THE married owners of a Harwich-based estate agent allegedly kept more than £42,000 of rental deposits, a court heard.

George and Kim Overill, of High Street, Thorpe, appeared at Colchester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, July 19.

They represented Oakpark Asset Management and Oakpark Properties, Harwich-based companies that allegedly failed to lodge thousands of pounds of tenancy deposits.

Both pleaded not guilty to the charges and wished for the trial to be dealt with at crown court.

Richard Power, prosecuting on behalf of Essex County Council’s trading standards, said: 

“These charges concern what happens to tenancy deposits.

“Within 30 days of being received, they must be lodged with an approved Government scheme.

“We found 70 per cent of deposits had not, in fact, been lodged.

"There were so many which had been paid, but not lodged.

“The consumers would have suffered a loss and also the landlords a potential loss.

The tenant has a civil right to pursue the landlord and recover three times the amount paid.”

Mr Power said it was sometimes difficult to ascertain which company had been taking money and which had been dealing with the deposit.

Oakpark Proper ties was used in conjunction with Oakpark Asset Management.

However, he said Mr and Mrs Overill were liable both in their own right and as a result of being managers and directors of both companies.

The deposits taken totalled £42,700.

Mr Power said the risk of loss for landlords, thoughless serious than the actual loss, was more than £100,000.

A hearing will take place at Chelmsford Crown Court on August 16.