OWNERS of an illegally converted property in Ealing received more than £104,000 in fines plus a confiscation order after failing to comply with an enforcement notice issued by the council.

This is the second, and biggest, penalty to be granted by the court within a month under the Proceeds of Crime Act, following successful prosecutions by Ealing’s planning enforcement team.

George and Linda Chrisostomou, owners of 68 Warwick Road, Ealing, who converted the property into five sub-standard flats without planning permission in 2008, appeared at Harrow Crown Court.

The couple received fines of £5,000 each and were ordered to pay the council’s court costs. totalling £11,163.54. plus a victim surcharge.

The court also imposed a significant confiscation order of £83,000 on them, which is a reflection of the money illegally obtained by continuing to rent the property as flats after the enforcement notice.

This sum is to be paid within six months, with 22 months in prison for non-payment.

Judge Greenwood told the couplr: “You had the benefit of letting this property for a very long time, for years.”

They were first reported in March 2008. Following a warning from the enforcement team, they applied for planning permission retrospectively to retain the flats, but it was refused and a planning inspector dismissed their subsequent appeal in 2009.

Failure to take remedial steps led to them being issued with an enforcement notice to stop using the house as five flats.

They appealed but this was also dismissed by the planning snspectorate in April 2012. They were given a further six months, until October 2012, to comply with the enforcement notice.

The couple then applied for planning permission to convert the house into two flats, which was granted in September 2012, but they failed to implement the changes or to comply with the enforcement notice.

The council decided to prosecute them and apply for a confiscation order under POCA after issuing a letter of caution in September 2013.

Pat Hayes, executive director for regeneration and housing, said: “As this case demonstrates, the council will pursue anyone who flouts planning law, and those found guilty could end up paying extremely stiff penalties.”

Residents can find out more and search for a planning application or a decision on Ealing Council’s website at: www.ealing.gov.uk/planning They can report suspected planning breaches at http://www.ealing.gov.uk/site/scripts/home_info.php?homepageID=9