Cardiff landlord fined over WhatsApp eviction
Cardiff Council: "This prosecution sends a strong message to unscrupulous landlords."
A Cardiff landlord has been prosecuted after she attempted to evict a tenant using WhatsApp.
Cardiff Council secured a conviction for unlawful eviction, landing Nicole May with a fine of £945.
Ms May, of Brooks Road, Old Trafford, Manchester, pleaded guilty under the Protection from Eviction Act 1977.
The court heard that the tenants of her property on Moorland Road, Splott, were forced to leave in May last year, when the landlord and members of her family entered the house without permission, demanding they vacate.
Just a few weeks earlier, Ms May had sent a WhatsApp message to the tenants asking them to leave the property, but failed to serve the correct legal notice.
Following an altercation at the house, the tenants left the property and were forced to rely on family and friends for a place to stay, and to store their possessions.
Ms May was fined £461, ordered to pay costs of £300 and a victim surcharge of £184.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Councillor Lynda Thorne, said: "The tenants involved in this case have been left very troubled by the whole experience but we hope that by highlighting situations like this, other tenants will be aware of their rights and the importance of seeking assistance from the council.
"This prosecution sends a strong message to unscrupulous landlords that the Council is not afraid to take legal action to safeguard tenants and their wellbeing."