories we see on LAT of the shameful practices, shocking negligence and, often, downright stupidity shown by certain landlords only serve to tar everyone with the same brush. Not all landlords have such a cavalier attitude or such disregard for the tenants they are supposed to look after, but there is a very persistent minority who are out of control and don't seem to give a damn about who they hurt so long as they make a tidy profit. Stronger regulation is needed. Simple as.

    • 16 October 2014 15:07 PM
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    True, James. And, aside from some underlying problems which CAN be taken care of without a reform, these people should be jailed for even longer. And politicians will always find something to boost their populism.

    Cheers.

    • 16 October 2014 10:50 AM
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    Idiots like this who regularly get reported on LAT (and quite rightly so) are the ones that give the industry such a bad name and stir our vote-hungry politicians into reforming the letting industry.

    • 16 October 2014 07:32 AM
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