Fergus and Judith Wilson are a British married couple who were among the UK's largest buy-to-let investors. At peak, they owned approximately 1,000 two- and three-bedroom properties around Ashford and Maidstone in Kent.[1] In 2008 they were listed at #453 on The Sunday Times "rich list",[2] with a fortune of £180 million. By 2019 it was incorrectly reported that they had sold all their properties, however in 2022 in the High Court, Ashford Borough Council secured a permanent Freezing Injunction against Mr Fergus Wilson,[3] the effect of which prevents him from disposing of assets, including in the form of five named properties, the Council took the action because Mr Wilson defaulted on three Court judgments relating to the payment of legal costs. Mr Wilson and his wife were rapidly disposing of their assets and the Council believed there is a real risk that the costs orders of the court will go unsatisfied. [1]
Property investment
editThe Wilsons were previously maths teachers.[4] They relied heavily on borrowings to build their portfolio, buying only new-build houses and re-mortgaging them as soon as prices went up, using the paper-profits to finance further purchases.[5]
In September 2009 it was reported in The Times that they planned to sell their entire portfolio.[6]
In January 2014 Fergus Wilson sent eviction notices to every tenant who received government-funded housing benefit and alerted letting agents that he would no longer accept tenants on housing benefit. This amounted to at least 200 evictions.[7]
In December 2015, they claimed to have sold their entire portfolio to a consortium of overseas investors for around £250 million.[4]
On 7 January 2017 Fergus Wilson announced that he would no longer accept tenants who were victims of domestic abuse, claiming that victims of domestic violence often have partners who ruin his properties. He also banned plumbers from becoming tenants.[8]
In 2017 a court ruled his ban on "coloured" tenants was unlawful. His complaint centered around "curry smells" left by Asian tenants. Fergus represented himself in court offering up various defenses from "it was banter" to actively defending the right of landlords to refuse people based on their ethnicity.[9]
In 2019 the Wilsons were subject of a BBC Panorama documentary titled "Britain's Most Controversial Landlord".[10]
In 2023, Judith Wilson sued Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council after the council had carried out remedial works on a dangerous building owned by Mrs Wilson. She argued that the work had left the building an "eyesore". Mrs Wilson lost the case and was ordered to pay £166,000 to the council, including the costs of the remedial work, interest, and legal fees.[11]
Legal matters
editIn 2008, Fergus Wilson was found guilty of using a mobile phone while driving and fined £565 and had his licence endorsed with three points. He had pleaded not guilty and claimed that he had been singing into a drinks carton that he was holding to the side of his head.[12]
In 2014, Fergus Wilson was found guilty of assaulting an estate agent.[13]
In January 2018, Wilson threatened to 'snooker' YouTube comedian Danny Hyde by suing him for £10,000 under the Malicious Communications Act 1988 over a video in which Hyde referred to Wilson as a 'bumsplat of a man', on account of Wilson's 'racist' policy of denying 'coloured' tenants because they 'leave a curry smell behind'.[14] A Crowd Funding campaign was set up to cover Hyde's court costs.[15]
In November 2019 Fergus Wilson was convicted of using racially aggravated words and behaviour, after being caught on camera abusing a Slovakian traffic warden.[16]
Outside property
editThe couple have owned racehorses, an activity that earned them some criticism as they persistently entered 'no-hoper', low-quality racehorses in top races - such as their entry of the 'worst racehorse in history' into The Derby,[17] as well as similar entries in the Gold Cup, Grand National and Champion Hurdle.
Fergus Wilson initially proposed to stand as an independent candidate in the 2012 elections for the Police and Crime Commissioner of Kent Police,[18] but in the end did not stand. On 3 August 2015 he told Channel 4 News that he intended to stand for Police and Crime Commissioner in Kent in 2016, but newspaper reports suggested that he would be ineligible to stand due to his assault conviction.[19] On 7 April 2016 Fergus Wilson's nomination for the post of Police and Crime Commissioner was rejected by the Returning Officer.[20]
References
edit- ^ a b "Fergus Wilson sells off his final 300 homes in £90 million deal". 26 March 2019.
- ^ "Judith and Fergus Wilson". The Times. London. 27 April 2008. Archived from the original on 12 June 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ "Council's case presented to the High Court is that Mr Wilson "Can Pay, Won't Pay!"". www.ashford.gov.uk. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
- ^ a b "Fergus Wilson, Britain's most iconic buy-to-let investor, sells up all 900 houses for £250m". www.telegraph.co.uk. 9 December 2015.
- ^ "Tales of a Landlady A route to royal riches". The Times. London. 14 March 2004. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2010.
- ^ O'Connor, Rebecca (3 September 2009). "Former maths teachers sell their property empire as prices creep up". The Times. London. Retrieved 1 April 2010.[dead link]
- ^ Robertson, Laurna (6 January 2014). "PRS landlord to evict tenants on housing benefit". Insidehousing.co.uk. Archived from the original on 12 January 2014. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ "Britain's biggest landlord has banned 'battered wives' and plumbers from his properties".
- ^ "Landlord's ban on 'coloured' tenants is unlawful, court rules". TheGuardian.com. 8 November 2017.
- ^ "Fergus Wilson: Hundreds face eviction as landlord sells property empire". BBC News. 18 March 2019.
- ^ Reporters, Telegraph (20 June 2023). "Multimillionaire sues council over multi-coloured repair job on red-brick house". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Hunter, Chris (22 April 2008). "Millionaire fined for driving offence". Kentonline.co.uk. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ Perry, Keith (11 April 2014). "Property tycoon found guilty of assaulting estate agent". The Telegraph. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ "Racist landlord who banned 'coloureds' sues YouTuber for calling him racist". 15 January 2018.
- ^ "Rescue Danny Hyde TV!".
- ^ "Fergus Wilson convicted of racial abuse". Retrieved 9 November 2019.
- ^ "KentOnline Home". Kentmessenger.co.uk. Retrieved 5 October 2010.
- ^ Ed Hill (5 June 2015). "Buy-to-let millionaire stands for Kent police commissioner - News". Kentnews.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 June 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
- ^ "Fergus Wilson ineligible to be police and crime commissioner". kentnews.co.uk. 12 October 2015. Retrieved 15 October 2015.
- ^ "Fergus Wilson blocked from standing for Kent crime commissioner post".