12:50 pm, April 6, 2020
Two Birmingham used car dealers have been banned from trading for a total of 14 years for failing to ensure vehicles they sold were safe.
Mohammed Tufail, 59, and Mohammed Umair, 27, have each signed seven-year disqualification undertakings and from today (april 6) the father and son are banned from forming a company.
The order specifically bans them from directly or indirectly becoming involved, without the permission of the court, in the promotion, formation or management of a company.
The pair ran Car Place Birmingham Limited which incorporated in January 2015. It traded as a second-hand car dealership in Small Heath, Birmingham.
Birmingham Trading Standards seized six vehicles from the dealership in March 2017 and found them to be unroadworthy.
Trading Standards brought criminal proceedings against Car Place Birmingham and both directors, even though Tufail had resigned as a director in January 2017, two months before the cars were seized. In March 2018 the courts fined the company just over £33,000.
At the same hearing, Tufail received a fine of £11,345, while his son, Umair, was fined £8,726. The courts also made a forfeiture order for the six cars to be destroyed.
However, the fines were not paid.
Car Place Birmingham then entered into a Creditors Voluntary Liquidation in May 2018 which brought the second-hand car dealership to the attention of the Insolvency Service.
At liquidation the company hadn’t paid its fines and in the public interest, the Insolvency Service elected to pursue directorship disqualifications against the two second-hand car salesmen.
Tony Quigley, Head of Trading Standards at Birmingham City Council, said:
‘These individuals supplied unroadworthy and dangerous vehicles with complete disregard for the safety of their customers or other motorists.
‘Both failed to take on their responsibilities and obligations as company directors, and now this ban has come into effect, they are unable to set up, manage or promote any business.
‘Birmingham Trading Standards works in partnership and supports actions taken by all other agencies to protect the public from rogue traders.’
Martin Gitner, Deputy Head of Insolvent Investigations for the Insolvency Service, added:‘
Both second-hand car dealers failed in their basic duty of care to their customers when they sold unroadworthy and potentially dangerous vehicles. These were serious offences and removing Mohammed Tufail and Mohammed Umair from the corporate arena will protect the public from further harm.’
