A landlord who rents out homes in the South Gloucestershire and Bristol area has been ordered to pay over £44,000 after a court found him guilty of a serious housing offence and for contravening a Local Government Act. Mr Giuseppe Sutera, also known as Joe Sutera, attended Bristol Magistrates’ Court on Monday, June 26, but he refused to identify himself stating only that he was “a man” and that Joe Sutera was “lost at sea”.
As he had not properly identified himself the court decided that Joe Sutera was not in fact present, and he was found guilty in his absence. He was ordered to pay a total of £44,270.26, which is a record fine secured by South Gloucestershire Council’s public sector housing team.
The court heard how Sutera had breached an Emergency Prohibition Order (EPO) served by the housing team by continuing to let a property where there were serious fire safety issues and where tenants’ lives were being put at risk. Sutera had also failed to respond to a notice served by the team requiring him to provide his address and details of the property he rents.
