Milton Keynes estate agent expelled from The Property Ombudsman

Buyers, sellers, tenants and landlords in Shenley Wood, Milton Keynes, are being warned that a local estate and letting agent, DMF Inventories Ltd (trading as DMF Sales & Lettings), has been expelled from The Property Ombudsman (TPO) scheme owing a landlord £1,677. DMF failed to register the landlord’s deposit with DPS, as set out in the tenancy agreement. When the Management Agreement came to an end, DMF also failed to release the tenant’s deposit of £1,377 to enable the landlord to register it. Following the formal complaint by the landlord to The Property Ombudsman, DMF did not provide their file upon request and no response was received. The Ombudsman made a total award of £1,677, comprising £1377 for the tenant’s deposit and £300 compensation. DMF advised they could not make the full payment and suggested a payment plan, but their accountant then confirmed they could not afford any payment at all. As a result, DMF was referred to TPO’s independent Compliance Committee, which ruled the firm should be expelled from The Property Ombudsman scheme. DMF is not currently registered with a redress scheme, which is a requirement of every sales and letting agent in order to trade legally.  They had registered with the other redress scheme, Property Redress Scheme (PRS). However, an agreement between the two Government-approved redress schemes means DMF is not allowed to register for any form of redress until the award is paid, therefore they have been removed and Trading Standards have also been informed of the expulsion. Gerry Fitzjohn, Non-Executive Director and Chairman of TPO’s Finance Committee: “As a member of TPO, agents are obliged to comply with awards made by the Ombudsman, which DMF has failed to do. Although there is little evidence to suggest the agent is still trading, we want to make consumers aware in case DMF Sales and Lettings appears to start trading again. We have advised the landlord of the agent’s status and advised that payment can be pursued in the courts.” Every sales and lettings agent in England is required to register with a Government-approved redress scheme, which enables consumers to have their complaint reviewed independently in the event of a dispute arising that the consumer is unable to resolve with the agent directly.