Leonard D Morgan & Co

The Property Ombudsman (TPO) has expelled two agents from its scheme but is in dispute with an auctioneer over the reasons for its departure. TPO said David Key Property Limited and Leonard D Morgan & Co were referred to its compliance committee, which ruled that they should be excluded from the scheme. In the first case, TPO said David Key Property Limited of Haringey, North London, took over a property portfolio which included a Guaranteed Rent Agreement. Alto - Zoopla iamproperty Apex27 ValPal Connect Adjudication determined that the agent failed to act in accordance with the agreement by not removing the sub-tenants they had placed in the property, preventing the landlord from renting to tenants of his choosing. David Key Property also ceased its involvement with the property, including making rent payments to the landlord. The complaint was supported and an award of £4,000 was deemed reasonable. David Key Property Limited was still displaying a TPO logo on its website yesterday but Estate Agent Today was unable to reach the agency on email or by phone. In the second case, a dispute involving Leonard D Morgan & Co based in Newport, Wales, was referred to TPO. The complainant (a landlord) stated the agent failed to regularly transfer rent received from their tenant. Despite the agent advising that all rent due had been paid to the landlord, the agent failed to provide evidence to support this. TPO supported the complaint and concluded an award of £1,000 was reasonable for the considerable distress and inconvenience caused to the landlord. This award was never paid by the agent, resulting in expulsion from the scheme. Estate Agent Today was unable to contact Leaonard D Morgan & Co and emails to the company bounced back. In a third case, Estate Agent Today understands that TPO is in dispute with a brand called BP Auctions after publicly claiming it has been expelled while the company said it left after ceasing trading earlier this month. In 2024 to date, TPO said there have been three businesses expelled compared with 13 expulsions last year. The Ombudsman attributed this to its proactive compliance checks and enquiries service which received more than 57,000 enquiries last year, helped prevent many issues from escalating into complaints. “We try every avenue to ensure that awards are settled and thankfully in 99% of upheld complaints, the dispute is resolved with a compensatory payment for the consumer where appropriate. “It's pleasing to see our early enquiries and proactive compliance work resulting in fewer expulsions.”