Coppen Estates cops it for over-padding insurance admin costs. Other Coppen leaseholders should do the same, say litigants

Controversial Coppen Estates – whose conduct has been criticised in the Commons – has just lost a tribunal case for over-padding insurance admin costs.

At 15% of the premiums, these fees were in addition to a slice of the insurance broker’s costs of 30%.

“The Broker shares this commission with the Respondent [Coppen Estates],” said the tribunal ruling (below).

“The details of the agreement between the Broker and Respondent were unclear; it was described at the hearing as being subject to negotiation. Some documents suggest that it amounts to roughly 33% of the Broker’s commission, so around 10% of the premium.”

As a result of the ruling Coppen Estates has to pay the admin payola back to the leaseholders of Mulberry Close, Norwich – approximately £6,000.

And it cannot charge the leaseholders for its legal costs, even though they failed to demonstrate that the insurance premiums were inflated.

One reason for this was that Mulberry Close is deemed – by insurers Aviva – to be a flooding risk, which pushed up premiums.

Although the amount is small compared with some leasehold litigation, it is not insignificant particularly against such a controversial freeholder.

[30July2026]However, it is now understood that Coppen Estates is appealing.

One leaseholder said: “Coppen Estates are empowered by the existing system to act like ghosts – they purposely don’t respond to emails or calls, and obfuscate information over periods of years, knowing that residents have no recourse.

“Throughout our dispute, residents repeatedly asked for basic information about how the building insurance had been procured, who received commissions and what the administration charges actually related to.”

Indeed, the tribunal also criticised the freeholder saying “[it] was unclear why the discussion that took place at the hearing could not have been handled directly between the parties”.

Veteran MP Clive Betts, a former chair of the Housing Select Committee, has raised concerns about Coppen Estates in Sheffield on several occasions. He told the Commons they “will not comply with any legislation, or will try to avoid it, [and] do not reply to letters”.

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There is also lively discussion about the freeholder on social media.

Coppen Estates leaseholders have identified more than 1,400 registered freehold titles owned by Coppen.

The largest concentrations, 411, are in the Sheffield South East constituency of Clive Betts.

Next comes Labour MP Olivia Blake in Sheffield Hallam (359) and Abtisam Mohamed for Sheffield Central (187).

Cabinet minister Louise Haigh in Sheffield Heeley has 129 Coppen Estates freehold titles, and Gill Furniss, Sheffield Brightside & Hillsborough, 122.

Others include Jake Richards, MP for Rother Valley, 47; Sarah Champion, MP for Rotherham, 16; David Baines, MP for St Helens North, 14; Louise Jones, MP for North East Derbyshire, 9; and Sarah Pochin, MP for Runcorn & Helsby, 5.

The constituency of North East Derbyshire was held by former Conservative housing minister Lee Rowley, who also criticised Coppen Estates.

Coppen Estates directors are given as Alan Shaun Pennington, Shirley Pennington and Delysia Shiena Jagliellowicz.

Leaseholders in Coppen Estate freeholders may wish to consider asking for:

a copy of the current insurance policy and schedule;
details of all broker commissions received;
explanations of any insurance administration charges;
confirmation of when the insurance market was last tested;
details of alternative quotations considered;
confirmation of who reviews temporary relocation cover and when it was last reviewed.

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The full ruling is here:

https://www.leaseholdknowledge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Taylor-v-Coppen-Judgment-002.pdf