• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
Donate

Leasehold Knowledge Management Logo

Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold reform

Mobile Menu

  • Home
  • What is LKP
  • Find everything …
  • Contact
  • Advice
  • News
    • Find everything …
    • About Peverel group
    • APPG
    • ARMA
    • Bellway
    • Benjamin Mire
    • Brixton Hill Court
    • Canary Riverside
    • Charter Quay
    • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
    • Cladding scandal
    • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
    • Commonhold
    • Communities Select Committee
    • Conveyancing Association
    • Countrywide
    • MHCLG
    • E&J Capital Partners
    • Exit fees
    • FirstPort
    • Fleecehold
    • Forfeiture
    • FPRA
    • Gleeson Homes
    • Ground rent scandal
    • Hanover
    • House managers flat
    • House of Lords
    • Housing associations
    • Informal lease extension
    • Insurance
    • IRPM
    • JB Leitch
    • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
    • John Christodoulou
    • Justin Bates
    • Justin Madders MP
    • Law Commission
    • LEASE
    • Liam Spender
    • Local authority leasehold
    • London Assembly
    • Louie Burns
    • Martin Paine
    • McCarthy and Stone
    • Moskovitz / Gurvits
    • Mulberry Mews
    • National Leasehold Campaign
    • Oakland Court
    • Park Homes
    • Parliament
    • Persimmon
    • Peverel
    • Philip Rainey QC
    • Plantation Wharf
    • Press
    • Property tribunal
    • Prostitutes
    • Quadrangle House
    • Redrow
    • Retirement
    • Richard Davidoff
    • RICS
    • Right To Manage Federation
    • Roger Southam
    • Rooftop development
    • RTM
    • Sean Powell
    • SFO
    • Shared ownership
    • Sinclair Gardens Investments
    • Sir Ed Davey
    • Sir Peter Bottomley
    • St George’s Wharf
    • Subletting
    • Taylor Wimpey
    • Tchenguiz
    • Warwick Estates
    • West India Quay
    • William Waldorf Astor
    • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
  • [Custom]
Menu
  • Advice
  • News
      • Find everything …
      • About Peverel group
      • APPG
      • ARMA
      • Bellway
      • Benjamin Mire
      • Brixton Hill Court
      • Canary Riverside
      • Charter Quay
      • Chelsea Bridge Wharf
      • Cladding scandal
      • Competition and Markets Authority / OFT
      • Commonhold
      • Communities Select Committee
      • Conveyancing Association
      • Countrywide
      • MHCLG
      • E&J Capital Partners
      • Exit fees
      • FirstPort
      • Fleecehold
      • Forfeiture
      • FPRA
      • Gleeson Homes
      • Ground rent scandal
      • Hanover
      • House managers flat
      • House of Lords
      • Housing associations
      • Informal lease extension
      • Insurance
      • IRPM
      • JB Leitch
      • Jim Fitzpatrick MP
      • John Christodoulou
      • Justin Bates
      • Justin Madders MP
      • Law Commission
      • LEASE
      • Liam Spender
      • Local authority leasehold
      • London Assembly
      • Louie Burns
      • Martin Paine
      • McCarthy and Stone
      • Moskovitz / Gurvits
      • Mulberry Mews
      • National Leasehold Campaign
      • Oakland Court
      • Park Homes
      • Parliament
      • Persimmon
      • Peverel
      • Philip Rainey QC
      • Plantation Wharf
      • Press
      • Property tribunal
      • Prostitutes
      • Quadrangle House
      • Redrow
      • Retirement
      • Richard Davidoff
      • RICS
      • Right To Manage Federation
      • Roger Southam
      • Rooftop development
      • RTM
      • Sean Powell
      • SFO
      • Shared ownership
      • Sinclair Gardens Investments
      • Sir Ed Davey
      • Sir Peter Bottomley
      • St George’s Wharf
      • Subletting
      • Taylor Wimpey
      • Tchenguiz
      • Warwick Estates
      • West India Quay
      • William Waldorf Astor
      • Windrush Court
  • Parliament
  • Accreditation
You are here: Home / Latest News / Dear Pete Redfern (again) … Opaque leases, dubious ‘independent’ legal advice, no contact from Taylor Wimpey during its ‘review’, normal industry practice to stuff clients with leasehold houses (especially in North West)

Dear Pete Redfern (again) … Opaque leases, dubious ‘independent’ legal advice, no contact from Taylor Wimpey during its ‘review’, normal industry practice to stuff clients with leasehold houses (especially in North West)

March 6, 2017 //  by Sebastian O'Kelly

Devastating letter to Taylor Wimpey CEO from a member of the National Leasehold Campaign Facebook group:

Dear Mr Redfern,

I read with some interest the announcement and presentation of Taylor Wimpey’s Full Year Results for 2016, published last Tuesday, 28th February. There are a few issues I feel compelled to raise:

1.

You state in your announcement and presentation that “concern was expressed by some customers about certain leasehold houses…which are subject to leases with doubling ground rent clauses…the clauses are clearly outlined in the lease…”

It is the final part of this statement that I would like clarifying. I quote below, word-for-word, a section of my doubling lease:

“then the Review Date affected thereby shall be postponed until the expiration of three months from the date upon which such prevention restriction or modification is removed relaxed or modified and the Company shall then be entitled to recover any resulting increase in the Rent with effect from the postponed Review Date as shall then be permitted by law Provided That nothing herein shall be construed as varying any subsequent review date”

Now, I appreciate that having been an English-speaker for mere 35 years means I am a novice at comprehending the language.

However, even if I were an expert, with a First Class English degree, I would still struggle to comprehend the above clause.

There is nothing “clearly outlined” in the clause above. And, the whole lease is written in this un-punctuated and incomprehensible manner. The only people who might argue the lease is clearly written (apart from yourself, obviously) are lawyers – the very ones who wrote this lease for you.

Where, in the lease, does it “clearly” outline that you planned on selling on the land to a third party who would then use the lease as a means of extorting as much money as possible out of their unsuspecting leaseholders?

Where in the lease, Mr Redfern, does it “clearly” state you would sell on these leases at a low price, without offering the home owners – your customers – first refusal?

Where does it “clearly” state these doubling leases will devalue our homes rendering them impossible to sell, unless one is prepared to sell at a significant loss?

This is the root of the problem, Mr Redfern – you never told us you were going to sell on the land. If we had known, we would have purchased our freehold from you, or not bought our house at all.

2.

With regards to the “clearly outlined” lease, you stated that “customers received independent legal advice.”

How “independent” is the advice from a solicitor that has been recommended, and used, by the developer?

Now, I admit I feel very naive and foolish for falling into this group. However, as you are well aware, emotions run high by buying a home.

It is a stressful time, and when you are told by a sales adviser that everything will be quicker and smoother if you use the same solicitors the developer is using, you can see the logic.

So, my issue here is this – a significant number of your customers did not receive truly “independent” advice.

3.

In acknowledging the concerns raised by those trapped in these doubling leases, you stated you are “in the process of…working with these customers”.

As one of these customers, I have yet to see any evidence of this.

I have posted my concerns on your Facebook page, only to be told by one of your staff that you have a ‘dedicated team’ working on this issue who will contact me “shortly”.

The better part of a month has passed since I was told this and yet no one from your ‘dedicated team’ has been in touch.

Who, exactly, are you working with?

From speaking to my neighbours, who are also in the same situation, it isn’t any of us.

I would be delighted to assist you in resolving this issue – I have many ideas about how you can make amends: you only need ask.

I am also certain every single one of my neighbours would be happy to work with you, too.

I was pleased to read that you are “committed to being a responsible housebuilder.” I hope this commitment extends beyond the laying of bricks and mortar and towards those who have bought your doubling-lease houses, whether direct from yourselves, or indirectly through resales.

That, indeed, would truly be the mark of a responsible house builder – one who admits responsibility for creating a huge leasehold problem, but who is prepared to help everyone affected by its actions.

4.

In the presentation that accompanied your announcement, you referred to leasehold houses being “Normal Industry Practice in some regions, particularly [in the] North West.”

It was once “normal industry practice” to send children to work in coal mines and cotton factories – it didn’t make it right.

Just as it isn’t right to change the spirit of ground rent from one of a ‘peppercorn’ fee to a profit-making scheme designed to line the pockets of off-shore ‘fat cats’.

You must become the Robert Owen or Michael Sadler of our times, Mr Redfern: these men saw the immorality and injustice of a “normal industry practice” and successfully campaigned to change it for the better.

You could do great things, Mr Redfern, and, at the same time, repair and enhance Taylor Wimpey’s reputation so that you can genuinely claim you are a “responsible” house builder.

What are you going to do and when are you going to do it? Stalling for time only makes matters worse – like a cancer, this problem will continue to grow.

As a final aside, I noted, with some irony, that one of the charities that Taylor Wimpey supports is ‘End Youth Homelessness’.

Maybe you would consider establishing a charity for the homeowners who will find themselves homeless in old age as a result of being unable to pay the increased ground rent – the ‘Taylor Wimpey Charity for its Homeless Pensioners’, perhaps?

I look forward, as always, to your response. Maybe this time there will be some substance and solutions? One can live in hope.
Yours,
Andrea Leech

Related posts:

Taylor Wimpey delays ground rent scandal ‘review’ to April, and hopes, like Mr Micawber, ‘something will turn up’ Taylor Wimpey CEO says doubling ground rent scandal under ‘review’. But Bottomley asks: ‘Have innocent homebuyers been shafted?’ Pete Redfern tells LKP how Taylor Wimpey will sort the ground rent scandal Dear Pete Redfern … Taylor Wimpey cheated us: what are you doing about it? Dear Gavin Barwell … our Taylor Wimpey leasehold house means my pension will be eroded

Category: Ground rent scandal, Latest News, News, Taylor WimpeyTag: National Leasehold Campaign, Pete Redfern, Taylor Wimpey

Latest Tweets

Tweets by @LKPleasehold

Mentions

Anthony Essien (34) APPG (37) ARMA (87) Bellway (30) Benjamin Mire (32) Cladding scandal (71) Clive Betts MP (31) CMA (45) Commonhold (52) Competition and Markets Authority (41) Countryside Properties plc (33) FirstPort (42) Grenfell cladding (56) Ground rents (54) Harry Scoffin (150) James Brokenshire MP (31) Jim Fitzpatrick (35) Jim Fitzpatrick MP (30) Justin Bates (40) Justin Madders MP (67) Katie Kendrick (37) Law Commission (60) LEASE (66) Leasehold Advisory Service (62) Leasehold houses (32) Long Harbour (48) Martin Boyd (80) McCarthy and Stone (39) National Leasehold Campaign (38) Persimmon (49) Peverel (61) Property tribunal (49) Redrow (30) Retirement (37) Robert Jenrick (33) Roger Southam (47) Sajid Javid (38) Sebastian O’Kelly (55) Sir Peter Bottomley (201) Taylor Wimpey (106) Tchenguiz (33) The Guardian (33) The Times (31) Vincent Tchenguiz (43) Waking watch contracts (40)
Previous Post: « ‘I don’t see why houses are sold leasehold,’ says prime minister. Is this the final nail?
Next Post: LEASE chair Roger Southam in Private Eye (again) »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Karen

    March 6, 2017 at 9:02 pm

    Here’s why they keep delaying the the options to purchase freeholds within the 2 years!
    Because after month 24 l, any structural or major repairs issues fall to the warranty company to fix on the insurance!! How convienient it that? And the builders are allowed to get away with it Scot free!

    http://www.new-homes.co.uk/why-buy-new/customer-protection/

  2. Leaseholder

    March 6, 2017 at 9:08 pm

    It’s funny to think of the PPI scandal or the endowment mortgage (remember those? Everyone was recommending them) became big news and people got compensation – yet its loose change compared to leasehold extortions going on.

  3. Karen

    March 6, 2017 at 9:17 pm

    Yes, agree…. I hope the insurance Indemnity companies have got their pens out ready to write the cheques because this thing hasn’t even started yet!

    We are at the warmup stage!

    Keep watching the documentaries on the TV over the coming weeks!

  4. Katie kendrick

    March 6, 2017 at 9:37 pm

    Brilliant letter written by a member of the National Leasehold Campaign.

    Campaigners fight back.

    We will.not give up.

  5. Cath Williams

    March 6, 2017 at 9:53 pm

    Amazing letter that encompasses all the issues and considerations we would like Mr Redfern to actually acknowledge and respond to. Enough is enough Mr Redfern , your alternative facts just don’t hold up !!!!

  6. Conall Ryan

    March 6, 2017 at 10:35 pm

    Brilliant letter, espically re the proposed charity, as this is what I would need help from if this is not sorted. There is no way at retirement I could pay the ground rent, which would be more than any pension I get. I cannot believe a major house builder in our country can get away with this. Hope all of us can make Taylor Wimpey see sense

  7. Kim

    March 7, 2017 at 7:43 am

    Goodness, what a fabulous letter. Well done that NLC campaigner!! The tide is turning and when it goes out it will show that Redfern et al have been swimming without their bathing trunks on!! Oooer….

  8. Michael Epstein

    March 7, 2017 at 8:37 am

    Yes, Andrea’s letter is one of the best summaries of the situation faced by home “renting” leaseholders and is a very powerful tool in the fight for justice. Very well done Andrea!
    The vast majority of those afflicted by the leasehold house scandal would not be able to write a letter of such clarity..
    May I urge those that cannot match the quality of Andrea’s letter not to “give up”
    Even if you can only write a few lines to the effect that “You were not aware of the terms of the lease and that had you been made aware you would not have bought the house” you would be making a vital contribution.
    Aside from the undoubted skills of Andrea, sheer weight of numbers is key to success.

  9. trevor Bradley

    March 7, 2017 at 10:53 am

    What a superb letter. It clearly defines all the main points that are totally unacceptable.
    A great job Andrea.
    One of the points that I am sick and tired of reading in many of Redfern’s incorrect statements is the reference to, “concern was expressed by some customers”, or “we have received complaints from a small number of customers”. When is the man going to tell the truth and stop keep playing the numbers down.
    The issue should not involve only those affected by doubling ground rents, it should also cover GRs that increase by RPI.
    Every purchaser should be able to buy the GR at the ORIGINAL low price., which will also stop future massive costs the come about with these NEW AGE Leases.
    Also, anyone thinking of purchasing a 2017 onwards built property from TW (if there are any such persons) need to be very careful as although TW stated they would only be selling Freehold from Jan 17 I am sure this does not relate to properties and sites already ongoing, or in the pipeline/plans.. So, buyer beware.

  10. Linda

    March 8, 2017 at 12:30 am

    I have had another response from Pete Redfern tonight totally refusing to take any responsibility for any resales with the doubling ground rents . This will affect thousands of people , why does he think it is acceptable to leave so many homeowners in financial ruin. This mess started with taylor wimpey so should end with taylor wimpey. The man has no morals at all, how the hell does he sleeps at night !!

    • Kim

      March 8, 2017 at 8:26 am

      Don’t despair Linda, NLC will be relentless in ensuring Redfern and his ilk compensate all Leasehold housebuyers shafted by his indecipherable Leases and clearly let down by recommended ‘solicitors’.

    • Michael Epstein

      March 8, 2017 at 9:26 am

      I wonder if Mr Redfern will take responsibility for the inevitable fall in the sales of Taylor Wimpey homes and the consequent fall in revenues that will lead to?

      • B

        March 21, 2017 at 9:58 pm

        Perhaps this would then constitute his being kicked off the Board? If profits dip as a result of the adverse but honest publicity then with any luck it’ll be a swift bon voyage…

Above Footer

Advising leaseholders. Avoiding disasters.
Stopping forfeiture. Exposing abuses. Urging reform.

We depend on individuals for the majority of our funding.

Support Us and Donate

LKP Managing Agents

Become an LKP Managing Agent

Common Ground
Adam Church
Blocnet property management2

Stay in Touch

To achieve victory in the leasehold game where you are playing against professionals and with rules that they know all too well - stay informed with the LKP newsletter.
Sign Up for Newsletter

Professional Directory

The following advertisements are from firms that seek business from leaseholders.
Click on the logos for company profiles.

Footer

About LKP

  • What is LKP
  • Privacy and data

Categories

  • News
  • Cladding scandal
  • Commonhold
  • Law Commission
  • Fleecehold
  • Parliament
  • Press
  • APPG

Contact

Leasehold Knowledge Partnership
Open Data Institute
5th Floor
Kings Place
London N1 9AG

sok@leaseholdknowledge.com

Copyright © 2023 Leasehold Knowledge Partnership | All rights reserved
Leasehold Knowledge Partnership Limited (company number: 08999652) is a company limited by guarantee that is a registered charity (number: 1162584) with the Charities Commission.
LKP website is hosted at www.34sp.com
Website by Callia Web