Owner of rat-infested 'eye-sore' of a house in Waterlooville is fined for letting his home crumble

A NEGLECTFUL owner who let his ‘eye-sore’ of a house fall into disrepair and ignored calls to fix it has been take to court by a council

By Tom Cotterill

Published 13th Mar 2022, 14:06 BST

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John Farmer has been rapped for letting his run-down, rat-infested home in Round Way, Waterlooville, fall into ‘serious disrepair’.

The home had been left to crumble for several years by Farmer, who snubbed an order by Havant Borough Council to fix it.

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The house had been left to crumble, with its owner refusing to comply with a council order to fix it up.

The house had been left to crumble, with its owner refusing to comply with a council order to fix it up.

Now the authority’s planning enforcement team has taken the disinterested homeowner to court – where he was punished.

Farmer, of Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, was ordered to pay an £800 fine and £200 costs by Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court for not keeping the property in good condition.

Councillor Narinder Bains, head of community safety and organisational development at the council, said: ‘This property is a real eye-sore, it is ruining the character of the street and encroaching damp and unchecked rats are causing serious issues for the adjoining neighbours.

‘It is the responsibility of any home-owner to keep their property in a good state of repair, even if they don’t live there.

‘This house is in a very poor condition and the situation could become quite serious if it is allowed to deteriorate further.’

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Havant Borough Council’s planning enforcement team had been trying for more than two years to get Farmer to improve his property.

Among other issues the semi-detached house needs work on its windows, doors, facias and soffits, guttering, downpipes, felt roof, tiles, light fittings and the garage. It has overgrown gardens and it has attracted rats.

Farmer did not comply with a Section 215 Notice, issued in 2020, ordering him to improve the property and the case was eventually brought to court on February 27, 2022.

In his absence the court heard that he had shown no interest in working on the property and had allowed it to fall into serious disrepair.

The council added its planning enforcement team will ‘continue to take the necessary action to see the property repaired’.

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