A Midlands letting agent, Tony Singh, whose full name is Amun Singh Judge, and his company Morgan, Payne & Knightly (MPK), are facing accusations of failing to return deposits to more than 100 tenants. Landlords have also claimed they are owed unpaid rent, according to a BBC investigation.
MPK operates branches in Birmingham, Telford, and Wolverhampton. The allegations involve hundreds of thousands of pounds, and several county court judgments have been made against Singh and the company over unpaid sums. Both have also been reported to Trading Standards.
Wolverhampton Trading Standards identified cases where MPK had not protected deposits through government-backed schemes, which is a legal requirement. However, the authority stated it took no action as the properties MPK advertised were in neighbouring council areas. Telford & Wrekin Council found no evidence of offences under Trading Standards legislation, while Birmingham City Council declined to comment.
Six former MPK employees, who worked across three branches, claimed they never saw Singh place tenant deposits into a regulated scheme. Repeated attempts to contact Singh for comment on the allegations have not received a response.