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Housing Solicitors
16-month jail sentence for housing fraud (10 January 2017)
Date: 10/01/2017
Birmingham Crown Court has jailed a man from Moseley in Birmingham, who lied to get a council house.
Mbarak Abdallah, 37, of Chinn Brook Road, Moseley in Birmingham pleaded guilty at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 8 December 2016 to two fraud offences involving falsely completing both a homeless application and a housing application, which resulted in him being given a council house at Milston Close, Brandwood in 2012.
On Thursday 5 January 2017, he was sentenced to 16 months in jail at Birmingham Crown Court.
The court heard that, in 2014, Birmingham City Council had received a tip off that Abdallah’s claim was false. The council’s Internal Audit Fraud Team investigated and found that Abdallah was, in fact, the owner of the property from which he had claimed he was being evicted.
He had also privately rented out the property while he and his family were living at the council property.
Abdallah surrendered the tenancy for Milston Close during the investigation –
and while he was serving a prison sentence for another crime – having held the tenancy from 3 September 2012 to 18 January 2015.
After sentencing, Birmingham City Council’s Cabinet Member for housing and homes, Councillor Peter Griffiths, said:
“At a time when we have thousands of genuinely homeless families in Birmingham in dire need of a council house, Abdallah decided to exploit the system for his own financial gain.
“Today’s sentencing sends out a clear message – we take tenancy fraud allegations seriously and we will prosecute.”
Duncan Lewis Housing Solicitors
Duncan Lewis housing solicitors can advise on a wide range of housing law, including advising developers and self builders on planning permissions and planning appeals.
There are Duncan Lewis offices across England and Wales and our housing team is also able to advise on:
- Debt management for homeowners
- Disrepair of rented property
- Housing Benefit
- Housing possession
- Landlords’ obligations
- Landlord and tenant disputes
- Lease extensions
- Local Authority housing
- Mortgage repossession
- Notice to quit
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- Right to Buy
- Right to Rent checks
- Tenancy agreements
- Unlawful eviction.