0:00:03 > 0:00:05I'm Michelle Ackerley.
0:00:05 > 0:00:08My parents both grew up on council estates and, as a family,
0:00:08 > 0:00:12we understand the difference social housing can make to people's lives.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18But across the UK, there's a chronic shortage of
0:00:18 > 0:00:20council and housing association homes.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23I know so many friends
0:00:23 > 0:00:25and so many people that just literally
0:00:25 > 0:00:26don't have anywhere to live.
0:00:26 > 0:00:30Adding to the crisis, some tenants are abusing the system,
0:00:30 > 0:00:34holding on to properties they no longer need, or even worse,
0:00:34 > 0:00:38unlawfully subletting them and coining in a small fortune.
0:00:38 > 0:00:41Subletting social housing is wrong.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It's wrong. It's illegal and it's wrong.
0:00:43 > 0:00:45So every day, we'll be with the
0:00:45 > 0:00:49housing investigators as they crack down on those rogue tenants...
0:00:49 > 0:00:50Country court bailiffs.
0:00:50 > 0:00:52ELECTRIC DRILL
0:00:52 > 0:00:55- ..reclaim properties...- Anybody in?
0:00:55 > 0:00:58..and give them to families in genuine need.
0:00:58 > 0:01:00All of those keys are yours.
0:01:00 > 0:01:02Oh, don't cos you'll start me off again.
0:01:04 > 0:01:06This is Council House Crackdown.
0:01:07 > 0:01:11Our reporter, property expert Luke Doonan, also grew up
0:01:11 > 0:01:12on a council estate.
0:01:12 > 0:01:16And for the last six months, he's been working alongside
0:01:16 > 0:01:19dedicated housing investigators who will stop at nothing
0:01:19 > 0:01:23to track down every single tenant who's abusing the system.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28Today, we're with investigators as a grandmother
0:01:28 > 0:01:31appears in court, charged with illegally subletting her
0:01:31 > 0:01:36council flat in a tenancy fraud spanning more than eight years.
0:01:36 > 0:01:39The message is quite clear to her. She was very upset. She was crying.
0:01:39 > 0:01:42Her family are upset. You know, just don't sublet your properties.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45A man suspected of subletting his flat was exposed
0:01:45 > 0:01:47when he gave an interview in a local paper,
0:01:47 > 0:01:50revealing he was the landlord of a pub.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52I think what changed his mind is when we told him
0:01:52 > 0:01:55- that social housing fraud is a criminal offence.- Yeah.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57And the mystery of the family who disappeared
0:01:57 > 0:02:00and left their flat abandoned for nearly two years.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06- Anybody in?- This is not what I expected. I'm speechless, actually.
0:02:06 > 0:02:07Absolutely speechless.
0:02:10 > 0:02:14It's estimated that 98,000 social housing properties in England
0:02:14 > 0:02:18alone are being illegally sublet.
0:02:18 > 0:02:21And with a desperate shortage of housing in many areas,
0:02:21 > 0:02:25it costs councils an average of £18,000 a year for every
0:02:25 > 0:02:28family housed in temporary accommodation.
0:02:29 > 0:02:31All of which means...
0:02:38 > 0:02:41The London Borough of Greenwich, with its rich, royal
0:02:41 > 0:02:44and maritime traditions, a growing population,
0:02:44 > 0:02:48and nearly 35,000 social housing properties.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52Our first case is about a 60-year-old grandmother who
0:02:52 > 0:02:56is at the centre of a tenancy fraud spanning more than eight years
0:02:56 > 0:03:00and is now, finally, about to face justice.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03This is Jacqueline Willoughby.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05She's been living here, at this council flat,
0:03:05 > 0:03:09for nearly 30 years, or at least that's what everyone thought.
0:03:10 > 0:03:14In reality, she moved out in 2007
0:03:14 > 0:03:16and has been cheating the system ever since.
0:03:18 > 0:03:20Today, Mrs Willoughby is due to appear in court,
0:03:20 > 0:03:24and we're with the housing officers as their investigation
0:03:24 > 0:03:25reaches its conclusion.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Greenwich Council investigator Karen Evans is about to brief her
0:03:30 > 0:03:32manager, Nigel Brown, about the case.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37Jacqueline Willoughby. She's 60 years of age.
0:03:37 > 0:03:39She brought her children up there.
0:03:39 > 0:03:41The tenancy, she had for about 30 years,
0:03:41 > 0:03:44so it was their, you know, their family home, if you like.
0:03:44 > 0:03:48Then, in 2007, she met someone, got remarried
0:03:48 > 0:03:51and moved out of her three-bedroom council flat.
0:03:51 > 0:03:54She meets and marries a gentleman
0:03:54 > 0:03:56who lives round the corner, basically.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59She effectively leaves the property.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01But instead of handing her keys back,
0:04:01 > 0:04:04she let a family member stay there instead.
0:04:04 > 0:04:07And, making things worse, investigators believe
0:04:07 > 0:04:11she made a deliberate attempt to cover up her actions.
0:04:11 > 0:04:14I believe that she has deprived the council of the use of that
0:04:14 > 0:04:18property since, therefore, August of 2007.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21She left the property and she continued to pay all of
0:04:21 > 0:04:24the bills herself, all the rent payments and everything.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27Any communication with the local authority was via her,
0:04:27 > 0:04:30so she disguised the fact that she had left the property.
0:04:30 > 0:04:32It was a deliberate act.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Tenants are obliged to inform the council or housing association
0:04:36 > 0:04:39when they move out of their social housing property.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44Failure to do so is a breach of their tenancy agreement.
0:04:45 > 0:04:49No-one can pass a social housing tenancy on to another person,
0:04:49 > 0:04:50not even a family member.
0:04:51 > 0:04:55However, you can apply to take over a tenancy, and this will be
0:04:55 > 0:04:58considered on the basis of whether the property meets your needs.
0:05:00 > 0:05:04In 2014, seven years after Mrs Willoughby moved
0:05:04 > 0:05:07out of the flat, the other relative also decided to leave.
0:05:07 > 0:05:12But the family still didn't give the property back to the council.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14Instead of giving the property back,
0:05:14 > 0:05:17it was sublet to other people for a profit.
0:05:17 > 0:05:19It was about double the rent that we were charging,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21that was being paid by the subtenants.
0:05:21 > 0:05:23What was the weekly rent on our property?
0:05:23 > 0:05:26The rent was £127 a week.
0:05:26 > 0:05:28And what's she been charging at in later years?
0:05:28 > 0:05:31Monthly it's £1,000, nearly £1,100.
0:05:31 > 0:05:33Thanks to new legislation,
0:05:33 > 0:05:36investigators were able to look into Mrs Willoughby's bank records
0:05:36 > 0:05:40and see exactly how much money was going into her account.
0:05:40 > 0:05:43Some was even marked rent and bills.
0:05:43 > 0:05:48Over several months, thousands of pounds had gone into her account.
0:05:48 > 0:05:52Over the years, it amounted to approximately £13,000.
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So really, for the last seven years or so,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57she's been subletting her tenancy, and we've had to house other
0:05:57 > 0:06:00people because of the fact she's deprived us of our own property.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03She's taken that property and kept it for herself,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06decided who she wants to live in there
0:06:06 > 0:06:08instead of returning it to us.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12By holding on to a flat she wasn't entitled to, Mrs Willoughby
0:06:12 > 0:06:14was stopping someone else from having a home of their own.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19Not only that, but the council had to pay a much higher rate
0:06:19 > 0:06:22to house someone in temporary accommodation.
0:06:22 > 0:06:27As a result, somebody on our housing waiting list has had to be housed in
0:06:27 > 0:06:31alternative accommodation at a far greater cost each week.
0:06:31 > 0:06:35So, yeah, the amount of money involved from the time we say
0:06:35 > 0:06:40she left the property, something in the region of £102,000 in losses.
0:06:40 > 0:06:41But that wasn't all.
0:06:41 > 0:06:44After six years of misusing her property,
0:06:44 > 0:06:47the tenant was about to make her biggest mistake.
0:06:47 > 0:06:51In 2013, she applied to buy the family flat under the
0:06:51 > 0:06:55Right to Buy scheme, and in doing so, tried to fraudulently claim
0:06:55 > 0:06:59a huge discount on the market value of her home.
0:07:00 > 0:07:02Coming up, we find out what happens
0:07:02 > 0:07:07when Mrs Willoughby is confronted with her criminal activity in court.
0:07:07 > 0:07:11- So what has Mrs Willoughby been charged with?- Four counts of fraud.
0:07:13 > 0:07:15I can understand some people subletting
0:07:15 > 0:07:18because they've gone and moved away for six weeks
0:07:18 > 0:07:20and want to come back and can't afford to keep it
0:07:20 > 0:07:22over that period of time.
0:07:22 > 0:07:24But to hear that they're subletting just for money, I don't...
0:07:24 > 0:07:27No, they should be definitely kicked out
0:07:27 > 0:07:28and have to repay back that money.
0:07:28 > 0:07:31It shouldn't be seen as an income generator for someone
0:07:31 > 0:07:33privately that can afford it. They should move off the system.
0:07:33 > 0:07:36There's plenty of other ways that they can probably make their money.
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Take it off them and then, what do you call,
0:07:38 > 0:07:40let the taxman crawl up their backside,
0:07:40 > 0:07:43looking through their accounts and get the money back off them.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46Because at the end of the day, as a taxpayer,
0:07:46 > 0:07:47you and I have been robbed.
0:07:51 > 0:07:54Since the government first recognised the need for
0:07:54 > 0:07:56social housing after the First World War,
0:07:56 > 0:08:00council homes have been built in a huge variety of shapes,
0:08:00 > 0:08:02sizes and locations.
0:08:02 > 0:08:04Here in the village of Beare Green in Surrey,
0:08:04 > 0:08:09some of these bungalows are part of the local housing association stock.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13In our next case, housing officers suspected that one of their tenants,
0:08:13 > 0:08:17a 63-year-old man, was renting this bungalow out and living elsewhere.
0:08:18 > 0:08:20The facts only came to light
0:08:20 > 0:08:24when he couldn't resist giving an interview to a local newspaper.
0:08:26 > 0:08:28Luke's gone to meet fraud manager Steve Baker
0:08:28 > 0:08:30from Mole Valley Council.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33It was a tip-off from neighbours that first alerted Steve that
0:08:33 > 0:08:35all was not well.
0:08:35 > 0:08:39- The housing association received a tip-off from another tenant.- OK.
0:08:39 > 0:08:42And they pass that information on to us, which is
0:08:42 > 0:08:44what they do on all of their
0:08:44 > 0:08:46suspicious social housing fraud cases now.
0:08:46 > 0:08:49We received information that our tenant in the property wasn't
0:08:49 > 0:08:51actually living there,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54and they believed he was subletting to another young couple.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58Steve's first step was to make an unannounced visit at the property.
0:08:58 > 0:09:01We're just coming into the village now where the property's located.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03This is quite stunning, isn't it?
0:09:03 > 0:09:05I mean, I'm sure there are so many people that wouldn't even
0:09:05 > 0:09:08dream that you would have social housing in this location.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10It's a real, proper country village, isn't it?
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Yeah, and we're right next to a station as well.
0:09:13 > 0:09:14As you can see, it's a lovely area.
0:09:14 > 0:09:17A property in this area for the council to build would probably
0:09:17 > 0:09:19cost about £200,000.
0:09:19 > 0:09:21And we have people who are waiting to be housed
0:09:21 > 0:09:23in these sort of properties.
0:09:23 > 0:09:25Of course, yeah. It's quite idyllic, isn't it?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27I mean, I know it's a one-bedroom bungalow,
0:09:27 > 0:09:29but you've got your own front garden, it looks like it's
0:09:29 > 0:09:32got a back garden. It's quite stunning, really.
0:09:32 > 0:09:36When housing officers first visited the bungalow, there was no-one in,
0:09:36 > 0:09:39so they left a card asking their tenant to contact them.
0:09:39 > 0:09:42Then they started to carry out some basic checks using
0:09:42 > 0:09:43council records.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46The important thing for us was to try
0:09:46 > 0:09:50and find out where he was living, if indeed he was living somewhere else.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53So initially, we did a check of a lot of our internal records.
0:09:53 > 0:09:56We checked our council tax, electoral registration,
0:09:56 > 0:09:57housing benefits.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00And we also did some credit checks on the property.
0:10:00 > 0:10:03At first, everything seemed in order.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06The tenant was the only person on the electoral register and had
0:10:06 > 0:10:10been paying council tax at the bungalow for the past seven years.
0:10:10 > 0:10:14But financial checks revealed six of the names had had
0:10:14 > 0:10:18links to the house, including a bank current account, credit card
0:10:18 > 0:10:21and phone company connected to a young couple who seemed to
0:10:21 > 0:10:24have been there until two months previously.
0:10:24 > 0:10:26Everything was still showing him as registered at the address
0:10:26 > 0:10:29and the credit checks showed a few people as potentially being
0:10:29 > 0:10:32there, but nothing that really could be followed up.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34To some degree, we'd hit a bit of a brick wall on this one
0:10:34 > 0:10:37and weren't able to go any further.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40But investigators have a variety of tools available to them
0:10:40 > 0:10:43to make checks on suspected housing cheats.
0:10:43 > 0:10:44And in this case,
0:10:44 > 0:10:48it was a simple internet search that gave the team their breakthrough.
0:10:48 > 0:10:51Steve discovered the tenant's name online in a
0:10:51 > 0:10:55news story about a flood in Dorking town centre.
0:10:55 > 0:10:57I thought, "We'll just do a Google check on his name,
0:10:57 > 0:10:59"see if anything comes up."
0:10:59 > 0:11:01And we actually came up with a news story.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04The news story was in relation to a flood in a street in
0:11:04 > 0:11:07Mole Valley, in the Dorking area,
0:11:07 > 0:11:12and our man was quoted as being the landlord of a local pub.
0:11:12 > 0:11:15There was nothing to stop the tenant having a job in a pub,
0:11:15 > 0:11:18but being named as the landlord did potentially link their tenant
0:11:18 > 0:11:19to that address.
0:11:19 > 0:11:22And that was enough of a reason for Steve to investigate
0:11:22 > 0:11:24whether in fact he was also living there.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29This is the news article that appeared on the Google site.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31READS: Landlord of the nearby pub says,
0:11:31 > 0:11:33"It's really dangerous. During the day,
0:11:33 > 0:11:36"people notice it and can avoid it.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39"But at night-time, you could just go right into it and hurt yourself."
0:11:39 > 0:11:43He's talking about some kind of flood damage to a road, I believe,
0:11:43 > 0:11:45but clearly his name's there.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Yes, we had no idea he was working as well.
0:11:48 > 0:11:50And obviously, we had him
0:11:50 > 0:11:53registered as being a tenant of another address.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57Armed with this extra information, Steve examined council records.
0:11:57 > 0:12:00And investigating who paid the council tax of the pub
0:12:00 > 0:12:02was about to give them a lead.
0:12:02 > 0:12:05What I did is I spoke to our council tax section, who deal with
0:12:05 > 0:12:08the business rates as well as the council tax registers,
0:12:08 > 0:12:11and asked them what they had at the pub and who they had registered.
0:12:11 > 0:12:13They didn't have our man registered there.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15However, the pub did have a flat above the pub...
0:12:15 > 0:12:19- Ah, OK.- ..and that was registered in the name of a woman.
0:12:19 > 0:12:22She was listed as the manager of the pub who divided her time
0:12:22 > 0:12:25between the pub's flat and her own home in Dorking.
0:12:26 > 0:12:28With evidence growing that their tenant
0:12:28 > 0:12:30was linked to the pub's address,
0:12:30 > 0:12:34the team used new legislation to access his financial history.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36And Steve found he'd applied for loans
0:12:36 > 0:12:39using the woman's home address.
0:12:39 > 0:12:42Once we knew the property that he may be linked to,
0:12:42 > 0:12:44- we did some further credit checks on the address...- Yeah.
0:12:44 > 0:12:47And what they actually showed was that our man was
0:12:47 > 0:12:51registered for two loans at the lady's address.
0:12:51 > 0:12:53If he'd been living at the address he says he was living at,
0:12:53 > 0:12:57- why is he taking out finance at a different address?- Yeah.
0:12:57 > 0:12:59The financial links to his girlfriend's address gave
0:12:59 > 0:13:03investigators enough evidence to justify a further visit to the
0:13:03 > 0:13:07tenant's bungalow to see if they could get an explanation.
0:13:07 > 0:13:08But when they arrived,
0:13:08 > 0:13:12they were greeted by a man who said he was a friend of the tenant.
0:13:12 > 0:13:14When we knocked on the door, the door was answered
0:13:14 > 0:13:16by someone we weren't expecting,
0:13:16 > 0:13:19who was another male, aged about 45 to 50,
0:13:19 > 0:13:21said he was just staying over a few days
0:13:21 > 0:13:23while the tenant was helping him out.
0:13:23 > 0:13:25But the man did confirm
0:13:25 > 0:13:28that the tenant's girlfriend was the manager of the pub in Dorking.
0:13:28 > 0:13:31Steve and the team left a message asking for
0:13:31 > 0:13:32the tenant to get in touch.
0:13:32 > 0:13:35And it wasn't long before they heard from him.
0:13:35 > 0:13:39We left a card for our tenant, and within a couple of days,
0:13:39 > 0:13:42the tenant had actually phoned us back and queried what was
0:13:42 > 0:13:45going on and arranged to come down to the office to see us.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48- So he contacted you pretty quickly? - That's right.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51So we organised an interview with him.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53When the tenant came into the council offices,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56he was shown the financial evidence linking him to the
0:13:56 > 0:14:00woman at the pub and her house in Dorking.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02The tenant denied living at either address
0:14:02 > 0:14:05and subletting his bungalow over a number of years.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08First of all, we told him what our suspicions were.
0:14:08 > 0:14:10We told him we didn't think he was living there
0:14:10 > 0:14:12and he was illegally subletting the property.
0:14:12 > 0:14:13He, of course, denied this.
0:14:13 > 0:14:16We then started to show him some of the evidence that we had.
0:14:16 > 0:14:19But he still carried on denying that he was doing anything wrong.
0:14:19 > 0:14:21I think what changed his mind is when we told him
0:14:21 > 0:14:25- that social housing fraud is a criminal offence.- Yeah.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28While the tenant went away to consider his options,
0:14:28 > 0:14:31the housing association's priority was to get the house
0:14:31 > 0:14:32back into their possession.
0:14:32 > 0:14:35With more than 400 people on the housing waiting list
0:14:35 > 0:14:39in the Mole Valley area, the home was desperately needed.
0:14:39 > 0:14:41And after the interview with investigators,
0:14:41 > 0:14:44the tenant made a swift decision.
0:14:44 > 0:14:47Within a couple of hours, he phoned us back and told us
0:14:47 > 0:14:50- he had in fact moved in with her and gave up the tenancy.- Wow.
0:14:50 > 0:14:53- So a really good result for you. - That's right.
0:14:53 > 0:14:56It's even better news for one Mole Valley family who'd been
0:14:56 > 0:14:58waiting for a social housing property.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Within a month of the neighbour's tip-off,
0:15:00 > 0:15:03they were able to move off the council housing waiting list
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and start enjoying life in this popular Surrey village.
0:15:07 > 0:15:11It's a lovely place, and now someone who actually genuinely
0:15:11 > 0:15:12needs it is renting that property.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18I definitely think that subletting is something that should be
0:15:18 > 0:15:22cracked down upon. It is taking advantage of a system.
0:15:22 > 0:15:26The housing has been provided for the people who need it.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28If they have somewhere else to live, they don't need it.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30There was someone on my block who had a property
0:15:30 > 0:15:34and had another property in hand and was renting out to various people
0:15:34 > 0:15:38from Ireland, from all over, coming in,
0:15:38 > 0:15:41you know, paying high rent for the flat.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43But eventually they got caught.
0:15:43 > 0:15:47People that, you know, exploit that system in that way, it's,
0:15:47 > 0:15:49I guess, a shameful abuse of that system.
0:15:53 > 0:15:57The government's Right to Buy scheme has been running since 1980.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Under the scheme, you have the right to apply to buy your council house
0:16:00 > 0:16:03and, in some cases, housing association home
0:16:03 > 0:16:06if you've been resident for three years or more.
0:16:07 > 0:16:10In 2015, the available discounts were increased to
0:16:10 > 0:16:14a maximum of £77,900 outside London
0:16:14 > 0:16:17and £103,900 in London.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24We're back in Greenwich, where today,
0:16:24 > 0:16:26grandmother Jacqueline Willoughby will be
0:16:26 > 0:16:29sentenced at Woolwich Crown Court for, first, subletting her
0:16:29 > 0:16:34council flat and then fraudulently applying to buy it.
0:16:34 > 0:16:38- What was the weekly rent on our property?- The rent was £127 a week.
0:16:38 > 0:16:40And what's she been charging at in later years?
0:16:40 > 0:16:43Monthly it's £1,000, nearly £1,100.
0:16:43 > 0:16:47Six years after she left her council flat without informing
0:16:47 > 0:16:51the council, Mrs Willoughby made an application under
0:16:51 > 0:16:53the government's Right to Buy scheme.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55With a discount of £100,000,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00the three-bedroom council flat would cost her just £65,000.
0:17:00 > 0:17:06She then, in 2013, actually put in a Right to Buy application.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10The Right to Buy application shows a specific question.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14Is the property the tenant's only or principal home?
0:17:14 > 0:17:16And as you can see, it's been ticked yes there.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20The council asked for more information from Mrs Willoughby.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23And when she didn't provide it, they cancelled the application.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26But the following year, she tried again.
0:17:26 > 0:17:31This time, the discount was calculated at £102,700,
0:17:31 > 0:17:36putting the cost of buying her flat at £72,300.
0:17:36 > 0:17:41The 2013 application, they didn't proceed with it.
0:17:41 > 0:17:46They later made a declaration again to the council that they'd
0:17:46 > 0:17:48been honest in their declarations
0:17:48 > 0:17:52and made another actual application, completed another application form,
0:17:52 > 0:17:55again answering that question in 2014,
0:17:55 > 0:18:00that one was, saying that it was her main and only principal home.
0:18:00 > 0:18:03But in Greenwich, the council investigates all
0:18:03 > 0:18:05Right to Buy applications as a matter of course.
0:18:05 > 0:18:08And council officers paid a visit to the flat to check
0:18:08 > 0:18:10that she was still living there.
0:18:10 > 0:18:12Instead of finding Mrs Willoughby
0:18:12 > 0:18:14at what she said was her only address,
0:18:14 > 0:18:16there was a couple living there.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20When they went to the property, they found the subtenants there,
0:18:20 > 0:18:22who were quite frank about the situation.
0:18:22 > 0:18:25They were paying £1,100 to who they believed to be
0:18:25 > 0:18:27the landlord of the property.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30The flat was being rented for double the amount
0:18:30 > 0:18:31being paid to the council.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36What's more, the occupiers had no idea it was a council-owned flat.
0:18:36 > 0:18:40The investigating team called Mrs Willoughby in for an interview.
0:18:40 > 0:18:42We had to interview her,
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and she answered "no comment" to all of the interview questions.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49She gave a written statement to say that she'd just moved out
0:18:49 > 0:18:52in the spring of 2014.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55If her recent application for a Right to Buy had succeeded,
0:18:55 > 0:18:57how much would she have got from us?
0:18:57 > 0:18:58How much of a discount?
0:18:58 > 0:19:02About £103,000, she would have received in discount.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04With all their evidence in place,
0:19:04 > 0:19:07Mrs Willoughby was charged with four counts of fraud -
0:19:07 > 0:19:09one for subletting the flat,
0:19:09 > 0:19:12and three in relation to the Right to Buy applications.
0:19:12 > 0:19:16- So what has Mrs Willoughby been charged with?- Four counts of fraud.
0:19:16 > 0:19:21The first count being her not using it as her only and principal home
0:19:21 > 0:19:25as well as the subletting, in breach of Section 3 of the Fraud Act.
0:19:25 > 0:19:29Two, three and four all relate to the Right to Buy matters
0:19:29 > 0:19:32because there were two applications and a further declaration made.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35Has Mrs Willoughby pleaded to any of these offences?
0:19:35 > 0:19:38In the previous court hearing, she pleaded guilty to all four.
0:19:38 > 0:19:40Today, it's time for Karen
0:19:40 > 0:19:43and Nigel to see the final result of the investigation.
0:19:43 > 0:19:46They are going along to Woolwich Crown Court,
0:19:46 > 0:19:48where Mrs Willoughby is appearing to be sentenced.
0:19:49 > 0:19:53After hearing mitigation, the judge handed down his sentence.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57Mrs Willoughby was sentenced to nine months' imprisonment,
0:19:57 > 0:19:59suspended for two years,
0:19:59 > 0:20:03and ordered to do 150 hours of community service.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07And as Mrs Willoughby and the family leave court after the case,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10both council officers hope the sentence will deter
0:20:10 > 0:20:13others from trying to profit from social housing.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16The result today is the lady got nine months' imprisonment,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18suspended for two years.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21So, basically, he took into account her age and other factors.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24The message is quite clear to her. She was very upset. She was crying.
0:20:24 > 0:20:25The family are upset.
0:20:25 > 0:20:27You know, just don't sublet your properties.
0:20:27 > 0:20:31She's now got to work 150 hours in the community, unpaid,
0:20:31 > 0:20:33so at least she's giving something back.
0:20:33 > 0:20:35She's now got to pay some of our legal costs, which is good.
0:20:35 > 0:20:37I think they awarded £750.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39We are now going to be pursuing her for our financial losses
0:20:39 > 0:20:42of over £102,000,
0:20:42 > 0:20:45as a result of her depriving us of our property that we could have
0:20:45 > 0:20:48given to somebody who was actually in need of a property.
0:20:48 > 0:20:51The Greenwich council flat at the centre of the fraud has now
0:20:51 > 0:20:53been re-let to a new tenant.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59You will get caught eventually.
0:20:59 > 0:21:02I'm not saying today or tomorrow, but eventually you will get caught
0:21:02 > 0:21:05and then everything will catch up.
0:21:05 > 0:21:07The sort of punishments, I would think,
0:21:07 > 0:21:09would be significant financial ones.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13So I'd be reluctant to do prison because it simply costs money.
0:21:13 > 0:21:16But I suppose, in the worst case,
0:21:16 > 0:21:19prison is an acceptable outcome. But huge financial penalties.
0:21:19 > 0:21:22I don't know what the current punishment is for misusing
0:21:22 > 0:21:28the system, but for a start, I'd say not a lifetime ban,
0:21:28 > 0:21:30but banning access from using that system
0:21:30 > 0:21:32for a considerable amount of time.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38Empty and abandoned homes can pose a real problem for councils
0:21:38 > 0:21:43because it can be a time-consuming and costly process to recover them.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46There's more than 65,000 social housing properties
0:21:46 > 0:21:50currently unoccupied in England, Wales and Scotland.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52In the busy market town of Bicester,
0:21:52 > 0:21:55there's mystery surrounding one flat that used to be
0:21:55 > 0:21:58lived in by a young mum and her child.
0:21:58 > 0:22:01Tenancy fraud officers are desperate to get inside because it seems
0:22:01 > 0:22:05the family have disappeared without trace.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08The rent's not been paid since last year, and the mum
0:22:08 > 0:22:12and her eight-year-old child haven't been seen or heard of for months.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15Today, investigator Lee Mariconda is on his way to visit
0:22:15 > 0:22:19the two-bedroom flat owned by Paradigm Housing Association.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21He wants to know if they've abandoned the flat or
0:22:21 > 0:22:23if there's another explanation.
0:22:23 > 0:22:26I've done quite a few visits to this property at all
0:22:26 > 0:22:29hours of the day - morning, afternoon, evening visits.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32I've not been able to get access, so we're actually now going to go
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and do a final visit, just to go and see whether or not there's
0:22:35 > 0:22:38anybody there before we take any further action.
0:22:38 > 0:22:40In the last two visits, I've left calling cards
0:22:40 > 0:22:44and I've also left a letter asking the tenant to contact us.
0:22:44 > 0:22:47And, unfortunately, I've had no response to anything I've left,
0:22:47 > 0:22:50and nobody's been at home on any of the visits.
0:22:50 > 0:22:53So it comes to the conclusion that they're either ignoring
0:22:53 > 0:22:55me or there's nobody there.
0:22:57 > 0:23:00The young mum's rent was being paid by the council
0:23:00 > 0:23:01through housing benefits.
0:23:02 > 0:23:04When the rent stopped being paid,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06Lee stepped in to see what was going on.
0:23:09 > 0:23:10Housing benefit was in payment.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14Housing benefit suddenly stopped due to a change in their circumstances,
0:23:14 > 0:23:16and since then, there's been no contact from that person.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19There's been no correspondence to put housing benefit back in place,
0:23:19 > 0:23:23to make any agreement to pay the rent arrears, not contacted Paradigm
0:23:23 > 0:23:27at all to discuss their tenancy.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29When a tenant abandons a home
0:23:29 > 0:23:32and they don't inform the council or housing association,
0:23:32 > 0:23:35investigators need to establish exactly what's happened.
0:23:35 > 0:23:37From a personal point of view,
0:23:37 > 0:23:39I grew up in social housing to about the age of 13.
0:23:39 > 0:23:41I feel that social housing is there for a good reason,
0:23:41 > 0:23:43for people in my situation,
0:23:43 > 0:23:47when we couldn't afford to live in private rented or get a mortgage.
0:23:47 > 0:23:49And that's why I feel passionately
0:23:49 > 0:23:51why social housing has to be protected.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54Lee needs to find out whether this flat has been abandoned,
0:23:54 > 0:23:56but he's also concerned about the family.
0:23:56 > 0:23:59His enquiries started with the neighbours.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01I went and spoke to neighbours,
0:24:01 > 0:24:03and all have confirmed that no-one lives there.
0:24:03 > 0:24:06And we rely heavily on neighbours because they are the ones who
0:24:06 > 0:24:11can see and hear things that we, social landlords, don't see.
0:24:11 > 0:24:14With a child in the family, one way to check if they're still
0:24:14 > 0:24:18in the county is to see if the boy is registered at any school.
0:24:18 > 0:24:23So Lee's next mission is to get in touch with the education department.
0:24:23 > 0:24:25One of the investigations that I carried out was
0:24:25 > 0:24:28contacting the county council's education department to find out
0:24:28 > 0:24:30whether or not the child was registered with
0:24:30 > 0:24:31a school in the county.
0:24:31 > 0:24:34Now, the county council came back to me and confirmed that the
0:24:34 > 0:24:38child had been attending a school in the county up until a year ago
0:24:38 > 0:24:42but no longer attends any schools in the area.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45It just adds more weight to our suspicions that the property's
0:24:45 > 0:24:49abandoned, and we can use that as evidence if we go to court.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51It looks like the family might have left the area,
0:24:51 > 0:24:53but Lee needs to make sure before
0:24:53 > 0:24:56the housing association can take action.
0:24:56 > 0:24:59So what I'm going to plan on doing when we get to the property
0:24:59 > 0:25:03is just a door knock to see whether anybody answers the door,
0:25:03 > 0:25:05have a look for the signs to see whether or not anything's changed
0:25:05 > 0:25:07since my last visit.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09Anything that would just indicate that there's been some
0:25:09 > 0:25:11kind of a movement in the property.
0:25:11 > 0:25:13And he's not taking any chances.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Last time he went to the flat, Lee took some extra precautions to
0:25:17 > 0:25:20make sure he'd know if anyone was coming or going.
0:25:20 > 0:25:23On the last visit, I left some sellotape on the lock.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26Now, it sounds bizarre, but if you put sellotape over the lock,
0:25:26 > 0:25:29someone's going to have to use that lock to get in.
0:25:29 > 0:25:30And if the sellotape is still there,
0:25:30 > 0:25:33then clearly that lock hasn't been used.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37I also put the recycling bin on the mat in front of the door,
0:25:37 > 0:25:40so if any one's been there, then, you know it will be moved.
0:25:40 > 0:25:44As Lee arrives, he spots the first telltale signs that nothing's
0:25:44 > 0:25:46changed since his last visit.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48The bin's still where he left it four months ago.
0:25:49 > 0:25:52The recycling box that I left in the middle of the front door is
0:25:52 > 0:25:55still there. It's not been moved from the last visit I made.
0:25:55 > 0:25:57As you can see, the sellotape that I put on the door is still
0:25:57 > 0:26:01intact, there, over the lock here,
0:26:01 > 0:26:04and also on the Chubb lock at the bottom.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06If it's still intact, it shows me
0:26:06 > 0:26:08that no-one's made any attempt to enter this property.
0:26:08 > 0:26:11I am 100% sure that the property's abandoned, and this
0:26:11 > 0:26:13sellotape's been on the lock now since...
0:26:13 > 0:26:14for the last four months now.
0:26:14 > 0:26:17There's nothing wrong with giving up a housing association flat,
0:26:17 > 0:26:20but tenants are obliged to let the landlord know so
0:26:20 > 0:26:23the property can be given to someone who needs it.
0:26:23 > 0:26:26Now Lee can start the process to get the property back.
0:26:26 > 0:26:27I mean, eviction's a big deal.
0:26:27 > 0:26:29I mean, it's not something that we take lightly.
0:26:29 > 0:26:32That's why we have to carry out all the investigations
0:26:32 > 0:26:34that we can in order to get the property back.
0:26:34 > 0:26:36You have to be satisfied that the property is
0:26:36 > 0:26:39abandoned before you take eviction process.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43This process could have been avoided if the person that was living here
0:26:43 > 0:26:45had done the simple thing by just giving us back the keys.
0:26:45 > 0:26:47We could have got this property back a lot quicker.
0:26:47 > 0:26:52I'm going to go back to the office now and process the court papers.
0:26:52 > 0:26:56Coming up, as the bailiffs move in, the housing association officers
0:26:56 > 0:26:59are shocked by what's behind the door of the abandoned flat.
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- I must admit, I didn't expect this. - No.- I have to be honest. Shock.
0:27:06 > 0:27:10I feel if someone abandons council property, that's really unfortunate.
0:27:10 > 0:27:12It's a real waste, you know,
0:27:12 > 0:27:16of accommodation for people who need it. I think if that's
0:27:16 > 0:27:19as significant in materials as you possibly suggest, I think
0:27:19 > 0:27:21policies and procedures and processes
0:27:21 > 0:27:24should be put in place to try and identify those properties.
0:27:24 > 0:27:26And then make sure that those properties
0:27:26 > 0:27:28are put to the appropriate use.
0:27:28 > 0:27:30Well, if someone's leaving the property,
0:27:30 > 0:27:33and actually just leaving it to rot, essentially, again that's just
0:27:33 > 0:27:35taking a very, very valuable resource
0:27:35 > 0:27:37from the marketplace, essentially.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40They've got it, but then they leave it, do you know what I mean?
0:27:40 > 0:27:42They've got it and it's a privilege.
0:27:42 > 0:27:46It ain't a right, it's a privilege to have it.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Families throughout the UK are desperate for social housing.
0:27:53 > 0:27:56But waiting lists are longest in the capital.
0:27:56 > 0:27:59In Tower Hamlets, in London's East End,
0:27:59 > 0:28:03there are nearly 20,000 households waiting for a social housing home.
0:28:04 > 0:28:08Almost 3,000 have been waiting for more than ten years.
0:28:08 > 0:28:11And six of those households have been on the waiting list
0:28:11 > 0:28:13since the 1980s.
0:28:14 > 0:28:18Investigating and tracking down housing fraudsters puts
0:28:18 > 0:28:19a strain on the public purse.
0:28:19 > 0:28:22When councils are forced to go to court to get a property back,
0:28:22 > 0:28:24the costs can soar.
0:28:24 > 0:28:30It can cost local authorities up to £12,000 to evict someone.
0:28:31 > 0:28:34The tenant of one social housing flat in this tower block
0:28:34 > 0:28:39moved out and went to live in Ghana, letting her family use the flat.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41But even when investigators caught up with her,
0:28:41 > 0:28:44she and her son still refused to give back the keys,
0:28:44 > 0:28:49forcing the council to go to court and get her evicted.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Fraud investigator Avril Drummond was called when a man was
0:28:52 > 0:28:55seen taking belongings out of the ground floor flat.
0:28:55 > 0:29:00The housing officer e-mailed me to advise that on a visit to the area,
0:29:00 > 0:29:05she had noticed that there was a gentleman clearing out the property.
0:29:05 > 0:29:09The tenant should have been an elderly lady in her 60s,
0:29:09 > 0:29:12but the gentleman who was there, he said he was the son of the tenant.
0:29:14 > 0:29:17When tenants leave their social homes or there's any change in who's
0:29:17 > 0:29:20living there, they're obliged to let the council know.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23But in this case, there had been no communication and the housing
0:29:23 > 0:29:28officer wanted to know why the man appeared to be clearing the flat.
0:29:28 > 0:29:32He gave them his details, but the rent was still being paid,
0:29:32 > 0:29:34so we started having a little bit of concern that it might be
0:29:34 > 0:29:37being sublet or about to be sublet.
0:29:37 > 0:29:39When he was pressed for more details,
0:29:39 > 0:29:42the tenant's son wasn't very forthcoming with information.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44He said he was the tenant's son.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47He said that she'd been in Ghana for a couple of months.
0:29:47 > 0:29:52She hadn't been gone for long and he was just changing the carpet.
0:29:52 > 0:29:55With the tenant supposedly away in Ghana, Avril's first task
0:29:55 > 0:29:57was to find out what was in
0:29:57 > 0:30:00Poplar HARCA Housing Association's records about her.
0:30:00 > 0:30:03First steps were to look back through the tenancy,
0:30:03 > 0:30:06see who was registered at the property,
0:30:06 > 0:30:10who the lawful tenant was, who else had been living with the tenant.
0:30:11 > 0:30:13The records showed that the woman tenant had
0:30:13 > 0:30:16moved into the flat in 1994.
0:30:16 > 0:30:19The only other tenant registered at the address was her brother,
0:30:19 > 0:30:21but he'd already moved out.
0:30:22 > 0:30:25There was another gentleman that was registered as living there.
0:30:25 > 0:30:30He was the brother of the tenant, but we had rehoused him as he had
0:30:30 > 0:30:32claimed that he was overcrowded living there with his sister.
0:30:32 > 0:30:35So we decided to go and visit the property then.
0:30:35 > 0:30:37Avril and the team did their best,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40but whenever they visited, no-one was at home.
0:30:40 > 0:30:41Within a couple of weeks,
0:30:41 > 0:30:45I made several attempts to visit the property -
0:30:45 > 0:30:49early morning, during the day, later on in the afternoon.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51I left calling cards.
0:30:51 > 0:30:54Nobody contacted me to say, "Right, well, I'm living here."
0:30:54 > 0:30:56There was no communication whatsoever.
0:30:56 > 0:30:59The people best-placed to know what's happening
0:30:59 > 0:31:01at a property are usually the neighbours.
0:31:01 > 0:31:03And that was the team's next step.
0:31:03 > 0:31:05I spoke to the neighbour who said they hadn't seen
0:31:05 > 0:31:08the lawful tenant for years. You know, a long time.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11And there was another male that seemed to come and go,
0:31:11 > 0:31:14but they didn't believe there was anyone actually living there.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17It looked like the tenant could have moved out without telling
0:31:17 > 0:31:21the council and left the flat for the convenience of her family.
0:31:21 > 0:31:24I started running checks on the tenant
0:31:24 > 0:31:27and anyone else who'd been living at the property.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30The tenant hadn't been registered there on the electoral roll
0:31:30 > 0:31:33since 2010, so that was five years.
0:31:33 > 0:31:36She'd only had one bank account listed at the property,
0:31:36 > 0:31:40and that had also ceased any activities from 2012.
0:31:40 > 0:31:42So, for three years,
0:31:42 > 0:31:43there didn't look like there'd been
0:31:43 > 0:31:45any activity from the lawful tenant.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Avril wasn't going to leave the
0:31:47 > 0:31:49property empty for any longer than necessary.
0:31:49 > 0:31:52She informed the tenant that the flat was going to be taken
0:31:52 > 0:31:54back by the housing association.
0:31:54 > 0:31:58Well, the next steps for me was to serve notices on the property.
0:31:58 > 0:32:02I tried contacting the alleged son by the phone number that he
0:32:02 > 0:32:04had given the housing officer.
0:32:04 > 0:32:08Avril asked him to come into their offices for an interview. He agreed.
0:32:08 > 0:32:11The son said he came and went, but
0:32:11 > 0:32:14now he had moved into the property.
0:32:14 > 0:32:17He couldn't tell me, though, how long his mother had not been there.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20He believed it was a couple of months, and I told him
0:32:20 > 0:32:22it was clear she had not been there for years.
0:32:22 > 0:32:24He was also surprised.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26He didn't know his uncle had been living there either.
0:32:26 > 0:32:27So it was clear to me that he
0:32:27 > 0:32:31hadn't known the full circumstances of his tenancy.
0:32:31 > 0:32:34I advised him that we were serving notices on the property
0:32:34 > 0:32:36and the reason why.
0:32:36 > 0:32:39Avril also wanted to know how long the lawful tenant had been
0:32:39 > 0:32:41away in Ghana and why.
0:32:41 > 0:32:45He did say his mother had not been well, and I asked him
0:32:45 > 0:32:49to bring in some kind of like proof that she'd been taken ill abroad.
0:32:49 > 0:32:53The son couldn't provide any proof, so official notices were
0:32:53 > 0:32:56sent to the flat as well as to the woman's address in Ghana,
0:32:56 > 0:32:57informing her that the flat was
0:32:57 > 0:33:00being reclaimed by the housing association.
0:33:00 > 0:33:03Then Avril heard from the tenant.
0:33:03 > 0:33:07I received a letter from the tenant in Ghana saying that she was
0:33:07 > 0:33:11away and could her son look after her affairs while she was there.
0:33:11 > 0:33:16I did write back to her to advise that we had served notices and
0:33:16 > 0:33:20I enclosed the notices and asked her to seek independent legal advice.
0:33:20 > 0:33:24I told her we couldn't allow her son to remain in the property.
0:33:24 > 0:33:26He had no legal claim to the property.
0:33:26 > 0:33:29Avril asked the tenant to return the flat to the housing association
0:33:29 > 0:33:32herself so there'd be no need to take legal action.
0:33:32 > 0:33:37- But she didn't do it.- The file was then sent through to our solicitors.
0:33:37 > 0:33:40We applied to court for possession hearing,
0:33:40 > 0:33:46and we had the initial hearing in January of this year, 2016, and the
0:33:46 > 0:33:50judge granted us outright possession forthwith of that property.
0:33:50 > 0:33:53The son would have seen the order for possession.
0:33:53 > 0:33:55I did contact him as well.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59He said he needed a little bit more time to vacate the property.
0:33:59 > 0:34:01I gave him an extra week and a half.
0:34:01 > 0:34:03The keys weren't returned to us.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06The family seem in no hurry to give up the flat
0:34:06 > 0:34:08they're now unlawfully occupying.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10It's particularly frustrating for Avril,
0:34:10 > 0:34:13as the property is on the ground floor so could be being
0:34:13 > 0:34:15used by someone from the housing list
0:34:15 > 0:34:17who has difficulty getting around.
0:34:17 > 0:34:20Avril has since visited the flat a number of times to try
0:34:20 > 0:34:22and get the keys back.
0:34:22 > 0:34:24This property is a one-bedroom flat.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28Currently in our borough, we have over 8,500 households
0:34:28 > 0:34:31on the waiting list requiring a one-bedroom house.
0:34:33 > 0:34:37The court gave us possession of this property a few weeks ago,
0:34:37 > 0:34:39so I have had to instruct our solicitors to
0:34:39 > 0:34:43request a bailiff's warrant from the court, which is going to
0:34:43 > 0:34:45be more time-consuming and more costly.
0:34:45 > 0:34:48So we're just going to have to wait and see now
0:34:48 > 0:34:51whether he hands the keys back as promised or
0:34:51 > 0:34:53whether the court date comes through and we have to wait for the
0:34:53 > 0:34:55bailiff's warrant, which is something
0:34:55 > 0:34:57I was trying to avoid if I could.
0:34:57 > 0:34:59The bailiff's warrant could take six to eight weeks to be
0:34:59 > 0:35:01processed by the court.
0:35:01 > 0:35:02But within three months,
0:35:02 > 0:35:04this flat should be ready to house
0:35:04 > 0:35:06one more tenant from the waiting list.
0:35:09 > 0:35:11If they've found somewhere else they live
0:35:11 > 0:35:13and they can afford to pay rent, then they should vacate
0:35:13 > 0:35:15their own house and give it to somebody
0:35:15 > 0:35:17who hasn't got anywhere to live.
0:35:17 > 0:35:21If it's a house that, you know, you're getting from the state,
0:35:21 > 0:35:25and you have enough money to move abroad, it's just not fair.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28There's an amount of people who are living here right now that need
0:35:28 > 0:35:29the help like now.
0:35:29 > 0:35:32It's so important that people get housing that's safe and healthy
0:35:32 > 0:35:35when they need it rather than just like waiting...
0:35:38 > 0:35:42Earlier, housing investigators visited a family flat that
0:35:42 > 0:35:46seemed to have been abandoned by a mum and her eight-year-old child.
0:35:46 > 0:35:49Lee Mariconda has done all he can to track down the tenant.
0:35:49 > 0:35:52The county council confirmed that the child had been attending
0:35:52 > 0:35:55a school in the county up until a year ago,
0:35:55 > 0:35:58but no longer attends any schools in the area.
0:35:58 > 0:36:01It just adds more weight to our suspicions that the
0:36:01 > 0:36:04property's abandoned.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07After his last visit, Lee went to court to get permission to
0:36:07 > 0:36:09evict the tenant and repossess the property.
0:36:09 > 0:36:14Today's the day the bailiff's go in to take back the abandoned flat.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17A locksmith will be on hand because housing associations
0:36:17 > 0:36:20and councils don't hold keys for their properties.
0:36:21 > 0:36:24It's frustrating for us because it's a property that we
0:36:24 > 0:36:27know is sitting there empty, and it has been sitting there
0:36:27 > 0:36:29empty for a while and that we should never have got to this stage.
0:36:29 > 0:36:32But this is the last resort. This is the only way that
0:36:32 > 0:36:34we're going to be getting the property back.
0:36:34 > 0:36:35And here we are.
0:36:35 > 0:36:38I've come here to meet my colleague Lauren, who is from the rent team,
0:36:38 > 0:36:39and a locksmith.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41We're actually going to be carrying out the eviction,
0:36:41 > 0:36:44and we're sort of going to be meeting the bailiffs here as well.
0:36:44 > 0:36:47- Hi, Lee. How are you?- Yeah, good, thank you.- Good.- Bailiff's here yet?
0:36:47 > 0:36:50No, I've spoken to the bailiff. He is on his way.
0:36:50 > 0:36:53- But the locksmith is here.- Shall we go and talk to him?- Yes, let's go.
0:36:53 > 0:36:56- Have you had any contact from her at all?- Nothing at all.
0:36:56 > 0:36:59- Me neither.- No.- Hiya, it's Lee. How are you?- Fine, thanks.
0:36:59 > 0:37:01- What about yourself?- Not bad. - Hi, I'm Lauren.
0:37:01 > 0:37:03We've met before, haven't we? Yeah.
0:37:03 > 0:37:04The bailiff has arrived.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07It's his job to hand the property back to the landlord,
0:37:07 > 0:37:09and he's usually employed by the county court.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12He will escort anyone inside off the premises,
0:37:12 > 0:37:14but he can't use force.
0:37:14 > 0:37:18It's up to the housing officers to fill him in on the background.
0:37:18 > 0:37:19The more he knows,
0:37:19 > 0:37:22the better, as he'll be the first one through the door of the flat.
0:37:23 > 0:37:28- Is it the upstairs flat? - It's the flat, this one here.
0:37:28 > 0:37:30That's the top flat in the corner.
0:37:30 > 0:37:33- Has anybody knocked? - We believe the property's empty.
0:37:33 > 0:37:36Basically, we've had no contact from her for several months now.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- So the neighbours haven't said anything?- Have the neighbours...?
0:37:39 > 0:37:40The neighbours have not seen her.
0:37:40 > 0:37:42I put sellotape over the lock in October.
0:37:42 > 0:37:44The sellotape's still on the lock.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47And also we've done some background checks as well with agencies,
0:37:47 > 0:37:49and they've all confirmed that she's not here.
0:37:49 > 0:37:52The tenant was notified of a date and time for the eviction.
0:37:52 > 0:37:54That time has arrived.
0:37:54 > 0:37:58It's one o'clock now, so the eviction can go ahead.
0:37:58 > 0:38:00HE KNOCKS
0:38:04 > 0:38:06- Right. Might as well go in then.- OK.
0:38:08 > 0:38:10The locksmith is getting to work.
0:38:10 > 0:38:13Once everyone's in, he'll change the locks.
0:38:13 > 0:38:15It's been a long journey to get to this point
0:38:15 > 0:38:18and there's some tension in the air.
0:38:18 > 0:38:21Everyone's keen to see what's on the other side of the door.
0:38:24 > 0:38:26There can be various complications
0:38:26 > 0:38:29because somebody could have barricaded the door inside.
0:38:29 > 0:38:31Eventually we always get in.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35My role is to just turn up and be the first into the property,
0:38:35 > 0:38:39and then to make sure that there's nobody left in the property.
0:38:39 > 0:38:40And if there is somebody there,
0:38:40 > 0:38:43I give them the opportunity to collect the essential things
0:38:43 > 0:38:46they're going to need and I escort them off the property.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50We have got no idea what's behind the other side of the door.
0:38:50 > 0:38:52It could be anything.
0:38:53 > 0:38:55- And we're in.- Anybody in?
0:39:00 > 0:39:01Do you want to come in?
0:39:01 > 0:39:04The housing officers were expecting an empty flat,
0:39:04 > 0:39:08but they're shocked to see it's still full of belongings.
0:39:08 > 0:39:11- I must admit, I didn't expect this. - No.- You don't know what... yeah.
0:39:13 > 0:39:16I was expecting nothing to be in here, to be perfectly honest.
0:39:17 > 0:39:19Generally, when a property is abandoned,
0:39:19 > 0:39:20they would normally just leave.
0:39:20 > 0:39:23They'll take their personal belongings and stuff like that.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26That's generally what happens. But this, this is not what I expected.
0:39:26 > 0:39:28This is just like they've just gone out
0:39:28 > 0:39:29for the day or something, you know?
0:39:29 > 0:39:31I'm speechless actually. Absolutely speechless.
0:39:31 > 0:39:34It's as if the family have walked out of their life,
0:39:34 > 0:39:36leaving absolutely everything behind.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39It's just like they've just popped out for the day, you know,
0:39:39 > 0:39:41and they're just going to come home of an evening,
0:39:41 > 0:39:43because literally there is everything here.
0:39:43 > 0:39:45You know, there's belongings, there's furniture,
0:39:45 > 0:39:47there's clothing, there's paperwork.
0:39:47 > 0:39:49There's all kids' stuff here as well.
0:39:49 > 0:39:51It's very rare that you'd go somewhere and not take anything.
0:39:51 > 0:39:54And there's an extra bed in there, which suggests that there's been
0:39:54 > 0:39:58- more people living in the property than we were aware of.- Yeah.
0:39:58 > 0:40:01This is unusual because it does look as
0:40:01 > 0:40:04if they've left with the intention of coming back,
0:40:04 > 0:40:07and clearly they haven't.
0:40:07 > 0:40:11Looking around the flat, it's obvious this family left in a hurry.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14In the bedroom, Lee and Lauren find letters that give them
0:40:14 > 0:40:18more clues about when the mum and her child disappeared.
0:40:18 > 0:40:22- The letters that are out are dated 2014.- The stuff that we can see,
0:40:22 > 0:40:25I mean, stuff going back to early 2014, so it would indicate
0:40:25 > 0:40:28that was roughly around the time that the person was last here.
0:40:28 > 0:40:30Yes, there is something here from September 2014.
0:40:30 > 0:40:32I've only been trying to get hold of them
0:40:32 > 0:40:34since about August time.
0:40:34 > 0:40:37It's very bizarre that there's letters here from 2014.
0:40:37 > 0:40:40It kind of suggests that the property has been abandoned
0:40:40 > 0:40:41a lot earlier than what we thought.
0:40:41 > 0:40:43Yeah, shock.
0:40:43 > 0:40:46- I have to be honest.- The rent was covered by housing benefit
0:40:46 > 0:40:49through the local council, and it was that that stopped,
0:40:49 > 0:40:51and then the rent arrears started building.
0:40:51 > 0:40:54We had no contact from the tenant, which obviously made us
0:40:54 > 0:40:57take further action and start investigating it further.
0:40:57 > 0:40:58Lee's getting worried.
0:40:58 > 0:41:00He's beginning to think there might
0:41:00 > 0:41:02be more to this story than meets the eye.
0:41:02 > 0:41:05One concern that we might have now is that we might have to make
0:41:05 > 0:41:07some enquiries with the police, see whether or not there is any
0:41:07 > 0:41:09reason to be concerned. I mean, things like this.
0:41:09 > 0:41:12We've got a box of shells and stuff.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15To us, it might not seem anything, but that's a sentimental thing.
0:41:15 > 0:41:16Why has that not been taken with them?
0:41:16 > 0:41:19Things like kid's glasses, for example.
0:41:19 > 0:41:21Again, you know, the child is going to need their glasses.
0:41:21 > 0:41:25You've got a calendar here from January 2014, so that's the last,
0:41:25 > 0:41:27that's when it was last on there. So, again,
0:41:27 > 0:41:30that could indicate that's when they were last here.
0:41:30 > 0:41:31So we're talking two years now.
0:41:31 > 0:41:33This is really concerning as well.
0:41:33 > 0:41:36There appears to be an outfit ready to go.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39It's clear the housing investigators' work isn't done yet.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43They'll have to make every effort to find out where the family's gone.
0:41:43 > 0:41:46And even though the belongings have been left behind,
0:41:46 > 0:41:48they can't just be destroyed.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51By law, the owners must be given 30 days to collect
0:41:51 > 0:41:53any of their possessions.
0:41:53 > 0:41:56We'll have to make every effort that we can to try and get
0:41:56 > 0:41:57a forwarding address for them.
0:41:57 > 0:41:59The police will only give a certain information,
0:41:59 > 0:42:01so we'd have to obviously ask for information
0:42:01 > 0:42:04under a welfare concern, and we can certainly do that.
0:42:04 > 0:42:06The last enquiries I made that the child had left
0:42:06 > 0:42:08school in the county in 2014,
0:42:08 > 0:42:12so where they've gone after that, it seems to be a bit of a mystery.
0:42:12 > 0:42:14While they try to track down the family,
0:42:14 > 0:42:16an inventory will be made of
0:42:16 > 0:42:18everything that's been left in the flat.
0:42:18 > 0:42:20If no-one makes a claim on the items within a month,
0:42:20 > 0:42:22they'll be destroyed.
0:42:22 > 0:42:24It does hold things up a little bit more.
0:42:24 > 0:42:27Unfortunately, it's protocol and that's what we have to do.
0:42:27 > 0:42:29The locksmith's done his job
0:42:29 > 0:42:33and the housing investigators have done all they can for the moment.
0:42:33 > 0:42:35Lee's leaving with mixed feelings.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37But while he tries to solve the mystery of the family's
0:42:37 > 0:42:41disappearance, at least one more household will soon be able
0:42:41 > 0:42:44to leave temporary housing and get a home of their own.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47It's not what we expected today. I mean, it's a bit of a shock.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48But there is a positive out of that
0:42:48 > 0:42:50in the fact that we've now got a property back
0:42:50 > 0:42:52and we'll be giving it to a family pretty soon.
0:42:52 > 0:42:55I'm intrigued, more than anything, as to what's gone on there,
0:42:55 > 0:42:58because something clearly's not right and I'm going to try
0:42:58 > 0:42:59and find out what's gone on.
0:42:59 > 0:43:02But in the meantime, we're going to obviously do our bit to get
0:43:02 > 0:43:06the property cleared and get it back into possession for somebody else.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09After we filmed, investigators did manage to
0:43:09 > 0:43:13track down the family, who were found safe and sound in Birmingham.
0:43:14 > 0:43:17Within three weeks of the eviction date, the flat's new tenant
0:43:17 > 0:43:22moved in, a man who'd been sleeping rough on the streets for two years.
0:43:25 > 0:43:28It's down to the determination, dedication
0:43:28 > 0:43:31and detective work of housing investigators that
0:43:31 > 0:43:34so many social housing properties are being reclaimed
0:43:34 > 0:43:36and given to families that really need them.