MILLIONARE LANDLORD NICHOLAS VAN HOOGSTRATEN LIVED

MILLIONARE LANDLORD NICHOLAS VAN HOOGSTRATEN LIVED A LIFE OF
LUXURY WHILE MAKING HIS TENANTS’ LIFE A MISERY, IT WAS ALLEGED

TODAY (WED).

‘TENANTS WERE FORCED TO GO FOR BATHS ELSEWHERE OR TO GET
UP EARLY TO HEAT KETTLES OF WATER’ AFTER THE PROPERTY TYCOON HAD

POWER SUPPLIES CUT OFF, SAID MR ANDREW COLLINS PROSECUTING.

HOOGSTRATEN OF THE HIGH CROSS ESTATE, FRAMFIELD, EAST USSEX, IS

ACCUSED OF INTIMIDATING AND MAKING LIFE A MISERY FOR NINE TENANTS WHO

ALL LIVED IN PROPERTIES HE EITHER OWNED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY IN

THE LONDON BOROUGH OF KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA.

WATER AND HEATING SUPPLIES WERE CUT OFF, FURNITURE REMOVED AND

ONE MAN WOKE UP TO FIND HIS FRONT DOOR BEING KICKED DOWN BY THE

LANDLORD AND SEVERAL OTHERS, SAID COUNSEL.

TENANTS SUFFERED OVER A YEAR OF HARASSMENT BEFORE THE RUNNING OF

THEIR HOMES WAS MADE THE SUBJECT OF A CONTROL ORDER BY THE LOCAL

COUNCIL, THE COURT HEARD.

FOLLOWING A PUBLIC INQUIRY WHICH ENDED LAST MONTH AT THE HIGH

COURT, VAN HOOGSTRATEN AGREED THE PROPERTIES SHOULD BE MADE THE

SUBJECT OF A COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER.

VAN HOOGSTRATEN DENIES NINE COUNTS OF HARRASSMENT OF RESIDENTIAL

OCCUPIERS BETWEEN JULY 1984 AND SEPTEMBER 1985.

THE CHARGES RELATE TO THREE PROPERTIES IN NORLAND SQUARE AND

HOLLAND PARK, NOTTING HILL, AND REDCLIFFE GARDENS, WEST BROMPTON.

HOOGSTRATEN IS ALLEGED TO BE EITHER THE OWNER OF ALL THE
PROPERTIES OR TO BE CONNECTED WITH ROBERT GATES LTD WHO ARE THE
REGISTERED OWNERS.

GIVING EVIDENCE FOR THE PROSECUTION, ACTRESS LESLEE UDWIN, 30,

WHO WAS ONE OF HOOGSTRATEN’S TENANTS, TOLD THE JURY: ‘LIFE WAS

ABSOLUTE HELL FOR EIGHT MONTHS.

‘
SHE ADDED: ‘IN JANUARY 1985 IT WAS MINUS 10 DEGREES OUTSIDE
AND THE CENTRAL HEATING WAS TURNED DOWN TO THE MINIMUM.

IT WAS

MISERABLE, FRUSTRATING AND DISPIRITING.

‘
MISS UDWIN CLAIMED WHEN SHE TELEPHONED THE PROPERTY OWNERS,

ROBERT GATES LTD, IN JANUARY 1985 HER CALL WAS ANSWERED BY

HOOGSTRATEN HIMSELF.

HE ALLEGEDLY TOLD HER: ‘YOU’D BETTER WATCH OUT.

NOBODY CROSSES

ME.

‘
SHE ADDED: ‘I AM 90 PER CENT SURE I RECOGNISED HIS VOICE.

‘
SHE ALSO CLAIMS HOOGSTRATEN VISITED THE HOUSE IN HOLLAND PARK,

DRESSED IN A FULL LENGTH MINK COAT AND WAS INTRODUCED AS MR ROBERT

GATES.

HOOGSTRATEN DENIES HE POSED AS MR GATES OR ANSWERED THE

TELEPHONE CALL.

A SHORT TIME AFTER, THE HEATING AND HOT WATER SUPPLIES WERE

TAMPERED WITH AND THE FRONT DOOR ENTRY PHONE, PAYMENT FOR WHICH
WAS INCLUDED IN THE RENT, WAS DISCONNECTED, IT WAS SAID.

MISS UDWIN ALSO RETURNED HOME ONE EVENING TO DISCOVER THE FLAT

ABOVE HER HAD BEEN REPOSSESSED, THE COURT HEARD.

THE FRONT DOOR LOCK WAS SUDDENLY CHANGED WITH SOME TENANTS BEING

CHARGED #4 FOR A NEW KEY, IT WAS SAID.

HOOGSTRATEN, WHO IS DEFENDING HIMSELF, DENIED HE HAD ANY

KNOWLEDGE OF THE DAY TO DAY RUNNING OF THE PROPERTIES OR KNEW OF ANY

HARASSMENT OF TENANTS.

HE CLAIMS THE TENANTS DELIBERATELY JOINED FORCES TO GAIN A

COMPULSORY PURCHASE ORDER.

FOLLOWING HIGH COURT PROCEEDINGS GRANTING THE ORDER, THEY WILL

NOW BE ABLE TO PURCHASE THEIR FLATS AT MUCH LESS THAN THE MARKET

PRICE FROM THE LOCAL COUNCIL.

MISS UDWIN DENIED HIS ALLEGATION.

THE COURT HEARD SERVICES TO THE TENANTS WERE FINALLY RESTORED

WHEN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE PROPERTIES WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE LOCAL

COUNCIL IN OCTOBER 1985.

THE TRIAL CONTINUES.

ENDS