Tenant does a runner... then taunts landlord

SURPRISE heavy snowfall failed to dampen local enthusiasm around International Women’s Day.

Plans by Kirklees and Calderdale WomenCentre to invite women to bring shoes to St George’s Square, Huddersfield, to celebrate strong women and the shoes they walk in had to be postponed.

Instead, people posted pictures of their shoes in the snow as WomenCentre volunteers headed to the University of Huddersfield to encourage student membership.

One volunteer said: “If every woman in Kirklees was a member of WomenCentre we would never have to apply for funding again.

“We were interviewed by KLTV about inspiring women in our lives. For us the women who have the strength to walk through our doors despite adversity are inspirational.”

West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service celebrated International Women’s Day by calling on more females to join its ranks.

It made the key point that there are more than 50 operational female LANDLORD Llewelyn Powell has been left fuming after helping out a tenant who later did a moonlight flit, leaving his room in a filthy mess.

Now Mr Powell has warned other landlords just what can happen if they end up with a problem tenant.

He said the tenant pilfered other tenants’ food, ‘borrowed’ and then sold someone’s mobile phone and owed more than £1,000 in rent.

“I am the biggest mug ever,” said a rueful Mr Powell.

“But he will not get away with it. I will take him to court to recover the money.”

Owner/manager Mr Powell from Cambridge bought and renovated his property at Cross Lane, Primrose Hill, last year.

He rented several of the 15 rooms in the three-storey building to homeless and vulnerable people as well as the problem tenant who was claiming Universal Credit.

The arrangement meant the tenant received payments that were earmarked for his rent, but Mr Powell has been left out of pocket after the tenant begged for loans from him and other tenants and openly firefighters working in the county – putting paid to the misconception that women only work in finance, IT and the control room.

The recruitment drive came as chief fire officer John Roberts and chair of the Fire Authority Clr Judith Hughes signed the UN Women’s HeForShe pledge, which asks people around the world to stand together for gender equality.

Referencing London Fire Brigade chief Dany Cotton, who led the fire service response to the Grenfell Tower blaze, CFO Roberts urged women to challenge stereotypes by joining the fire service.

He said: “Unfortunately we sometimes find ourselves battling against an entrenched cultural viewpoint that this is a job for men, but that is absolutely not the case.

“If you have ever thought you’d like to give it a go then please do not let an outdated stereotype stand in your way.”

Clr Hughes added: “If you do not want to work an average 9am to 5pm in an office environment then this could be an opportunity to do something completely new, working outdoors and saving lives.” bragged about living rent-free as he had no intention of paying.

“I have emails and texts from him asking for money and promising to pay it back,” said Mr Powell.

“The first time he asked I thought he was a genuine case and he was trying to sort out a job. I gave him £35 and didn’t see it back.

“He still kept asking me for more. Then he started being a pest to the other tenants, borrowing money and stealing their food. These are people that don’t have a lot. They couldn’t afford to replace it. They would hide in their rooms to avoid him.”

As rent arrears grew Mr Powell decided to ask for direct payments to cover the monthly £300 payments.

“He told me that if I served notice on him he could live rent-free for three months and would pocket the rent money,” Mr Powell said.

“I asked him to use the money to pay the rent, otherwise it was fraud. I warned him; he didn’t care. He has been telling people for the past month that he is going to do a runner with the money.

“He is an absolute scrounger and he has been spinning me lies. I think I am the latest person to fall for it and I am seething. I do things by the book so I will be taking him to court.”

When the Examiner contacted the tenant to ask if he owed rent, he replied “definitely not”, adding, “you’ve got the wrong number’.’

He then taunted Mr Powell with the following text: “Ha ha ha ha 6 weeks rent is hardly a lot of money.” Angela Everson, founder of WomenCentre with her shoes. The celebration of strong women and the shoes they walk in was postponed due to snowfall