The chief executive of a business rates agency accused of misleading small businesses has had his membership terminated for misconduct by a leading membership body for ratings agents.

Christian Goodhand is a director of Corporate Commercial Surveyors (CCS), which has also traded as Kensington & Shaw, SME Rates Surveyors and Hampton Lovett.

the IRRV’s professional committee investigated the conduct of his business and found it had: “Published misleading marketing materials, made claims around the need to submit proposals for non-domestic rating purposes which were untrue and could not be substantiated, not in accordance with relevant legislation and a breach of the Institute’s code of conduct and code of marketing.”

Speaking to Better Retailing, IRRV chief executive Gary Watson said Goodhand was the ‘first member to have his membership terminated under new procedures’, which were introduced on 5 November.

Goodhand told Better Retailing that following the investigation, CCS had taken the  ‘essential step’ of severing ties with marketing platforms ‘involved in disseminating the information deemed misleading.’

Government pledges to crack down on business rates fraud

However, Better Retailing understands there are several small business owners pursuing county court claims that CCS itself engaged in misleading conduct. In documents submitted to court, one of the claimants alleged a representative of CCS visited their business and provided a detailed explanation of why the business would receive a business rates reduction. Only after paying CCS were significant errors in the claims made by the representative uncovered.

Responding to the above claims, Goodhand told Better Retailing: “I was deeply disheartened to learn of the complaints received by the IRRV, though I welcomed the opportunity to engage in discussions surrounding them.

“Unfortunately, their decision was not in our favour, and I find myself profoundly saddened by the outcome. In response, the companies have now severed ties with the marketing platforms involved in disseminating the information deemed misleading — an essential step in light of the distress and inconvenience caused to our audience. 

“We remain steadfast in our commitment to delivering services of the highest possible standard, ensuring that our customers’ rateable values are both correct and fair.”

Goodhand’s termination for alleged misconduct by the IRRV comes amid growing outrage over poor practice by some business agencies, in some instances costing businesses tens of thousands of pounds. The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) banned several unrelated companies from submitting rates appeals earlier this year, following investigations by Better Retailing and others. The issue was subsequently raised in parliament, with the leader of the House of Commons Lucy Powell promising: “We are committed to reducing the number of these scams, and we will take steps to do that.”

A statement from the IRRV added: “In the same way we recognise the Valuation Office Agency has introduced agent standards to hold all practitioners, whether or not members of the IRRV to the same standard. Where individuals or businesses fail to adhere to appropriate professional standards the IRRV will not hesitate to take appropriate and necessary action.”

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