Islington Local press letters on Tremlett Grove vs LBI LVT & LBI waste April 2012
in “campaign” section of site here
Author: ILAadmin
You can download a pdf of the ILA spring 2012 newsletter here ILA newsletter Spring 12 Final
If your a Leaseholder and you haven’t received your ILA spring 2012 newsletter yet, Please email us on “ilaorguk at hotmail.com” with your name and address and we’ll send you a newsletter.
One of the most important Leasehold Valuation Tribunal LVT decisions to date, from an Islington leaseholder’s perspective, was announced last week, (Merryweather court and Brennand court vs the mayor & burgess of Islington 29.3.12).
Please see the downloadable LVT decision pdf for details on the bill reductions, and to see how Islington leaseholders supported their claims before the LVT, plus the degree of detail they provide in evidence of shoddy workmanship, overcharging and gross mismanagement. LVT – Merryweather & Brennand court vs LBI 29.3.12
Examples of the council overcharging identified by the LVT include roof works charges of £208,661 which were reduced to £50,000, i.e. £25,000 per block. and asbestos removal charges of £157,371 that the Tribunal reduced to reasonable expenditure of £15,737.
This is one example, where the Council has authorised expenditure without satisfying itself that the expenditure is really necessary, and it demonstrates what can be achieved when leaseholders have the courage to challenge the bills they are sent, and demand that council officers , councillors and their contractors are made accountable for their actions.”
Since the ILA can only supply ‘useful information’ on our web site, and not “advice”, as always, we suggest that you should obtain ‘professional independent legal advice’ before considering issuing such a challenge.
The Islington Gazette has reported that millions of pounds of public money could have been wasted.
The ILA has already lobbied Islington Council, and, both the leader of the council, and the chair of housing, in regard to applying the reductions obtained by Merryweather/Brennard Courts leaseholders to all leaseholders in the same contract, and insisted that the council also reclaim, on behalf of the public purse, all monies related to tenanted properties in the same contract. LVT – Merryweather & Brennand court vs LBI 29.3.12
Please feel free to pass on to other leaseholders you think may be interested
Late News: The ILA understand that LBI intends to appeal the decision.
Published: 13 April, 2012 by PETER GRUNER IN an historic decision, a tribunal has cut repair bills for seven Archway leaseholders by a massive 60 per cent because much of the £2million remedial work on their estate was unnecessary.
Enclosed is the London Borough of Islington/Homes for Islington Leasehold Insurance Policy Powerpoint Presentation made by LBI brokers JLT last night to the ILA meeting. Thanks to JLT and LBI for answering questions. Insurance PPS presentation to ILA by HFI LBI JLT – 04.2012
Leaseholder may find it instructive to confirm their insurance premium is being correctly calculated by multiplying the “rebuild value” of their property by the current premium rate used of 0.1249% to obtain your annual insurance premium cost. eg £200K rebuild cost X current premium rate 0.1249%.= £249.80 You can obtain the “rebuild value” of your property from your relevant managing agent e.g. Council , HFI or Partners.
James Murray ( head housing honcho @ Islington Council) yesterday confirmed that although there would be 4 or 5 councillors advising him as part of the new housing consultation process, he would not confirm that any of them would be Leaseholders.
…unfortunately seems like more anti-leaseholder politics
Islington Leaseholders Meeting
on
Wednesday 11 April 2012
in
Islington Town Hall Chambers
at
7 – 9pm
Hosting the meeting:- Dr Brian Potter
Guest Speakers:- Ms Alison Goodwin (JLT Buildings Insurance Brokers), Mr David Clay (LBI), Ms Kay Morgan (HFI), have confirmed they will be attending.
Please let other leaseholders know of this meeting – it will be their chance to ask general insurance questions about your premiums, level of coverage from the policy etc.
Please view The Islington Tribune Article below which is very interesting which at your convenience.
Dr B. S. Potter
Chairman ILA
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[1] Islington Tribune Article
Despite end of HFI, there’ll be ‘No magic wand’ for council tenants, warns housing chief James Murray
Published: 30 March 2012
by PETER GRUNER
by PETER GRUNER
ISLINGTON housing chief James Murray declared the “end of an era” this week as council property agency Homes for Islington (HfI) was officially dissolved and its functions brought in-house.
The Labour councillor warned that there would be no “magic wand” for residents under new council-run housing but promised a lot more consultation and accountability than was available under HfI.
HfI, which managed the borough’s 21,500 council homes and 8,000 leasehold properties, was set up eight years ago in 2004 as an arms’-length management organisation under chief executive Eamon McGoldrick, who stood down this week.
It has been beset with criticisms of lack of accountability and poor service.
The Town Hall expects to save £1.69million by bringing housing under direct council control.
HfI originally had a staff of 9,000, but several hundred jobs have disappeared over the past few years leaving a workforce of 7,000.
Cllr Murray said: “I won’t pretend that everyone’s concerns over housing will go away overnight. But our priority is to make sure we get the best service for residents.
“We also want to get tenants and leaseholders involved in improving the service.
We are setting up a residents’ improvement taskforce, where they will have the opportunity to talk about changes they want to see.”
We are setting up a residents’ improvement taskforce, where they will have the opportunity to talk about changes they want to see.”
A new housing executive will replace the HfI board and will advise the council.
It will include Cllr Murray and tenants and leaseholders as well as housing officials.
A Residents’ Champion is due to be elected in September.
It will include Cllr Murray and tenants and leaseholders as well as housing officials.
A Residents’ Champion is due to be elected in September.
Islington Leaseholders Meeting
on
Wednesday 14 March 2012
in
Islington Town Hall Chambers
At
7 – 9pm
Hosting the meeting: – Dr Brian Potter
Guest Speakers:- Two Legal representatives from the “LEASE” organisation will be attending to answer leaseholders questions.
Please impress upon any other leaseholder’s that you know that it is in their interest to attend these meetings regularly…
Solar panels fitted by Islington Council criticised
Jon Dean Saturday, March 3, 2012 The Islington Gazette
Solar panels fitted to homes have been criticised for potentially harming property values and saving residents less than 1p a year on their electricity.
Last year, the council fitted 20 panels on buildings in the Elthorne Estate, off Elthorne Road, Archway, to help generate power for communal areas.
The scheme is also designed to reduce bills by selling the electricity generated back to the national grid, known as a feed-in tariff. However external contractors have stumped up the cash for the panels on the condition that they keep the lion’s share of the money the national grid pay for the electricity.
The council refused to reveal the exact details of the deal, but figures shown to the Gazette suggests it saves around £140 per panel per year. With 20 panels fitted under this deal, this means a saving of £2,800, less than 1p a year for each of the 30,000 tenants and leaseholders.
Many residents are angry that their property value is potentially being compromised.
Brian Potter, chairman of Islington Leaseholder Associations, said: “I have had quite a few calls about this, people are very worried.
“They are being misled. There is not going to be an appreciable reduction in fuel bills for the average tenant or leaseholder. All the scheme is doing is making the contractors a load of money.
“Of course people are scared their property value will go down, because their roofs have basically been sold to a contractor for 25 years. It’s crazy.
“There was no consultation on this either – the council has done it because it’s green and sounds good and all the rest of it. But we are building a lot of problems in the future. I just hope they don’t extend the scheme all over the borough.”
“Sedley requirements”: the standards of proper consultation applied by the Courts