Landlords and tenants have complained about an agency which they say owes them money.

The Huddersfield Examiner says it has been “inundated” with complaints about Gallery@HD1, owned by Dennis Goodridge. The paper also reports that one landlord has successfully won their case in the small claims court.

Last month, as EYE reported, The Property Ombudsman expelled Miaisa Ltd, which traded as Gallery@HD1.

A firm with a different name owned by Goodridge is now to be expelled by the Property Redress Scheme.

If it cannot offer redress, then no estate agent or letting agent can legally trade.

In the TPO case, Gallery@HD1 was directed to pay £2,312 in rent due to a landlord as well as an additional award of £300 made by the Ombudsman, who upheld all complaints about the company.

The firm was also directed to transfer £975 of tenant deposits. At the time that the case was referred to TPO’s disciplinary and standards committee, the company was in a voluntary arrangement with its creditors but is now in liquidation, said TPO.

At one point it had an estimated deficit of nearly £200,000. Another company with the same director had previously traded as Gallery and also gone into liquidation, said TPO.

TPO said it understood that the director had now set up a new company which is also trading as Gallery.

TPO also made it clear in its statement that any future company with the same director would not be able to rejoin.

Gallery@HD1 was one of four agents expelled by TPO, which noted that two had already made attempts to start another company.

According to the Huddersfield Examiner, Goodridge has now liquidated his company, leaving debts of £193,803.

He is listed as a creditor owed £100,000. Other creditors include HM Revenue and Customs £66,826, and Kirklees Council is owed £17,500 in unpaid business rates.

However, another Goodridge company with a different name joined another industry regulator, the Property Redress Scheme.

Now operating as Robert Charles ESQ Ltd, this firm is now also to be expelled from the PRS.

A spokesperson told us on Friday afternoon: “This agent has been under investigation and the decision has now been made to expel this agent under the Memorandum of Understanding. As these are separate limited companies we had to be sure that our information and investigations were thorough before any decision was made.”

The Memorandum of Understanding is between the three authorised redress schemes and ensures that an agent expelled from one scheme for failing to pay redress money as the ombudsman director directs, does not simply join another scheme.

According to Companies House, Robert Charles ESQ was incorporated on January 20 this year and is active, while Gallery@HD1 is dissolved. Miaisa is in liquidation.

Three other businesses with him listed are also dissolved, including one called Gallery Investments and another called Gallery@HD1 – which had a different company number to the one that is now dissolved.

Goodridge was said to be unavailable when EYE telephoned for a comment – the phone was answered in the name of Gallery – and our email request for information has had no response.