Patricia Noah is under investigation for allegedly running a property into the ground in order to buy it at a discount
Patricia Noah has been accused of letting a block of flats fall into disrepair so she can buy it cheaply on auction, according to The Star.
The newspaper was reporting on a two-month investigation into Noah, an estate agent who allegedly works as an administrator of several buildings in the Johannesburg CBD and Hillbrow.
Residents of the buildings owned and managed by Noah accuse her of not paying electricity bills on time, letting the properties fall apart due to a lack of maintenance and getting court orders to execute the buildings.
The Star reports that IRS Forensic Investigations will be looking into the matter. IRS Forensic Investigations CEO Chad Thomas says they have had a chance to look at two of the buildings that Noah is in charge of. One of the buildings in the CBD, Fattis Mansion, was found to be in such a foul condition that Thomas says it is not fit to be lived in.
The Star reported that a dead body was found in the Fattis Mansion building a week after their investigation. The building does not have working electricity.
The second building in Hillbrow is headed into a state of disrepair said Thomas. Once completed, the report by will be made available to the City of Johannesburg, the police and the Estate Agents’ Board.
Hijacked and dilapidated buildings are a problem in Johannesburg. Often buildings are hijacked and become dens for criminals. According to an exposé by The Mail & Guardian last year, the Inner City Property Scheme (ICPS), a City of Johannesburg initiative, estimated that 400 buildings in the inner city have been hijacked.
Noah’s attorney told The Star that the allegations made against his client were defamatory and denied that she was in any way involved in the scandal.
Sources: The Star, Mail & Guardian & Destiny Man
Leave a Reply