Deep Sagar (right), the chairman of the Leasehold Advisory Service, is to decide whether Benjamin Mire be permitted to continue to advertise in quango’s professional directory.
It costs Mire, the CEO of Trust Property Management in north London, £519 plus VAT to do so.
Last summer, the chartered surveyor resigned his judicial appointment to the property tribunal.
In an unusual move, the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office made clear that he would have been sacked because he had:
“failed to observe the standards that could reasonably be expected of a judicial office holder and that this failing was sufficiently serious to justify his removal from office”.
Mire (below) has appeared as a representative in cases before the tribunal 52 times since 1999.
Leaseholders complained to the Judicial Conduct Investigations Office that there was a blatant conflict of interest with Mire appearing as a frequent litigant at the tribunal and sitting on the panel.
In November, Sir Peter Bottomley told LEASE in blunt terms to stop accepting advertising from Mire:
“If LEASE takes money or advertising from Benjamin Mire or any business with which he is associated I think you should end it without delay.”
On January 18, LEASE chief executive Anthony Essien informed the veteran MP that there would be a decision in “two weeks”.
“Some issues have arisen that have resulted in the process taking longer than we would have hoped to have reached a resolution,” wrote Essien. “But we expect to have completed the process within the next two weeks and will of course update you.”
On February 24 there was still no decision and the matter had passed to LEASE chairman Deep Sagar.
“I have forwarded it to my Chairman who will be responding to you very soon,” Essien wrote to Sir Peter.
Deep Sagar is familiar to readers of LKP.
Last summer Deep Sagar threatened LKP with legal action demanding the removal of the “Wibble-wobble” post, which criticised the quango. The offending Wibble-wobble post is here
This was followed by Deep Sagar employing RMPI Solicitors to demand the removal of readers’ comments from the site.
He also objected to LKP’s approach to making inquiries into his many and varied public appointments. RMPI, which said it was representing Sagar in a personal capacity rather than as LEASE chairman, sent two letters to LKP.
LKP has not removed any item from the website as a result of complaints from Deep Sagar. It did offer to delete offensive remarks, rather than entire posts, but RMPI declined to address this.
chas
Another nail in the coffin for Leaseholders when we see the people involved in this industry and how we are trampled underfoot by those who supposed to police the Industry.
Why would this person want readers complaints removed why does he not comment on the site as we do?
Michael Epstein
I understand that Lease have had their public funding cut and have been “encouraged to seek more “commercial” investment.
Not good news for leaseholders!
Karen
I can not wait for the outcome of this investigation from Deep Sagar……
Not one to pre-empt – I will save my comments until such time….
AM
No reason why the advice business can’t be spun off from the profit centre as say a trust and funded by a grant, the profits of the other profit activities and a leasehold tax of a few £’s a year via council tax. The reason for the lack of conferences for leaseholders is that speakers expect to be paid. These arrangements would allow it to be profitable to do so.
Martin
It is now 4 months and 2 days since these issues were raised with both the Chair of LEASE and its CEO.
Someone appears to be playing silly games.
AM
Silly games… no its the usual wibble wobble.