Bog Scandal Latest - Valuation Done AFTER Sale!

The three bog sites were independently valued at £130,000 and this valuation cost the taxpayer £1,200. Labour Sandwell Council did not market the properties, put them out to tender or auction them but sold them to Abdul Naeem Quyam - who appeared from nowhere and made an offer - for £25,000.

Councillor Ian Jones, a Labour "Commode" Member, has been on BBC Radio this morning and publicly stated that the valuation was conducted - at £1,200 remember - AFTER the sale. He claims this happens quite often in Labour Sandwell!!!!

Jones attacked me for making FoI Requests to Sandwell Council but they will be getting another one in five minutes time asking for a copy of the valuation report!

It was also suggested by Jones that the acceptance of a sole bid from a private individual was "often" the method used to sell properties "quickly". I cannot say about The Shambles just yet but the other two sites - Albert Street and Jervoise Lane - were deemed surplus to the Council's requirements by decision 09/03 on, er, 24th January, 2003. And so the properties stood empty and were un-marketed for well over 9 years until Mr Quyam got his crystal ball out and "divined" that they were up for sale. And lo, Labour suddenly decided that a quick sale was imperative.....

Incidentally, it appears that the sale was not so quick in that the Land Registry documents refer, in respect of two of the properties, to a side "agreement" between Mr Quyam and SMBC dated 22nd June, 2012 whereas the transfers were not completed until around 12th/13th August, 2012.

The full FoI request is set-out below. Judge for yourselves whether it is "reasonable" or not!

THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - A COMMUNITY BLOG

e   thesandwellskidder@gmail.com                        t   @bcrover (Vernon Grant)

Confidential phone number: 07599 983737

FOI Request - 21/08/14:

Dear Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council,

In an earlier FoI Request you stated that the three former public
conveniences at Albert Street, Oldbury; Jervoise Lane, West
Bromwich and The Shambles Wednesbury were sold without being
offered on the open market and as a result of having received a
single "offer" in respect of each property.

It was also stated that SMBC paid £1,200 for a valuation of the
three properties from the District Valuer, Mr J Page. Councillor
Ian Jones has publicly stated that the valuation was done AFTER the
sale.

Finally, Land Registry documents show that besides the actual
transfer of the properties to Mr Abdul Naeem Quyam in August, 2012,
SMBC entered into a separate "side-agreement" with him in respect
of at least two of the properties ie "An agreement dated 22nd June,
2012 made between (1) The Borough Council of Sandwell and (2) Abdul
Naeem Quyam".

1. Please state how the offers were communicated to SMBC and to
whom. If in writing, please disclose the written offers;
2. Please state the date(s) of the offers and the amount of the
offers if not otherwise evident from your reply to question 1;
3. Please state the date of Mr Page's Valuation Report and disclose
same;
3. Please disclose the agreement of 22nd June, 2012 AND any other
written agreements that may exist between the named parties in
respect of the three properties.

Yours faithfully,

Julian Saunders