The apolitical ILA have invited all Islington political parties to attend a Hustings at our ILA monthly meet, to tell us how they will help Leaseholders.
Leaseholders are invited to come along and ask them how they’ll help you.
Guest Speakers from Islington’s political parties confirmed so far include:
Cllr. James Murray – Executive Member for Housing (Labour),
Cllr. Terry Stacy (Liberal) ,
Charlie Kiss (Green),
Patricia Napier (Conservative),
Pete Muswell (UKIP)
When Leader of the Council Richard Watts came to the Islington Leaseholders’ Association meeting at the Town Hall on February 12th, 2014, he spoke of the need for an entirely new council/leaseholder relationship, based on working together.With this in mind, your thoughts and input would be appreciated.
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Quite a lot of the report is nothing to do with ‘housing’ although they have clearly stated the ‘Housing Asset’ part will be used to fund it.
Council meet to ban Partners Resident Forum?
The ILA voted at their AGM to totally boycott the Councils new Residents’ Improvement Taskforce and therefore its scrutiny panel) process…as it is un-democratic and un-representative of leaseholders in the borough.
It look like Islington Council are now trying to do away with one of the few remaining structures of the pre-Residents’ Improvement Taskforce system, that is the unpaid volunteer “Partners Resident Forum” (which improves service for Partners Leaseholders & Tenants) because the PRF shows some independence of Council.
The Council is starting this process by imposing new rules and regulations for spurious reasons on the forum, without providing any evidence for its alleged issues to, or allowing any democratic debate by the forum.
These undemocratic changes may be formalised without involving the Forum, at the following council meeting this Thursday 13th March, Town Hall committee room 4 @ 6pm.
Please attend, bring friends,they do not have to be in Partners properties, just those whom object to these changes not coming to the Forum 1st, or the undemocratic way the council is trying to rush this through, without informing Partners tenants & Leaseholders!
Residents’ Improvement Taskforce arrangement update report Download
Update:14.03.14 – Thanks to everyone that attended, The Council are rescheduling any decision for the moment. We will need to wait to see what happens in the future.
Leaseholders might find the Council’s own statement of its promises to leaseholders useful when in negotiation over service charges or major works !!!
‘£30k maintenance charge drained my life savings’ says 88-year-old leaseholder
Published: 13 September, 2013 by PETER GRUNER and SERINA SANDHU from Islington Tribune
HOUSING activists are launching a campaign to force Islington Council to pay back most of the £30,000 in maintenance fees which drained the life savings of an 88-year-old leaseholder.
They will claim that widowed pensioner Joan Leonard was not properly consulted some eight years ago, nor did she give her approval of work done on the tower block Emberton Court, on the Brunswick estate, Clerkenwell.
The move follows plans for more work on the estate for which Mrs Leonard will be asked to contribute another £8,000.
Retired tailor Mrs Leonard, who has lived on the fifth floor of the estate for more than 60 years, said: “I paid the money for four new windows and two doors. They also replaced a perfectly good boiler.
“But I got a shock when I got the bill. Now they want more money for things like CCTV and repairs. Well, I don’t have it.”
Two of the borough’s most formidable campaigners, Dr Brian Potter, chairman of Islington Leaseholders Association, and student barrister Patricia Napier will take on the case.
The work on the estate was carried out by the now-defunct housing management organisation Homes for Islington in 2008-09.
Dr Potter said: “This is a woman who was forced to spend her entire life-savings on work which probably wasn’t needed. She came to us because she’s being asked to spend more money.”
He added: “We hope of course that rather than a long, protracted tribunal or court case the council will agree to a refund.”
Ms Napier said: “£30,000 is a huge amount of money. I hope to get a great proportion of it back. Mrs Leonard is obviously not a wealthy woman and it appears she was not aware of her rights at the time the work was done.
“The council will have to prove that the work was necessary.”
Councillor James Murray, executive member for housing, said that if any leaseholders have difficulty making the payment a member of the housing team can help them by discussing options.
Islington Leaseholders Association Meeting
on
Wednesday 14th August 2013
in
Islington Town Hall
at
7pm – 9pm
Hosting the meeting: Dr Brian Potter ILA
Guest Speakers: “As our guests, we have invited two very eminent Leaseholders from the boroughs of Westminster and Camden, who will talk, and answer questions, on the differences observed in the treatment of leaseholders by their council’s and Islington’s”…
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If you wish to join or renew your membership please contact our websitewww.ila.org.uk where you can obtain the appropriate membership forms.
NOW is your opportunity until 26 July to inspect key important documents such as contracts, bills, invoices or receipts etc, which may answer some questions you have about what you’ve been asked to pay for by Islington Council. Below is the official Council invitation with all the details. Many leaseholders have been pleased they’ve done so in the past and saved money from the knowledge gained. Remember the questions is not ‘why’ (that’s for Councillors) but relating to 2012-13, how much, when or request to see the relevant contract.
Inspection of Accounts
- Audit Commission Act 1998, sections 15 – 16
- The Accounts and Audit (England) Regulations 2011 Regulations 9, 10, 21 and 22
- inspect the accounts and all books, deeds, contracts, bills, vouchers and receipts relating to them and
- make copies of the above (A charge may be made for copies).
If you wish to inspect any particular documents please apply first to Mohammed Sajid, Chief Accountant, at the above address, call 0207 527 2574 or email Mohammed.Sajid@islington.gov.uk so that arrangements can be made. Please note: you may need to visit other offices to view some documents.
From 10.00am on 29 July 2013 until the end of the audit process, a local government elector for the area of the Council, or his/her representative, may:
- ask the auditor questions about the accounts. Please contact Mr Philip Johnstone, Director, KPMG LLP (UK) at 15 Canada Square, London, E14 5GL to make arrangements to ask any questions.
- object to the council’s accounts asking that the auditor issue a report in the public interest (under section 8 of the Audit Commission Act 1998) and/or apply to the court for a declaration that an item in.