A TORFAEN landlady has been fined for operating illegally.

Angelina White, 47 of Llangeview, Usk, owned a company operating as Premier Properties, based at Crane Street, Pontypool. She admitted misleading consumers by claiming to be a member of a government authorised, accredited and independent management scheme but she wasn’t.

She had been a member of the Property Redress Scheme until June 2017 according to Trading Standards – which meant at that time, she was meeting the legal requirement for a property agent until that time.

The investigation by Torfaen Council’s Trading Standards found that between June 2017 and May 2019, she continued to display the Property Redress Scheme’s logo and claimed to be a member of the scheme on her company’s website – although she had not renewed her membership.

White admitted the two offences under the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations and said she had not realised being a member of a redress scheme was a legal requirement in Wales.

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She was fined £1,000 at Newport Magistrates Court on November 4 and was ordered to pay costs of £641.41 and a surcharge of £100.

She has also re-joined the Property Redress Scheme.

Cllr Mandy Owen, executive member for environment at Torfaen Council, said: “It is a legal requirement in Wales for all property agents to be a member of a government-authorised, accredited redress scheme.

“These schemes offer consumers, including tenants, a way of escalating concerns about agents where they are not satisfied how their complaints have been dealt with.

“This legislation provides for an important safeguard to ensure the interests of consumers and agents are protected.”