Comments for Islington Leaseholders Association

Comment on New Long Term Maintenance Contracts 20.6.10 by Jo Vale

Jo Vale — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:22:13 +0000

Hi-
I have had a second letter from Homes for Islington to say that the first long term agreement with Connaught Partnerships has fallen through, as they are in administration, now they are propsing – by end Oct 2010 to enter into another.
I find this extremely worrying, as surely there is the same financial worry and this is a bit precipitous.
What do other leaseholders think?

Comment on BBC Documentary – Leaseholders Wanted by Regan

Regan — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:15:40 +0000

I also think the BBC should look for people who bought their flat, sold it, and bought a bigger property – something they could never have achieved had they not had the right to buy to start with.

Comment on BBC Documentary – Leaseholders Wanted by Lessee of Neighbouring Hackney

Lessee of Neighbouring Hackney — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 09:36:10 +0000

if you want leaseholders to respond to this you need do more than just put it on the web, you need to remember that not all leaseholders are on the net. Also i think the BBC should investigate how and why the bills are so “erroneously” high and “manifestly” wrong. In many boroughs “all using the same outdated I.T System” that produces this typical result.

I pay for a garage every week in the local paypoint shop, i receive a letter to say i am in arrears. I go to the neighbourhood office whose computer is supposed to be linked to the computer at “hackney homes and the town hall accounts department”

I say this is impossible here are all the receipts, they go to their computer terminals and they say “my garage does not exist there is no such garage”. They even ask for supervisors to come and check and seven individual people type away at 3 computer terminals between them and they all say “your garage does not exist” yet i have been paying rent for it and parking my vehicle in it for thirty years.

At which point i leave the neighbourhood office.

The point of this typical demonstration email response is this
“the same computer systems across the nationwide are producing garbage “leaseholder major works bills” and if not vigorously challenged, leaseholders will be evicted based on “wrong accounts”
because the “onus is on leaseholders to conclusively prove the accounts are wrong in a court”.

It is not enough to turn up to court and hope the tribunal will agree the figures are wrong.

Comment on Legal advice by Ila

Ila — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:19:59 +0000

Ila…

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Comment on Islington Council Audit Committee Meeting on Monday 28 June 2010, at 7.30pm by malcolm

malcolm — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 02:05:13 +0000

The Tribune’s ‘millions lost in Sloppy Admin’ saga got an interesting postbag

You can see Brian Potter’s response to this ‘shameful-fiasco’here:
http://www.islingtontribune.com/letters/2010/jul/shameful-fiasco

and what our 1/4 of Million £ a year Islington Council boss says on same:
http://www.islingtontribune.com/letters/2010/jul/no-records-lost-no-money-mislaid-no-%E2%80%98sloppy-admin%E2%80%99

Total overpayments to suppliers could top £500,000
http://www.islingtontribune.com/letters/2010/jul/total-overpayments-suppliers-could-top-%C2%A3500000

looks like this one should run and run.

Comment on Islington Council Audit Committee Meeting on Monday 28 June 2010, at 7.30pm by malcolm donald

malcolm donald — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 19:48:03 +0000

The Islington Tribune published a front page article on the audit findings.

http://www.islingtontribune.com/news/2010/jul/millions-%E2%80%98mislaid-sloppy%E2%80%99-admin#comment-9163

Comment on Whose your Landlord? 20.6.10 by Claire Lowe

Claire Lowe — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 16:03:01 +0000

Michele – the position is that Islington own the block of flats or house that you live in. As a leaseholder, unlike a short-hold tenant, you are required to maintain the fabric of the building, and this is done collectively by leaseholders through a management company.

In this case, the management company is HfI. The company can be changed, if leaseholders collective choose to do so (I think this is more complicated to do in a council-owned block as there are the interests of tenants to take into account – and Islington council should be paying a share of the maintenance costs on behalf of their tenants, although it’s clear as mud whether they do this. What Islington then chooses to pass on to their tenants in costs is between those tenants and the Council).

The last thing that you are, is a tenant of HfI. What HfI are, effectively, the company you contract to have repairs carried out to maintain the building as per your lease obligations. If they are rubbish, they can be sacked.

Comment on Listed Building Owner Info Request 20.6.10 by Laura Whiting

Laura Whiting — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 10:09:36 +0000

No, I purchased my property after the Major Works had been carried out and to my knowledge there was no approval from the planning department for the roof replacement – which is surprising seeing as the property is in the East Canonbury Conservation Area.

Comment on Whose your Landlord? 20.6.10 by Michele Islam

Michele Islam — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:16:00 +0000

I am a leaseholder and according to my Lease any notice or complaint must be passed on to the Borough Solicitor on behalf of the maire. On many occasions I complained to the the Borough Solicitor as instructed in my lease only for my letters, to be dealt with most unprofessionally by HFI legal department. The reply from the Borough Solicitor is that his office had not been instructed to deal with the matter (i.e. complaint about disallowed major works charges). Therefore who exactly is the landlord? HFI or Islington Council???? My view is that the opinion of HFI is but one sided and when left to their own devices, tenants are very much unprotected.