One of the UK’s largest and most contentious buy-to-let landlords Fergus Wilson allegedly told the leader of Ashford Borough Council to go and kill himself, as he is accused of a nine-year harassment campaign against the local authority, a court heard this week.
The council is applying to the High Court for a permanent injunction against Wilson in an effort bring an end to harassment that it claims has been ongoing since 2011.
The court heard how Wilson repeatedly belittled, insulted and abused councillors and council workers.
It is alleged that Wilson would send a high number of letters and emails, and make phone calls and formal complaints against officers, councillors and legal representatives when he did not get his own way.
The council’s representative Adam Solomon QC said: “Officers, employees and councillors felt bullied and distressed, being unable to respond properly to allegations, some of them being reduced to tears.”
Council leader Gerry Clarkson reportedly received a large number of letters to his home address, one of which told him to “do all of the young people in Ashford a favour and commit suicide”.
A statement from Cllr Clarkson told the court: “I’ve served the public for most of my adult life, and consider myself a robust person, and perhaps a certain degree of unpleasantness is to be expected in a public office.
“But this crossed any reasonable threshold, and has caused a significant amount of distress and alarm; it distressed my wife so much that she had to stop opening the post.”
Defending Wilson, his representative Andrew Deakin argued that the communications the landlord sent out “didn’t ‘cross the threshold of what would be considered harassment”.
Wilson was courting controversy long before this latest unfortunate incident.
The buy-to-let landlord, widely considered to be the one of the most controversial in Britain, has in the past banned ‘coloured people’ from renting any of his properties, along with battered wives, plumbers, single women who become pregnant and single mums with newborn babies.
The property tycoon, who at one point owned almost 1,000 properties in and around Kent with his wife, Judith, appeared on BBC Panorama’s ‘Britain’s Most Controversial Landlord’ in March 2019.
Wilson told BBC reporter, Richard Bilton, on the show that as the landlord he is in charge. “Basically, we have got two types of tenants – those who agree with me and ex-tenants.”
He continued: “I can do what I like. You don’t want me to lie about it, do you?”
The landlord pointed to the need to build significantly more homes in this country, highlighting the fact that private landlords cannot cater for every renter in the UK.
Wilson continued: “Not everyone on housing benefit is a problem, but every problem is on housing benefit.
“The problem is they don’t get paid enough in benefits from Her Majesty’s government to pay the rent.
“What you have to understand is that the private sector landlord does not have a duty of care. It is the local council who has the duty of care.”
“The landlord rules, not the tenant,” he added.
Comments (8)
When up against bureaucracy frustrations sets in followed by anger. Its the manner in the way it is implemented and behaviour of officials that is often the start of the slippery slope when landlords see them as the enemy.
What has to go through one’s head to send a letter “do all of the young people in Ashford a favour and commit suicide”…
Whenever I read something about this bloke I get a sense that he may not be the easiest of people to get along with.
We’ve seen on PIE in the last few days the attitude of some private landlords who manage everything themselves. Licence them all and ban landlords who misbehave.
The guy on here last week was openly racist and discriminatory against tenants with assistance dogs. Only professional agents and truly professional and licensed landlords should be allowed to manage other peoples homes.
Absolute twaddle the last thing good LL need is LA sticking their nose in where it isn’t wanted. We good LL will not be dictated to. If that means declining tenants with assistance dogs then so be it. No disabled person will dictate to LL how they use their capital nor will ANY other member of the public. LL choose to decline certain tenants for business reasons Any animal may not be welcome. That is a business decision that a LL is ENTITLED to make. Nobody can dictate how a LL should operate their business. That includes NOT letting to tenants who engage in constant highly noxious cooking.
The fact that those who tend to engage as a matter of routine in such noxious cooking are mainly coloured is totally irrelevant. Any type of tenant who engaged in such would be barred by many LL no matter what their colour was.
Erm, actually landlords can and will be dictated to… its called “the Law”. If you don’t like it, don’t be a landlord.
Local authorities can enforce it, however thankfully due to the Fitness for Human Habitation (Homes) Act 2018 tenants can now take landlords to court themselves.
Any form of discrimination is ridiculous in this day and age (as well as being illegal). Thankfully when ROPA comes out, it will weed out discrimination such as this.
Obviously all rental properties must comply with relevant regulations However it is still OK for LL to decline DSS tenants and pets. As yet these are not protected characteristics leaving LL free to take BUSINESS decisions not to let. In my case a Business decision against any on HB is my Council require a valid AST BEFORE they wilm even consider whether a HB award would be made. If no award was allowed that would mean I would have a tenant without any means to pay rent who would be advised by the Council to stay until evicted!!! So that is one reason I refuse to accept DSS tenants. The next reason is that the LHA is i sufficient rent for my property. Then we get into the realms of all the problems of UC tenants I have lost over £11000 in rent due the fraud perpetrated by the DWP. So you’ll forgive when I state I will make my business decisions and won’t be dictated to apart from normal compliance with regulations which I have always done. I also refuse to have any occupants who engage in constant noxious cooking. Again my business decision I am entitled to make. Also smokers unless they smoke outside. LL are entitled to make these business decisions There are reasons they are made which any decent LA would know why. A LL will consider the merits or otherwise of individual tenant applicants.
As for poor old Fergus;; sublety has never been a strong suit of his!!!
But most LL agred with his methods.
We just do it in ways that aren’t obvious to avoid distress!
But quite frankly FW along with lits of us LL should be leaving the PRS.
A different position of authority bashing by a landlord instead of landlord bashing by authorities. As for the BBC report it was not unbiased and did not, in my personal opinion, tell a the full story. The BBC chose to show one of the most controversial landlords implying this represented the PRS. All extremes none praise worthy.