A Southall landlord who refused to comply with planning laws has been served with a confiscation order and given an 18-month conditional discharge.

Bhupinder Singh Gill of Lady Margaret Road, Southall, appeared at Isleworth Crown Court on Friday, 5 December 2014. The court made a confiscation order for £66,325 that Gill made as proceeds from illegally renting his house and its outbuilding as accommodation. Gill was also given a conditional discharge for 18 months and ordered to pay £4,765.57 towards costs and a £15 victim surcharge.

The result comes after an investigation by Ealing Council’s planning enforcement team. Officers took legal action after the landlord failed to comply with an enforcement notice served on him by the council in May 2009.

The notice required Gill to stop using his property as five self-contained flats and its garden outbuilding as another flat and remove all en-suite kitchens, internal partitions and doors being used to separate them.

The flats could have been used for accommodation for more than 12 people at a time.

Gill’s appeal against the enforcement notice was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate in January 2010 and he was given 12 months to comply with the notice

Councillor Jasbir Anand, Ealing Council’s cabinet member for housing, employment and skills, said: “We have given Mr Gill every opportunity to work with officers and rectify his mistakes. He chose to ignore the warnings and court orders and is paying heavily for it now. His greed and disregard for the law could not go without punishment and we are pleased with the court’s decision to impose such heavy penalties. Hopefully this will deter other unscrupulous landlords planning to ignore the law.”

Gill has six months to pay the court costs or could serve up to 18 months in prison if he defaults.

Anyone who suspects someone of carrying out major work without planning permission should report concerns to the council for further investigation.