A court has landed a Hove woman with a bill of almost £1,000 for letting her house fall into disrepair.
Joyce Stevens, of Sackville Road, Hove, admitted letting her home fall into considerable disrepair.
She ignored several letters and a planning enforcement notice to clean up her property, Brighton magistrates were told.
The court fined her £100 and ordered her to pay a £15 victim surcharge and £820 towards the legal costs of Brighton and Hove City Council.
The council took action because of the poor condition of 92 Sackville Road.
Mrs Stevens had been served with a notice requiring her to
Repair and make good all the windows on the property
Repaint in white all external timberwork including window frames, door frames and soffits
Wash down and repaint the property
Repair and make good the front boundary wall and repaint it in the same colour as the house
Councillor Lynda Hyde, chairman of the council’s planning committee, said: “Officers from both the Empty Property and Planning Enforcement Teams have tried many times to talk to the owner to persuade her to carry out works voluntarily and to bring the property back into use but to no avail.
“This property has fallen into a considerable state of disrepair and is visually detrimental to the amenities of the area.
“Experience has shown that this type of action frequently results in the owners finally dealing with the wasted resource that their empty property represents.
“This is particularly important in an area like Brighton and Hove where there is high housing need and limited housing supply.”
The house in Sackville Road was described by Mrs Stevens as a “holiday home” and she indicated that it will now be put on the market.
