Customers have been left baffled after their estate agent shut up shop with no notice.
Farrells, a sales and letting agent in Goldstone Villas, Hove, closed its doors earlier this week without explanation.
There is no notice in the shop window or on the firm's website telling customers what has happened.
Those in the industry appear to have little clue about the sudden closure either.
Hugh Tucknot, chairman of Brighton and Hove Estate Agents Association, said; "I'm as much in the dark about it as anyone else.
"I knew they had closed the other day but I've not heard why.
"There are likely to be vendors, buyers and landlords out there who have been left somewhat in the lurch."
While refusing to speculate directly, Mr Tucknott added that estate agents which went bust were subject to the same rules as any other company in terms of going into administration.
He said: "They are just the same as any other firm. It is normal for a sign to be put up either in a window or website telling customers and giving them a number of the administrator to contact."
Farrells was established in the early Eighties and specialises in properties in the Poets Corner area of Hove.
The firm's website lists Mary Hodgson as the current managing director, Gary Vincent the head of lettings and Julian Reid head of sales.
The Argus spoke to a woman who said she had been left in the lurch by the closure.
The tenant, a mother of one, who lived in Hollingdean, Brighton, said her roof was leaking at had tried to contact Farrells in a bid to get it fixed.
However none of her calls had been returned - but her £700 a month rent had still been taken out of her bank account. |
