Tag: repairs

London Mayor betrays 34 estates over housing ballots

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date March 27, 2018
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Mayor quietly signs off funding for 34 estates, dodging new ballot rules

At Mayor’s Question Time this week, the Mayor gave me a firm promise not to sign off any new funding for estate demolition while his new policy to require a ballot of residents was out for consultation. But he was concealing the fact he has recently rushed through funding for dozens of controversial schemes, allowing councils and housing associations to dodge his new policy.

The new policy to require ballots was announced on 2 February, with a consultation on the details (such as the size of schemes, who can vote, whether independent organisations should carry them out etc) open until 3 April.

I asked him at MQT this week not to sign off any schemes meanwhile, and he was clear he would not do this, saying: “I will be signing no new funding contracts until the consultation has ended and we’ve published the final guide.”

This seemed quite good. Along with campaigners from many estates across London, and with the support of the Assembly, I’ve been working to change the Mayor’s policy on giving residents a say since his truly appalling draft ‘Good Practice Guide’ to estate regeneration was published in December 2016. A consultation on that draft closed nearly a year ago in March 2017, and the results were that 95 per cent of responders asked for ballots for residents facing demolition.

However,

I have now found out that, all this time, the Mayor has been quietly signing off funding for some of the most controversial estate schemes in London….despite promising in his manifesto to “require that estate regeneration only takes place where there is resident support, based on full and transparent consultation.”

By Sian Berry

Tags Controversial Schemes, Estate Demolition, Estate Regeneration, Home Demolition, housing, islington, Islington Leaseholders Association, LEASE, lease extension, London Mayor, Mayor of London, overcharging, Partners, Regeneration Game, repairs, Service Charges

Government Housing ILA Information Leaseholders Leases Repairs Service Charges Website

Government’s approach to dangerous Grenfell-style cladding replacement consistent

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date March 24, 2018
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Grim it may be, but the government’s approach to getting dangerous Grenfell-style cladding replaced on tower blocks certainly appears consistent. Credit: Private Eye, Housing News

Click Here

Tags Cladding, Government, islington, Islington Leaseholders Association, LEASE, leaseholder, Leaseholders, Legal, Major Works, overcharging, repairs, Service Charges

Government Housing ILA Leaseholders Leases Website

Invitation to free webinar on consultation re consumer redress in housing market

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date March 22, 2018
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LEASE is hosting a free webinar to help you make an informed contribution to the Government’s consultation ‘Strengthening consumer redress in the housing market’.

The webinar will be presented by our experienced advisers, Nicholas Kissen and Kavita Bharti.

The webinar is on Monday 26 March 2018, 7pm – 8:30pm. Click here to register.

The Government is concerned that the current landscape is confusing for consumers both in terms of the number of schemes, differences in practices, and gaps where consumers have no recourse to redress. As a consequence the consultation explores and questions:

improving ‘in–house’ complaint processes, to ensure that issues get resolved as quickly as possible;

the practices and functions that should be expected of redress schemes and the powers that they need to do this;

How to fill existing gaps in redress, with a particular focus on private tenants, buyers of new build homes and leaseholders; and

The case for streamlining and improving services for consumers through the creation of a single housing ombudsman service.

Responses to the consultation should be submitted no later than midnight on 16 April 2018. You are encouraged to respond by completing an online survey.

Alternatively you can email your response to the questions in the consultation to – Housingredress@communities.gsi.gov.uk

Written responses should be sent to:

Social Housing Division, Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Third Floor, Fry Building, 2 Marsham Street, London, SW1P 4DF

Tags Financial, Government, Government Consultation, LEASE, lease extension, leaseholder, Leaseholders, Legal, LVT, overcharging, repairs, Residential Leases, Service Charges

Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Listed Buildings Major Works Meetings Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

Housing Scrutiny – Information on Partners Resident Scrutiny Arrangements Meeting Tuesday 6th February 2018.

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date February 2, 2018
No Comments on Housing Scrutiny – Information on Partners Resident Scrutiny Arrangements Meeting Tuesday 6th February 2018.

Housing Scrutiny-Information on Partners Resident Scrutiny Arrangements Meeting Tuesday 6th February 2018.

In advance of next week’s Housing Scrutiny meeting which will be considering the performance of Partners, please find attached a note submitted by a Partners tenant on the organisation’s resident scrutiny arrangements. This may inform discussions at the meeting.

The meeting will be held on Tuesday 6^th February, 2018, at 7.30pm in Committee Room 4. The pre-meeting will be held from 7-pm in Committee Room 3, at Islington Town Hall.

Please click on this link –PartnersResidentScrutinyNote2018.pdf

Tags Financial, housing, Housing Scrutiny, ILA Islington Leaseholders meeting, islington, Islington Council, Islington Leaseholders Association, James Murray, Lands Tribunal, LEASE, leaseholder, Legal, overcharging, Partners, Partners Resident Scrutiny, Partners Residents Forum, repairs, Service Charges

Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Major Works Meetings Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

Partner’s answers to questions raised by ILA leaseholders meet Wed 13 Jan 2016

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date February 7, 2016
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Partner’s answers to questions raised by Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA) and Leaseholders at the ILA leaseholders meeting held on Wed 13 Jan 2016.‏

Dr Brian Potter Chairman (ILA) has asked me to forward this attachment onto you all from Partners regarding the questions Dr Potter and leaseholders raised at the ILA meeting on Wednesday 13 January 2016 and Partners answers. Please click on the attachment.

Please view below the questions raised by Dr Potter to Partners at the meeting

· When does rolling 5 years Cap run from end of works, end of snagging or making good repairing problems created?

· If the Cap is set when costs were incurred does that mean from when the first cost or last cost in a particular set of major works was incurred?

· Can you confirm that partners no longer make good any damage – created by poor major works? E.g. damp, blown plaster, ruined decorations?

· Can partners conform when the” making good” policy changed, as Partner used to tell Lease holders that they would repair all the damage that arose as a consequence of Partner Major works?

· What guarantee are partner giving these days on the major works they do on Roofs, Windows, damp works. Decorating before partners can rebill Leaseholder for repairing the faults?

· Partners have previously said that they’ll fix problems while they hold the street properties contract & that their roofs should last 30 years?

· Does that mean e.g. that if the 16 year PFI2 contract is terminated in 2022 that any roofs being repaired now are only in effect guaranteed for 8 years?

· Why do Partners never give us a copy of invoices of their expenditure despite it being the law and despite repeated asking?

· Why do Partners repeatedly hand out new bills for repairs to major works that have been badly done in the recent past?

Regards…

Dr Potter

ILA meeting 13.1.16 Partners Response

Tags "Dr Potter", Brian Potter, ILA Islington Leaseholders meeting, Islington Leaseholders Association, LEASE, leaseholder, Leaseholders, Major Works, overcharging, Partners, PFI, repairs, Service Charges

Councillors Financial Housing Information Leaseholders Repairs Service Charges

Building contractor sacked after overcharging housing chiefs £300k

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date January 23, 2016
No Comments on Building contractor sacked after overcharging housing chiefs £300k

Leaseholders will be interested to know There has been a bit of a sea change in Brighton amongst the councillors and they recently refused the Housing Revenue Account budget for the next 3 years. There has also been another, yet another, scandal regarding overcharging and Mears . More here

Tags housing, LEASE, leaseholder, overcharging, repairs, Service Charges

Cyclical Works Financial Housing ILA Islington Lands Tribunal Leaseholders Major Works Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

ILA Crowdfunding bid to challenge hidden housing repair costs

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date December 2, 2015
No Comments on ILA Crowdfunding bid to challenge hidden housing repair costs

Reposted from Islington Tribune

LETTERS: Crowdfunding bid to challenge hidden housing repair costs

Published: 27 November, 2015

• IT’S great to see the Tribune has started to report on Islington’s housing problems once again.

What was not reported in this article was that during the scrutiny committee meeting I asked Partners representatives how many surveyors it employed to service the properties it manages on behalf of the council; its answer was approximately 12. Since Islington Council employs another 60 surveyors to service the rest of its housing stock the total number of surveyors paid for by residents is more than 70, and according to the council, the majority of its surveyors are not even Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors qualified.

Since leaseholders’ bills for cyclic work show that all contracts are inclusive of 11 per cent for “professional fees” to the council, surely we are entitled to expect that the council employs only fullyRICS-qualified staff?

If the council is using potentially unqualified staff (not chartered surveyors) to assess the condition of our homes, how do we know that the costs and quality of the work, for which we are grossly overcharged, actually represents true “value for money”?

The answer is simple. We need to be able to freely inspect the schedule of rates appertaining to the contracts which have been agreed between the council and its contractors. Since we pay the bill we should be able to see just what the council signs us up to.

Curiously, the council not only refuses to allow us to view this document, but has recently attended a court hearing in order to make certain it can reserve the right to restrict legislative compliance to a degree which suits its purpose – basically, to stop residents seeing the cost of their repairs.

In order to challenge this position those concerned need to be able to pursue their case without fear of financial pressures.

Therefore, we are currently examining the possibility of following a course of crowdfunding to finance a challenge. If you are prepared to assist financially please email us on Islington.Leaseholders@hotmail.co.uk.

Remember, if the council does not have to show how your money is spent, it’s you who will have to pay the hidden costs.

DR BS POTTER
Chairman, Islington Leaseholders Association

Tags ILA Islington Leaseholders meeting, islington, Islington Council, Islington Leaseholders Association, Leaseholders, Major Works, overcharging, Partners, PFI, repairs, Service Charges

Cyclical Works Housing ILA Information Islington Lands Tribunal LBI Leaseholders Major Works Partners PFI Repairs Service Charges

BBC program wants Council & Partners Leaseholders experiences of works, charges for repairs etc

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date April 28, 2015
No Comments on BBC program wants Council & Partners Leaseholders experiences of works, charges for repairs etc

BBC are doing a programme looking at the experience of leaseholders when it comes to charges for repairing and maintaining communal buildings. They are keen to talk to people who can give them an insight into how this system works – are repairs/maintenance done promptly… is the quality of the work adequate… are the charges that are levied on leaseholders fair etc.? They may want you take part in program.

They are are also keen to talk to PFI leaseholders.

Please mail ILA 2-3 paragraphs with your experiences by Fri 8th May and well pas them on, thanks

Tags Islington Council, Islington Leaseholders Association, leaseholder, Major Works, overcharging, Partners, PFI, repairs, Service Charges

Cyclical Works Financial ILA Information Islington LBI Leaseholders Major Works Repairs Service Charges

Islington Council cherry picker

Post author By ILAadmin
Post date November 22, 2014
No Comments on Islington Council cherry picker

Details for the cherry picker that has been purchased ( for islington Council tenants repair – its not been clarified if Partners tenants will benefit). It will be used for appropriate repairs for a mixture of trades dependent on access and the suitability of the work.

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