Hanwell Family Fined Close to a Million Pounds
Repeatedly breached planning rules with illegal conversions
One of the properties converted without permission. Picture: Ealing Council
December 10, 2025
A family of landlords in Hanwell has been ordered to pay more than £929,000 after repeatedly breaching planning laws and profiting from illegal property conversions. The ruling, delivered at Isleworth Crown Court on 16 October, marks the conclusion of a six-year enforcement case pursued by Ealing Council.
The case involved Jagdishbhai Patel, Minaxiben Patel, and their son Alpesh Patel of Greenford Avenue, Hanwell, along with daughter Parul Patel of Langdale Gardens, Perivale. All four were named as legal owners of the property in question.
Two enforcement notices were first served in August 2019, requiring the family to reverse unauthorised extensions and stop using an outbuilding as a self-contained flat. They were also ordered to remove kitchens and bathrooms from four flats created within the property without permission.
An appeal against one notice was rejected by the Planning Inspectorate, and the owners were instructed to restore the property by October 2020. Despite repeated warnings, council officers found during a warrant visit in April 2022 that the illegal flats were still occupied and generating rental income.
The Patels were summoned to court in January 2023 but failed to appear. They later pleaded guilty to breaching enforcement notices, though attempts to change pleas and missed hearings caused further delays.
A subsequent inspection in July 2025 confirmed the property remained non-compliant, with council tax records showing all five dwellings were still occupied.
At the October 2025 hearing, the court imposed a confiscation order of £900,217.11 on Jagdishbhai and Minaxiben Patel, alongside fines of £4,500 each, legal costs of £8,000 each, and victim surcharges of £181 each. Alpesh and Parul Patel were deemed less culpable but were ordered to pay £2,000 in costs and £21 victim surcharges each.
The case comes as Ealing Council has tightened planning rules across the borough. Since November 2025, all new houses of multiple occupation (HMOs), regardless of size, must apply for planning permission. The council trialled the approach in Perivale in 2024, where more than a quarter of HMO applications were refused or withdrawn.
Councillor Shital Manro, cabinet member for good growth and new homes, said, “The outcome of this prosecution sends a clear message that we will not tolerate illegal property conversions that undermine our planning system and put residents at risk. We will use every legal tool available to ensure offenders who wilfully ignore the rules are financially punished.”
The Patels have been warned that continued failure to comply with the original enforcement notices could result in further court action. Ealing Council says the case demonstrates its commitment to protecting tenants and ensuring homes are safe and properly maintained.
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