Can you help me? Local Sandwell knowledge required!

There is a very bad smell arising from the sale of, er, three former public conveniences by Sandwell Council. They have failed to adequately answer my Freedom of Information Act request regarding this and, for reasons unknown (!), the Council is deliberately trying to make it difficult (and expensive) for me to establish the facts - which is where you come in Dear Reader. But please, permit me to tell you the story so far.....

 On 15^th August, 2012 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (“SMBC”) purported to sell 3 former public conveniences to “Central Property Line”. On the basis of “information received” I put in a Freedom of Information Request asking for full details of the sale on 12^th June, 2014 via WhatDoTheyKnow.com “Sale of Three Public Conveniences”.

English Law does not permit a business to trade simply using a trading name – such as “Central Property Line”. Putting it simply, a business must be either (1) a limited company/plc or (2) a limited liability partnership; or (3) an “ordinary” partnership (eg ab & cd t/a Central Property Line) or (4) a sole trader (eg ab t/a Central Property Line).

My researches showed that there were 2 limited companies called “Central Property Line Limited” at different times (both of which have been struck off the register at Companies House) and the first was operating from the same Oldbury address as “Central Property Line” but SMBC initially confirmed in writing that the sale was NOT to either the first or the second versions of the Limited Company.

Thus, SMBC initially stated that the sale was simply to Central Property Line. This is a nonsense since no such entity can legally exist. The legal documents conveying the property to the purchaser MUST have given the full trading title but Mr David Willetts, a Property Manager at SMBC, is refusing to disclose this (and, as we shall see, other material information). Whether this is all upon his own initiative or whether he is “only obeying orders” remains to be seen. The fact is that SMBC’s legal department probably did the conveyancing of the property and even if they did not, they must have access to the file which will show in seconds the true legal identity of the purchaser.

I should say that although my Request was made on 12^th June, 2014 there was no reply within the statutory time limit and so on 27^th July, 2014 I was forced to apply to SMBC for a formal internal review. I then received a letter dated 30^th July, 2014 apologising for the delay which  was said to have been due to a “communication breakdown” and which gave me some interesting information but NOT the key details I asked for – ie name of purchaser, price for each plot and Land Registry title number for each plot. Willetts argued that I could obtain the price and title numbers from HM Land Registry and he has maintained that line when I followed this up. But it is not quite as simple as that and this is where I need your help.

I do all the work on The Skidder on a voluntary basis and incur quite a bit of expenditure on company searches, voters roll checks and Land Registry searches. If I don’t get this right, I waste money. The Land Registry site is not very user friendly and it is easy to get the wrong property (as I did at first with regard to Terry Duffy House). Working on the basis that SMBC will continue to try and impede my enquiries (whilst lying to me – see below) can you help me identify the three sites with a degree of certainty so that I can proceed with the Land Registry searches. A copy of a Google Earth shot or simply a good description sent to thesandwellskidder@gmail.com will be much appreciated. Anonymity guaranteed!

SMBC have told me that the three sites as listed below were valued by Mr J Page, the District Valuer at a cost to the taxpayer of £1,200 as follows:

Albert Street, Oldbury - £35K

Jervoise Lane, West Bromwich - £50K

The Shambles, Wednesbury - £45K.

And this is where things start to get really odd. Mr Willetts has confirmed that the properties were NOT auctioned NOR offered for sale on the open market. Although not offered on the market SMBC mysteriously received ONE BID in respect of each property and then sold the bogs to that secret bidder after “negotiations”. As above, Mr Willetts would not state the correct legal title of the purchaser nor the price for each plot.

Tonight, things have taken a bizarre turn since someone else at SMBC has now WRITTEN stating that the negotiations were NOT with Central Property Line but with Central Property Line Limited  - co no 04373028. She does not say the sale was to that Company but all this cannot be true since that version of Central Property was STRUCK OFF & DISSOLVED by Companies House on 15^TH DECEMBER, 2009 nearly THREE YEARS BEFORE the sale! Someone somewhere is not telling the truth!

Clearly if SMBC will not come clean the Land Registry searches are required. My information so far, is that one of the plots – Jervoise Lane - was almost immediately auctioned after this transaction. Please help me correctly identify the three sites.

I will give you details of the two Limited Companies in case anything “rings a bell” particularly as the first incarnation of the Company also had its registered office at 36 Birmingham Street, Oldbury although I must make it clear that I am merely repeating what is on the public record and I make absolutely no suggestion of impropriety against any of the individuals named at this point in time.

The first Central Property Line Limited  - co. number 04373028 – was incorporated in 2002 and struck off in 2009. The Company Secretary was IMRAN MAJID, then of Tyseley and the Director/Sole Shareholder was IFTIKHAR ALI, then of Sparkbrook.

The second Central Property Line Limited – co number 07661284 – was incorporated on 7^th June, 2011 and struck off on 24^th September, 2013 so that it was in existence when these sales were made. A Mr TALIB MAHMOOD was initially involved but resigned as a Director on 12^th December, 2011 leaving a sole director and shareholder – ABDUL NAEEM QUYAM then of Warley Road, Oldbury. (I should say here that  this gentleman is not, as far as I can tell, the same person as Abdul Quyyam of our old friends, Five Star Taxis in Dudley.).

I will, of course, be reporting all this to the Information Commissioner when I appeal in the next few days. Unless, of course, SMBC want to give me the true facts in the interim…..

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