Back in Business as a landlord. Beware!

Looks like you can't keep a dedicated criminal down - Lee West is back in business, this time with his partner-in-crime Paula. We have come across them renting out properties. Whilst we are not aware of any wrongdoing in this department (yet), please be wary of giving him any money in advance; that has never turned out well for the tons of people we are aware of through this blog who have made that mistake. 

And just for the record...the old scam appears to still be going. Lee has opened and closed a bunch of companies over the years, often seemingly in response to this blog. The latest is a variation on the old theme, with only Paula listed on the documents - Panacea Property Maintenance and Refurbishments Limited with a registered address of 249 Cranbrook Road, Ilford, IG1 4TG. Their website is https://www.panaceapmr.com/. The website is the flash-est one yet and looks the part....but with Lee West involved, you're asking for trouble.

Beware all things West! Do your due diligence and make sure you're not giving money to a professional con artist. I'm reposting the picture because the name Lee West is terribly common.

Lee West now has three companies and two friends helping him commit fraud!

More people have contacted us with information and asked to remain anonymous - Lee West is dating a woman named Paula Ioannides, who has set up two companies in her name for him to operate his scams and schemes under: Panacea Maintenance Ltd  and Panacea Property Refurbishments Ltd.

This is in addition to the company J.H. Property Services (named in our last post), which his friend Jamie Hughes allows him to operate under - so beware of Lee West or ANY of the above company names. Based on our past experience as well as the experiences of the dozens of people who have contacted us through this blog, you WILL regret it. After the theft of thousands of pounds, you will be threatened and intimidated. It is a thoroughly unpleasant experience all around.

Here is a picture of Jamie and Lee together in their local paper, Lee is the second from the left and Jamie is just to the right of him. According to one anonymous source, Jamie approached him/her to sell Lee's services and it wasn't until the work started that Lee entered the picture. So beware of both!

Pictures of Lee West

These pictures were sent in to the blog anonymously - clearly another person upset by this man. There has been significantly increased traffic on the blog in the last few months, which indicates that people are searching for him online, probably after being duped. Lee is undoubtedly up to his old tricks of taking money and not completing the work...or in some cases, not even starting it. Anybody who is approached by this man should report him to a newspaper or Cowboy Builders, and whatever you do, don't give him any money.

Lee West is back in business, scamming more people out of their money!

Lee West is back in business. His year's bankruptcy period is over, and he is now operating in partnership with a company called J.H.P.S. Limited with another person called Jamie Hughes. We have been contacted via this blog by another person who has been scammed by Lee West. He used his charm (I'm not being sarcastic - he could sell ice to an Eskimo) to convince her to transfer the money into his personal account, then absconded with the money without doing the work. When she confronted him, he acted as if the problem lay with her.

We too went through this stage with him - at the first point of confrontation, he acts as though you are the person in the wrong. He has a million excuses. If you push, he turns verbally abusive and threatening, including things like threatening to come to your house and beat you up/hurt your children.

Avoid this man at all costs! If you have a picture, please do send to the blog - there are many Lee West builders, and this will help isolate the correct one.

Lee West of Blackheath has now been declared personally bankrupt

Lee West of Blackheath Building Maintenance has now been declared personally bankrupt and we have assigned an insolvency practitioner to go through whatever assets he might have, in an attempt to recoup some of the money he owes us.  He must now resign from the directorship of his company, and it is illegal for him to act in a director's capacity. For the record, the company he initially had when we employed him, West Property Services, is in liquidation (https://www.duedil.com/company/07093956/west-property-services-blackheath-limited). He folded that company and immediately began a new company, Blackheath Building Maintenance, most likely in an attempt to avoid paying his debts. This new company has possibly been shut down as well, since the website has been removed.

Please DO NOT do any business with this man as the quality of work is completely sub-par, if he even does any work to begin with. Remember, at this point he is BANKRUPT and BROKE, and owes creditors (including us) a lot of money. You are unlikely to receive any service whatsoever for your money, as he is undoubtedly a bit strapped for cash! I will keep updating this blog as events unfold.

Proof of incorrect installation of boiler and hot water cylindar by Blackheath Building Maintenance (former West Property Services)

We have proof of everything written on this blog, but given the size of the surveyor report it's hard to publish it on this forum. However the report done by our new plumbers speaks for itself. These are basic plumbing skills that Lee West and his team clearly lack.

Proof of falsified e-mail for sink order from Lee West

Here is the "proof" that Lee West sent us to confirm our sinks were ordered, which they never were. He actually made up this fake e-mail address in order to keep our money, money which we to this date have never been refunded. This has also been reported to the police and has a unique crime reference number. Jacqueline, I recommend you report your money and situation to the police as well. You can do it here at www.actionfraud.police.uk. They were very helpful and have started a file on Mr West, so any additional information would help them (and you).

We called CP Hart and over the phone, they confirmed that they had NEVER taken an order from him for that sink, whether for us or any other customer. As one can see from the document below, CP Hart confirms not employing a person by that name nor recognising the e-mail address.