Local people will be familiar with the exploits of convicted landlord Andrew Panayi on the Cally Road. But what is the extent of his property empire on the Cally? We can shine a light on a small part of it through the properties where he has a license in his own name for multiple occupation. This map shows the 30-odd properties where Mr Panayi has an HMO licence in his name based on data extracted from the Council’s website.
Council sources tell me that Mr Panayi has a further 30 or so HMOs of which he is the freeholder licensed by his agents including Benjamin Sintim of Harris Brown Estates on the Cally Road.
This only seems a small part of it though. The Guardian, having spoken extensively to the council reports Mr Panayi ‘owns 200 flats around Caledonian Road’. Mr Panayi says on camera – ‘We don’t even know how many they are‘ in the BBC documentary ‘Secret History of Our Streets’
Mr Panayi’s empire strives to expand – he is appealing against the Council’s refusal to grant him permission to extend further a flat on the already heavily extended 237 Caledonian Road. The ground floor of 237 Cally has been the site of numerous odd businesses over the years and, in the 1950s an IRA arms dump according to J Bowyer Bell. It is this property that Mr Panayi expands upon in the BBC documentary describing how he bought it in 1990, filled in the back garden with building and triggers his infamous ‘Build first, get the permission later’ comment.
Any further additions to the map are welcome via the comments.
This is bizarre. Who cares. Leave it to the authorities to deal with.
The history here is that the authorities haven’t been on top of the situation – it was a BBC documentary that forced the issue to a head some years ago and media pressure since then has driven enforcement of the law.
I know that. I’m saying this seems like an harassment piece. Let the authorities do their job. Hold them to account not hunting around like vigilantes or hating on landlords.
From Albert Beale, 5 Cally Road
I’m puzzled by the last comment (assuming I’m reading the right meaning into the rather garbled language). For those of us with a social conscience, who struggle for a more equitable and sustainable world, it can be very hard _not_ to hate very many landlords…
Of course, it’s more appropriate to hate the system which allows them to exist and which they are a representative of. But they do need to be held to account – and we can’t do that without knowing about them. So I’m grateful for the information here.
Albert is right, Islington enforcement were asleep on the job for years, which is why Panayi and his like got away with it for so long. It was only the public outcry following the BBC programme that raised the Council from its slumber.
Just out of interest was he convicted due to being a landlord?
… not convicted for merely being a landlord. Renting property is a legal trade, after all. But he was prosecuted under the Proceeds of Crime Act for renting out properties which did not have planning permission.
And this is the issue here. Reading this hate piece you would be forgiven for thinking that merely being a landlord is bad.
BTW Paul thanks for blocking me. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0ByDSElyof5nLRW1JVkFIWmg0TTg/view?usp=drivesdk So much for democracy and civilised debate. Shameful Labour councillors.
Stuart Oswald: I have not blocked you. I use a Twitter app which autoblocks anyone who has been multiply blocked by others. Puts you in the same club as Donald Trump and George Galloway, if that’s any comfort. I can unblock manually. But if your default response to this kind of situation is to reach for grumpy invective (“So much for democracy and civilised debate. Shameful Labour councillors.”) then perhaps not. Because that’s not exactly civilised or even debate, is it?
Wow, what a victim blaming retort. The Labour party has a lot to answer for as do you as well. You represent the ward that I am in. Shame that you have such as stance towards the people you are supposed to represent. That says a lot about you and unfortunately those who vote for you.
What is the name of this app that you use out of interest?
It’s funny because the app that you blame doesn’t take criticism of labour’s involvement it the demise of Venezuela very well. It’s an innocent, factual, courteous response by myself to one of your statements that made you hit the block button.
Thanks Stuart – i won’t be approving any more comments from you, you are way off topic and the general tenor of your input has not been conducive to polite debate. cheers w
Stuart, to reiterate I did not block you. You were autoblocked. But I have just used the manual switch to unswitch you on Twitter.