Pattenmakers

This is just another example of the appalling abuse this property company dishes out to its hardworking tenants. There are hundreds of such cases, Enterprise Inns being by far the worst but companies such as Punch Taverns, Marstons, Star Inns, Greene King are all heavily criticised for the same practices. The scam is now well-known. Tenants are duped into taking on these onerous tied leases. "Low cost entry to running your own pub business" is the sales pitch. Rents are rapidly hiked and the obligatory supply prices the tenant is forced to pay (with no limit to future increases) reduce the tenant's potential profit to at best little more than subsistence levels. Investment into the property by the property company is notoriously minimal. The tenant is trapped and completely at the mercy of the property company who will attempt to hike the rent knowing that the tenant has little ability or resources to fight it. It has been shown time and time again that tenants trying to defend their business from this rapacious landlord will be further hounded and intimidated out of home and business. Another gullible tenant is induced into the same situation (known as 'the churn'). The only thing that stops the process is when the property company decides it is in their interest to sell the property - usually for alternate use commanding vast profits when sold as a local supermarket or housing. It is a national scandal which requires Government intervention without further delay. To see the extent of the problem simply Google 'Enterprise Inns' combined with ANY placename, and Google will return numerous links to press reports of tenants being evicted and losing everything they have worked for.