Liverpool Council has claimed property developer Elliot Lawless was invoiced for outstanding bills worth £245,000 over a city centre car park.
Mr Lawless acquired the lease to Beetham Plaza car park in July 2019 which set the rent at £94,000 per year. Last week the ECHO revealed that Beetham Car Plaza Limited, the company set up to manage the car park by Mr Lawless, did not pay any rent over a 30-month period.
Last week a spokesman for Mr Lawless told the ECHO that he had not been billed during the 30 month period but would pay now that he had been 'finally' been invoiced. However the council has now said Mr Lawless was invoiced - though his spokesman insists the company has no record of receiving an invoice before August this year.
READ MORE: Fury after Elliot Lawless misses 30 months of rent payments worth £245k
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Beetham Plaza Car Park Ltd were invoiced quarterly from 2020 and as a result of non-payment and the Mayor's drive to recover outstanding amounts, we initiated a debt recovery process. "
The council spokesman said the council have given Beetham Plaza until September 15 to agree to pay the arrears, interest and late payment charge. The spokesman said: "We are now in negotiations to settle the rent arrears, including interest and late payment charge, by no later than March 2023 as well as being satisfied that rent will be paid when it is due.
"They have until Sept 15 to confirm agreement relating to the payment of arrears, otherwise we will proceed with legal action. "
A spokesman for the Elliot Group, Mr Lawless's property company, said the company had 'no record' of receiving an invoice until August this year. He said: “A settlement proposal for the outstanding rent has been put forward to the council but the company has no record of having received invoices for the rent on a quarterly basis until August of this year.”
On Thursday evening (September 1) ward councillor Nick Small discussed Beetham Plaza car park at a Strategic Development and Housing Select Committee.
At the meeting Cllr Small said: "The car park desperately needs capital investment. If feels insecure and feels unsafe. Residents have complained that cars have been vandalised and people have been rough sleeping.
"The car park is not fit for purpose. The residential lease holders are paying more than they should to maintain it under the service charge.
"There is also an issue for hospitality businesses in the area because the car park does not feel safe.
"Many people had concerns about this lease at the time. I raised concerns about this process with the chief executive at the time ( 2019).
"Since then I have raised concerns about the lack of capital investment in the car park with the previous chief executive (Tony Reeves.)
"It would be useful for residents to be able to meet with officers and the cabinet member because there are particular issues. They have the right to have their say over what happens here. The car park desperately needs capital investment."
Cabinet member Cllr Sarah Doyle said: "It should have been dealt with a while ago. I am glad that is has been raised and it is being dealt with now. I am more than happy to meet residents.
"On the debt recovery we need to be really on the ball with it. This has gone on for far too long.
"As you mention with maintenance the figures include £693,000 worth of repair and maintenance that need to be carried out.
"I have been informed that the council is waiting on a formal response from the owners. If they don't do it ( remedial works) within a certain time frame they will be facing forfeiture action."
A spokesman for the Elliot Group said: “We are in the middle of a major assessment and review of the car park’s long-term maintenance needs, as well as the management model for the facility.
“We commissioned Clancy, a major engineering business, to assess the building’s condition and the firm’s report highlighted concerns about water ingress which we are now investigating in detail. It’s a complex process for a building of this type, but in the midst of it we have already rectified a number of issues which we inherited from the freeholders, such as broken drainage pipes and blockages.
"These improvements will continue as we progress with our review but it’s not something that can be resolved overnight, given the size of the estate and the complexity of its underground drainage infrastructure.
“We have not yet been able to identify the source of any water ingress and a number of complex interventions are underway to try and do so. This includes running dyed water through drainage and waste-water pipes to see what emerges, and where.
“Our studies have given us enough information, in the meantime, to prepare detailed tender documents for contractors and we are in discussions with experienced building firms about the wider refurbishment of the car park.”
The spokesman for the Elliot Group also discussed security issues at the car park.
He said: “Our car park users’ safety and comfort is our key concern and we initiated a new, enhanced programme of multiple daily site visits by an experienced security firm in July. This has led to the almost complete ending of trespass by vagrants, but homelessness and drug use in the city centre is now rife and it’s not something we can solve single-handedly or, indeed, overnight.”
A spokesman for the council confirmed that the car park required £693,000 worth of repairs. The spokesman added: “We have surveyed the car park and calculated that it needs £693,000 spending on repair, maintenance and mechanical and electrical works.
"We are waiting for a formal response from Beetham Plaza Car Park Ltd as to when they plan to undertake the work. We have advised them we will be taking legal action if they do not comply.”
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