A report on the conveyancing of rip-off leasehold properties, often with doubling ground rents and a host of management fees, featured on the influential BBC R4 You and Yours programme today.You and Yours - Book tax, Leasehold confusion, Sales of Insects for food - BBC SoundsCatch up on your favourite BBC radio show from your favourite DJ right here, whenever you like. Listen without limits with BBC Sounds.Author of the report is National Leasehold Campaign co-founder Cath Williams, a … [Read More...]
THE REASONS WHY …
Latest news
Gary Streeter MP: Hand over the freeholds at Saltram Meadows, Persimmon, or else lose Help To Buy …
Tory MP for South West Devon Gary Streeter has told Persimmon to hand over the freeholds at to buyers at its site Saltram Meadows, or else lose the Help To Buy payola ...The threat is made on the Plymouth Live website this afternoon:Persimmon Homes told to return freeholds within 14 DAYS - or else A veteran MP has demanded Persimmon Homes return the freehold ownership of people's properties - no strings attached within 14 days - or face serious consequences. Gary Streeter has raced to … [Read More...]
The new leaseholders’ hero … Lloyd George
All the points made by Lloyd George in his 1909 Limehouse speech hold good today. This time the villains are not Tory dukes, but publicly subsidised plc house builders with their ludicrously over-remunerated executives creating investment assets in ordinary families' homes and then selling the freeholds to secretive organisations, often based offshore. It is utter madness. A waste of public money, which could be spent on other housing needs rather than bogus home ownership through leasehold. … [Read More...]
Is Salisbury Cathedral justified in putting the squeeze on leaseholders living on its close?
Cathedral close leaseholders are excluded from enfranchisement rights owing to a sneaky Lords amendment to the 1993 Act, which was added as an after-thought Now leaseholders face paying 3.33 times as much as other leaseholders to extend their leases. The Crown Estate has the same powers but does not apply them Prompting the question … is the mercenary spirit of the Rev Obadiah Slope alive and well in Salisbury?By Professor Ron Johnston OBEActs of Parliament in 1967 and 1993 gave … [Read More...]
What if Berkeley had built Charter Quay as commonhold? Site visit by officials and Law Commission
The Law Commission and officials from MHCLG yesterday visited Charter Quay - the epicentre of leaseholder empowerment - to ask whether it would have been better as a commonhold site.The Law Commissioner Professor Nicholas Hopkins, who is leading on the leasehold law reviews, headed the delegation, which also included LibDem councillor Emily Davey, wife of LKP patron Sir Ed.They were given a guided tour by the chair of Charter Quay, a prime riverside site in Kingston, in Surrey, by Martin … [Read More...]
Moskovitz forfeits £400k Camden flat from 24-year-old woman ‘whose brother did not forward correspondence for two years’
London freeholder Israel Moskovitz has forfeited the London flat of a Canadian woman who declined to pay service charges and whose brother did not forward correspondence for two years.Chloe Shum, now 24, was indignant about a water leak in the property and had returned to Canada owing service charges. Meanwhile, her brother, a student now aged 20, moved into the flat and omitted to open or forward any mail to her over the next two years.Mr Moskovitz’s company Avon Ground Rents Limited … [Read More...]
Fairview New Homes cancels sale as buyer wanted own solicitor and mortgage broker, says Times
The Times reports the case of a Fairview New Homes buyer losing a sale because he wanted to use his own solicitor and mortgage broker.George Perkins, 21, was excited to be buying a two-bedroom apartment at the Altitude development in Hornsey, north London, with Fairview New Homes, but was then told to consider using the developer’s mortgage broker and solicitor.“I said no and began to make my own inquiries,” says Perkins, the founder of Super Rare Games, a computer games publisher. “I … [Read More...]
What to do about the Grenfell cladding scandal, asks Oxford conference
Victoria, one of Australia's eight states/ territories, has put aside £330m to remediate Grenfell cladding: England has come up with £200mBy Sebastian O’KellyMansfield College, Oxford, hosted a fascinating one-day conference yesterday into the Grenfell tragedy and its devastating repercussions to flat owners in blocks with similar cladding across the world.Lawyers predominated, but there were also contributions from construction engineers, fire safety experts, an MP, an Australian … [Read More...]
Grenfell cladding
Barratt evacuates Grenfell cladding site Citiscape
Barratt has insisted on the evacuation of the Citiscape tower block which has Grenfell cladding. It is understood that engineers for the developer have found flaws in structural piers at site, and that residents are being rehoused immediately. It is anticipated that most residents in the 100 flats will only be evacuated for a few […]
Reviewer of building regulations admits post-Grenfell safety regime open to abuse by rogue freeholders
By Harry Scoffin The former health and safety commissioner tasked to investigate building standards following the Grenfell Tower fire has criticised government for allowing it “to take so long” to agree her blueprint for maintaining the integrity of high-rise residential blocks. In comments to the Communities Select Committee on Monday, Dame Judith Hackitt also raised […]
Cladding crisis reveals why freeholders are an impediment to any solution
The disaster of flammable cladding on blocks of flats and what to do about it is providing the biggest push to transform leasehold law since the eruption of the doubling ground rent scandal which we exposed in 2016. The question being asked is: what is the third-party freehold owning landlord actually for? For ground rent […]
Leaseholders to sue government over fire safety measures
But housing minister says further funding must come from the building owners. (Hasn’t that been tried before?) By Harry Scoffin The Guardian reports that leaseholders across 12 sites in Manchester are preparing to take the government to court over their policy towards fire safety problems with privately-owned tower blocks. Although government has recently pledged £200m […]
Barking fire site is owned by anonymous investors in Adriatic Land
And what the balconies were like before the fire: LKP has been informed that the headlease owner of De Pass Gardens on Barking Riverside, which witnessed a serious fire today, is Adriatic Land 4. These companies are part of the £1.6 billion ground rent fund Long Harbour. The ultimate beneficial ownership of these freeholds / […]
New Capital Quay leaseholders to sue Galliard over Grenfell cladding
This is the first site in England to begin legal action against its landlord and developer The action taken by the leaseholders is against Galliard Homes Ltd and the site’s landord Roamquest Ltd a firm owned in Galliard Holdings Ltd and NCQ Development Ltd which in turn is owned by Galliard Homes Ltd The leaseholders […]
Brokenshire announces £200m Grenfell cladding removal fund – hours after APPG meeting of leaseholders
UPDATING … A £200 million fund to remove Grenfell cladding from private blocks was announced this morning by Communities Secretary James Brokenshire on the BBCR4 Today programme. It can be heard at 07.10 here This action has been long predicted by LKP, believing that ministers’ appeals to freeholders and developers to “do the decent thing” […]
Paddington Walk leaseholders have paid £3.5m to remove Grenfell cladding, with more to come …
Leaseholders at Paddington Walk have paid out £3.5 million to remove Grenfell cladding from the site, even though ministers have said leaseholders should not pay. An additional bill of £5.4 million is on the way, according to Inside Housing. The site was built in 2005 by European Land and Property, a joint venture development company […]
Campaign to get government to help fund Grenfell cladding removal
Today sees the launch of a campaign calling on the government to help fund the recladding of the private blocks impacted by ACM cladding led by InsideHousing in support of the UK Cladding Action Group (UKCAG). LKP is proud to help support this campaign along with many other groups and MPs including leasehold and commonhold […]
Grenfell cladding leaseholders form campaign group
A campaign group of leaseholders in private blocks with Grenfell cladding is being formed. It is calling itself the UK Cladding Action Group: UKCAG and can be contacted here: ukcladdingactiongroup@gmail.com LKP welcomes the initiative and will do all that it can to assist. The Guardian reports: “Only 10 of the 173 private buildings discovered with […]
The games they play
Martin Paine sells on Blythe Court, where ground rents reach £8,000 a year
Martin Paine and his wife Anne Kirmond have spent years as landlord causing distress to the leaseholds at Blythe Court and many other sites. LKP first broke the story of the Panie’s ground rent exploits in January 2016 despite warning letters from solicitors Taylor Emmet LLP. https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/martin-paine Since this story, we have covered the activities […]
Martin Paine resigns from IRPM after leaseholder complaint
Following a complaint to the Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) Martin Paine has chosen to resign his position as a member rather than face investigation. On several occasions in the last 18 months this site has reported on the exploits of Martin Paine, his FCA regulated wife, Ann Kirmond (Ref no MAK01110), and their […]
‘If I fail to offend anyone, I will do it next time,’ Bottomley tells appalled LEASE annual conference
Leasehold sector insiders were aghast at the address given by Sir Peter Bottomley on Wednesday at the Leasehold Advisory Service “annual conference”. The event was packed with surveyors, valuers, lawyers and property managing agents paying £350 a head to attend what has until now been the most important trade show of the sector. Earlier housing […]
Commons leasehold debate. December 20 2016
The Commons debate on leasehold reform took place after the intervention of LKP patrons Jim Fitzpatrick and Sir Peter Bottomley. The debate can be seen here: http://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/fc53bd87-8abf-4986-b7ce-6a7a488b8cfc The debate can be read here: https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2016-12-20/debates/4F15110B-F6D5-4FA1-9154-536BD848130E/LeaseholdAndCommonholdReform The catalyst was the scandal of Taylor Wimpey selling homes between 2007-2011 with doubling ground rents and then selling the freeholds […]
Martin Paine ‘is a crook who is turning sleaze in leases into an art form’, MPs told
Sir Peter Bottomley (Conservative, Worthing West) named the leasehold-gameplayer Martin Paine as a “crook” in the Commons yesterday. “We should not have to rely on the chance action of a campaigning charity such as LKP [the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership] or the Campaign Against Retirement Leasehold Exploitation—or a passing Member of Parliament, to get things put […]
Long term custodians …
Right to manage woes at Elim and Regent Courts retirement sites
Oliver Colvile MP raised the issues of right to manage and insurance claims at two retirement sites in Plymouth: Elim Court and Regent Court, whose freeholds were acquired by London freeholders at auction. The issues have been reported on many occasions on LKP /Campaign against Retirement Leasehold Exploitation: Elim Court and right to manage and […]
ARMA tells Y and Y Management to mind its manners and control its temper
ARMA’s regulatory panel announced on Friday June 27 that it had admonished Y and Y Management following a complaint over “intemperate and unprofessional language” to a leaseholder who visited its north London offices. A letter of admonishment has been sent to the company, headed by Joseph Gurvits, whose business partner is freeholder Israel Moskovitz. Both have […]
MPs call for all-party group on leasehold, and to stop right to manage being thwarted
The Westminster meeting on Tuesday March 11 on right to manage organized by Leasehold Knowledge Partnership / Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation saw an all-party group on leasehold becoming more likely. The move would certainly be backed by Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland, as well as Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour […]
Devon pensioners humiliate Y and Y Management and Avon Freeholds at tribunal
… and Y and Y Management ‘broke the ARHM code’ (except it is actually a member of ARMA) London-based freeholder Israel Moskovitz and his business partner Joseph Gurvits, of Y and Y Management, must rue the day they snapped up at auction the freeholds of retirement sites in Devon. After a two-year legal marathon – […]
Israel Moskovitz ‘unappealing conduct’ reported in The Oldie
The monthly Oldie magazine has reported the failure of freeholder Israel Moskovitz to frustrate the right to manage application of the residents at Regent Court retirement site in Plymouth. Regent Court won right to manage in February 2012, but has been locked in legal wrangling for another 20 months after Moskovitz repeatedly attempted to appeal […]
Freeholder’s barrister Justin Bates named in Parliament yesterday. And Benjamin Mire. And Tchenguiz. And Yianis. And Israel Moskovitz …
… Labour MP Jim Fitzpatrick and Sir Peter Bottomley put the boot in to leasehold profiteers! Two senior MPs from opposite political parties yesterday delivered hard-hitting speeches in Parliament that highlighted the scandals in leasehold. And in a sign of the rising political temperature concerning these issues, neither hesitated to name names. Jim Fitzpatrick, the […]
Israel Moskovitz fails – again – to appeal against the Regent Court right to manage
An attempt by freeholder Israel Moskovitz to appeal against the granting of right to manage to Regent Court has been turned down by the Court of Appeal. Israel Moskovitz, who owns Avon Freeholds, applied for leave to appeal to the superior court after his appeal to the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber) failed in August. Regent […]
‘Don’t make the pensioners of Regent Court take you to court AGAIN, Mr Moskovitz,’ urges Bottomley
The pensioners of Regent Court, in Plymouth, face the prospect of another encounter in court with their freeholder Israel Moskovitz after being presented with a £140,000 bill to pay for a new roof. The roof was damaged by storms in April 2012, but insurers AXA claim the condition of the roof would have voided the […]
Tory MP backs pensioners in leasehold right to manage dispute
Tory MP Oliver Colvile (right) yesterday pledged his support to the two leasehold retirement developments in Plymouth that are locked in leasehold right to manage disputes with their freeholder. At two packed meetings at Elim Court and Regent Court in his Sutton and Devonport constituency, Colvile told the residents that he would support them in […]
Bottomley meets Joseph Gurvits and Israel Moskovitz over leasehold right to manage disputes at Plymouth retirement developments – but residents are determined to fight it out
Sir Peter Bottomley MP (right) held a meeting yesterday at his Westminster offices with the freeholder and managing agent who are locked in right to manage disputes with leaseholders at two Plymouth retirement developments. The meeting was an informal exchange of views between freeholder Israel Moskovitz, property manager Joseph Gurvits and Sebastian O’Kelly and Martin […]
LEASE: Beyond repair?
Wanda Goldwag: You owe an apology. You know it. And it is overdue
Bottomley and Fitzpatrick defend LKP in Commons and insist on co-operation with Leasehold Advisory Service Commons debate, July 11 2019 By Sebastian O’Kelly Some of the contributions to the Commons leasehold debate on July 11 of both Sir Peter Bottomley and Jim Fitzpatrick would have been lost on almost everyone in the chamber, but not […]
Government’s slightly wobbly response to the excellent report of the Communities Select Committee
By Sebastian O’Kelly The government’s engagement with leasehold abuses is revealed in a lurching, one-step-forward and one-step-back reaction to the Communities Select Committee’s excellent critique of the sector, published today. There are some good things, such as “unfair practices in the leasehold market that can turn people’s home ownership dreams into a nightmare”. That’s true […]
London mayor Sadiq Khan launches leasehold advice portal and slams LEASE as ‘unfit for purpose’
London mayor Sadiq Khan has launched a new leasehold advice portal, and has condemned the taxpayer-funded Leasehold Advisory Service as “unfit for purpose”. He also backed “wholesale reform of leasehold, including a long-term shift toward alternative tenures such as commonhold”. Today’s statement from the mayor’s office reads: “Government funds the Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE) – […]
New LEASE chair declines to endorse peppercorn ground rents on BBC
And there will be no leaseholders on the board of LEASE The new chair of the controversial quango the Leasehold Advisory Service declined an invitation to endorse no-monetary value ground rents on BBC R4’s You and Yours today. Instead, Wanda Goldwag said only that contracts should be “fair”. Former Communities Secretary Sajid Javid undertook to […]
New interim chair for troubled quango LEASE
Wanda Goldwag, a former marketing executive for British Airways, has been appointed interim chair of the controversial Leasehold Advisory Service. Ms Goldwag, who ran BA’s Air Miles, is chair of the Office for Legal Complaints, which controls the legal ombudsman service for England and Wales. Four trustees of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership have been declined […]
News archive
Countryside Properties plc tells leaseholders wanting their freeholds: We’ve signed the pledge (and we’ve flogged them on, anyway) …
… and now we are “working with” the CMA inquiry (or, rather, being investigated by it, as others might put it) Countryside Properties plc has responded to leaseholders who wrote in last week demanding the freeholds to their homes. Here is the PR-crafted response. But to save you the effort, it could be precis-ed like […]
LKP meets Competition and Markets Authority over leasehold house mis-selling
The Competition and Markets Authority was given LKP’s insight into the leasehold houses mis-selling scandal yesterday. The meeting was hosted by LKP patrons and APPG co-chairs MPs Sir Peter Bottomley and Jim Fitzpatrick and Justin Madders, the deputy APPG chair on leasehold reform. Mr Madders, a solicitor, has spoken out many times about the mis-selling […]
South Somerset council enters the ‘fleecehold’ racket
By Sebastian O’Kelly Has South Somerset council twigged that it can make a fortune out of residents in private estates by playing the ‘fleecehold’ game? It has set up a company called Elleston for “landscaping and horticultural work” which it hopes will make £2.2 million a year in two year’s time. Thousands of private estates […]
Redrow: ‘shoddy workmanship and leasehold games’, but bumper profits from Help To Buy
Last week Redrow revealed a sixth consecutive year of bumper profits. It sold 6,443 homes, posted a 7% rise in pre-tax profits to £406m and announced that sales were up 10% to £2.1bn. But 40% of those profits come from the taxpayer subsidy of Help To Buy, and The Times was unhappy with build quality […]
John McDonnell is a leaseholder, reveals Daily Mail in hatchet job article
The Daily Mail has tried to smear shadow chancellor John McDonnell over his modest Norfolk holiday chalet, worth £170,000, which is leasehold. The only public interest argument for this article was that John McDonnell “was accused of hypocrisy over his plans to clamp down on buy to let landlords after it was revealed that he […]
Scale of leasehold house scandal revealed in mass email dump to house builder bosses
The sheer breadth of the leasehold houses scandal was revealed in the National Leasehold Campaign email dump on plc house builder CEOs on Monday. Hundreds of leasehold house owners sent emails, copying in Communities Secretary Robert Genrick, Housing Minister Esther McVey, local MPs, LKP and LKP’s MP patrons Sir Peter Bottomley and Jim Fitzpatrick. Sites […]
Mass email dump: leasehold home owners demand their freeholds after Persimmon caves into court action
More than 700 emails jammed the mailboxes of house builder chief executives this week as leasehold house owners demanded the freeholds to their homes. The protest came after Persimmon caved in to a trading standards action in Cardiff last month. Leasehold house buyers at the St Edeyrn’s Village development in Cardiff claimed Persimmon sales staff […]
Ken Clarke says ‘serious problems’ in leasehold
Taking a break from the follies of the world – the Brexit he disapproves of and the muted idea that he become prime minister of a national government – the Tory veteran Ken Clarke has noted that things are not good in the world of leasehold. In correspondence to Susan Hunt, a former LKP accredited […]
Harrow to hit council leaseholders with £4,500 fire safety bills
Harrow council, in north London, is passing on fire safety bills to the private leaseholders – even though other councils have absorbed the cost. Leaseholders have told LKP that refurbishing fire safety arrangements at various estates and purpose built, affecting, 1,200 private leaseholders, will cost £3,750-£4,500 each. The works include installing fire alarms in communal […]
