Sandwell Council is tightening its rules on money
laundering and the sale of council homes at a discount to combat possible
fraud. Council officers have been responsible for the cancellation or
withdrawal of seven Right to Buy applications with an estimated value of
£321,750 following investigations. And they are checking 94 sales out of 481
which have raised concerns, according to a report to the council's deputy
leader Councillor Steve Eling. There was
a surge in applications two years ago after the Government raised the maximum
discount on a property's value to £75,000. The Audit Commission in 2012 warned there had been a 168
per cent increase in fraudulent applications across the country. Read more on
the Sandwell Council website.
