Man Ordered to Pay over £5k for Misusing the Title ‘Architect’

A MAN WAS convicted on 22 November 2018 of eight counts of a criminal offence and ordered to pay £5,500 for misusing the title ‘architect’.

Nicholas Rothe of Manchester was brought before Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court which heard that Rothe had traded under the business name Cheshire Architects and Construction despite not having his name on the Register of Architects, contrary to section 20 of the Architects Act 1997, and continued to do so whilst ignoring repeated warnings from the Architects Registration Board’s (ARB).

Taking into account the defendants’ refusal to engage with the ARB and his absence from court, the magistrates imposed a combined fine of £2,000 to Nicholas Rothe and CA&C Ltd, with a further £3659.58 in costs and surcharges, creating a total of £5659.58.

Title Misuse

An ARB spokesperson said, “For an individual to continue to use the title when they are not on the Register undermines the regulatory purpose of the Architects Act.

“Mr Nicholas Rothe chose to ignore the legal restrictions surrounding the use of the title and the Courts demonstrated a willingness to protect the public from those illegally calling themselves an architect.

“We will continue to monitor Mr Rothe’s trading style and if necessary recommence legal action.”

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