The Department of Communities and Local Government has rejected a second complaint about Roger Southam being the chairman of the Leasehold Advisory Service.
“Mr Southam has not done anything in his private business that impinges upon his role as Chair of LEASE,” the DCLG tells the National Leasehold Campaign Facebook group.
The group represents many of the leasehold house owners in the North West, and has successfully engaged media attention on this issue.
The DCLG notes the “serious nature of the allegations raised”, but claims: “He [Mr Southam] was appointed on merit following a fair and open competition process, as regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments.
“… The Department has investigated the concerns raised regarding Mr Southam. This review confirms that Mr Southam’s role as chair of LEASE is totally separate from his private business.
“Therefore any requests sent to him in his capacity as chair of LEASE are distinct and separate from those relating to matters of his personal business.”
The leaseholders at Mulberry Mews, a Taylor Wimpey London site where Mr Southam’s Chainbow owned the embedded management company, claimed that they were hesitant to approach LEASE for advice because of Mr Southam’s conflicted role.
Indeed, one issue over insurance commissions was resolved after gave its opinion on the matter.
Following the intervention of LKP, Chainbow surrendered control of this company which then became a “residents’ management company”, of which all leaseholders were the participating members.
Without LKP’s involvement this would not have happened.
Related posts:
LEASE chair Roger Southam in Private Eye (again)
Justin Madders MP demands LEASE chair has ‘no business interests in the leasehold sector’
DCLG rejects complaint over LEASE chair Roger Southam, who pledged to ‘maximise ground rent opportunities’ for freeholders
LEASE chair Roger Southam launched complaint to Parliamentary Standards Commissioner against Sir Peter Bottomley and Jim Fitzpatrick (and LKP, naturally enough)
Motion of no confidence in Roger Southam as LEASE chair
Leaked Taylor Wimpey document showing doubling ground sales TODAY is “an oversight”
Until and unless Lease appoint someone with the genuine interests of leaseholders at heart, nobody is going to have any faith in them and they become just another meaningless trade body(of which there are many)
That Mr Southam doesn’t get it rather proves the point!
Its interesting to read DCLG’s line of reasoning :
“Therefore any requests sent to him in his capacity as chair of LEASE are distinct and separate from those relating to matters of his personal business.”
Its true they are distinct roles but its also the same brain inside Roger’s head making and implementing decisions when sitting in the chair at LEASE or in his own business . He certainly won’t make any decisions which are conflicting or may damage his own business interests.
It shows that DCLG decision making process is aligned with Roger’s interests and not with the leaseholders .
I t is not surprising that the DCLG have come up with this decision.
I have been pressing them since 2010 for some Leasehold Reform, but have either been ignored or received “fob offs”.
They will be of the same mind as Roger Southam in that we all need educating and cause a big fuss over nothing.
Their attitude is that the current system provides enough protection, so we should stop moaning, all go back into our little boxes and pay the fees.
Hello folks. Well, let’s see if the NLC who are great in number will have the staying power and unity to effect change regarding LEASE hierarchy. ! It is my belief that NLC waited far too long for a response from Barwell and allowed itself to be treated dismissively? Bad move. . I think they missed an open goal!! However, if NLC is dedicated to the cause then I am sure it will be victorious. Look what the poll tax protestors achieved- however, there were no ‘Safe spaces’ back then… I am truly very disappointed .
I don’t think 2700 protesters are going to have much affect on the Housing Minister. Maybe a limited affect upon the Housing Developers who will do something , but the least possible to help the worst affected leaseholders.
It will take something like a mass non payment of Ground Rent to stir this Government.
We have had five Housing Ministers since the 2010 General Election.
Grant Shapps,Mark Prisk, Kris Hopkins, Brandon Lewis and Gavin Barwell.
All have shown a little bit of sympathy apart from Grant who showed none.
But none have ever followed their intentions through to conclusion, and anyway have been sacked or replaced after a short period.
It is my belief that this Government will never promote extensive leasehold reform, however sympathetic a Housing Minister may be.
Unless of course they are forced into it by a really serious mass action.
And with Brexit occupying the next few years the excuse will probably be “the time now is not right”.
MH, 2700 folks if very vocal would have a huge effect on the housing Ministers actions. I reiterate that I believe the NLC missed an open goal by not following up the Iinitial letter of complaint complaint with the drafted follow up letter CC to the PM . I think it is very telling that a meagre 44 protestors attended the protest organised at Redrow…. why so few??? In my view that sent a clear message to Barwell……NLC is mainly all hat and no cattle! Sorry, but that how I see it.
Kim, An avalanche that can sweep an entire community away starts with a movement the size of a snowball!
Rather like the Ground Rent which starts off as a small sum, but keeps doubling itself until it reaches a small fortune. Let’s hope that the snowball can win.
Indeed Mr Epstein, however I am bitterly disappointed that the intial letter to Barwell ( written by me on behalf of the NLC) was not followed a second letter ( written by me on behalf of the ( NLC) . If one starts a fight one has to to finish it. I truly believe an open goal was missed.
Kim, that is part and parcel of a long term campaign where initially campaigners lack experience. As frustrating as it is at times, there will be plenty more opportunities to score an open goal.
Already the campaign is having great effect which will only increase as time goes by.
I remember many years ago a disgruntled resident posting his thoughts about Solitaire/Peverel(now called Firstport) on the internet.
It was gradually picked up by others who added their comments and thus a campaign was born! Hence The truth About Solitaire, Peverel Action and About Peverel. And though working closely together (but not connected) we now have LKP/Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation.
Those that lacked experience took further action(such as withholding service charges were routinely hammered by Peverel/Firstport, who were very confident the protest would fizzle out., But crucially lessons were learnt.
Where an a action was successful the route to success was all over the internet, if an action failed the reasons for the defeat were posted so that the next leaseholders taking action would not make the same mistake.
Protesters wised up! They started winning. Huge repayments to development accounts were ordered. Many discovered Right To Manage was possible and exercised those rights. Peverel/Firstport lost development after development.
Indeed an argument once broke out as to what constituted the biggest RTM action in the history of leasehold. Was it Century Wharf in Cardiff or Metro Central in London?
In no small part due to the campaign, Peverel/Firstport collapsed into administration in 2011, to be “rescued” in a controversial financing that meant they had to pay up to 15% in interest charges on loans.
Currently Peverel/Firstport have a negative value of -7m pounds.
So you see, if we keep going whatever mistakes (which we will learn from) anything is possible!
The problem here is that the campaign is to get the Government to change its policies.
A vocal and long campaign campaign can have some affect upon Companies if it diminishes their reputation or profit margins. But even First Port are still at it.
But with a Government as we have already seen, 7 years of continual hammering away has had very little affect.
Probably due to some very wealthy and influential people who have a lot to lose if reforms were introduced.
> I believe this hits the nail on the head
Consider that Vincent Tchenguiz and family, the most notorious monetising freeholder in the country and user of British Virgin Islands offshore companies to siphon off profits, has been a repeat six figure donor to the Conservative party.
The guff about the country “that works for everyone not the privileged few” is just that, guff, unless and until we see evidence that such gross injustices as the abuse of leaseholders becomes a political priority.
Whatever one’s views on Brexit one thing has been made clear in the recent past: it will place demands on the UK legislature and civil service that mean other parliamentary work will take a back seat for a very long time, up to a decade according to some commentators, possibly longer.
That shouldn’t be a recipe for despair. The Conservatives can and should be held to their commitment, and they should be looking for some easy evidence of their sincerity. So far, however, there’s not the slightest sign of that.
That should have been
> Probably due to some very wealthy and influential people who have a lot to lose if reforms were introduced.
I believe this hits the nail on the head
Wise words indeed Mr Epstien and I shall heed them. However in my defence – I am incredibly miffed that my 2x letters ( rather good ones I felt) written for the NLC were not followed up with the heft that was required by the NLC. I was made aware that Mr Essie ( of Lease) had contacted a senior campaigner of NLC and offered to travel up to the North of England to meet said campaigner. What happened? Did they meet? Who knows.. I do believe that at the very least Sebastian O’ Kelly would have been on the board of LEASE if the NLC had followed through. Not ideal I know- but a bloody start!!
Incidentally Mr Epstein. The CEO of Solitaire was the founder of the infamous ‘County Estate Management’ and is now the director and major shareholder of Westbury Residential Ltd.( CEM went into liquidation after the excoriating Charter Quay ruling.) …He boasts online of his success in purchasing ground rents / Freeholds . Check out RCP ltd and ‘Coast fund’. It will be interesting to see if there is any involvement in the current scandal ??