Engage Liverpool to hold public meeting with CMA

Engage Liverpool, which represents flat owners in the centre of the city, is holding an open meeting with leaseholders on May 21.

It has invited Douglas Cooper, of the Competition and Markets Authority, to hear from leaseholders, particularly those who have experience of self-management.

Engage Liverpool represents leaseholders who have bought flats in the city centre.

Headed by Gerry Proctor, MBE, Engage Liverpool has successfully avoided expensive and failed litigation by angry individual leaseholders.

There have been tribunal cases, but not involving the expense and acrimony of those reported on LKP / Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation.

Freeholders in Liverpool seem to be less enthusiastic to play the system. This may be because the downturn has made the revival of the city centre precarious, and they feel it is better to co-operate fairly rather than monetise.

A number of Liverpool blocks have resident management companies or RTMs, and where they do not exist Engage Liverpool holds consultation with the freeholders to ensure that residents’ interests are not ignored.

Plenty of leaseholders in the wider Merseyside area contact LKP / Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, which suggests that there is no shortage of disputes in the area.

The areas that the CMA is interested in are:

• Leaseholder perception of quality of services and value for money and – in particular – whether this differs with right to manage.
• Effectiveness on consultation over major works.
• Effectiveness of redress procedures
• Freeholders choice of property manager.

It is essential that a balanced leaseholder view emerges from this meeting, including those who have fought tribunal cases or have set up right to manage companies.

The vested interests in leasehold seek to claim that RTM in particular is not an answer, and that pensioners have been bullied into participating in RTM initiatives.

Pre-registration for the meeting is required, and it takes place:

Engage Liverpool
5.30pm
May 21
Cotton Exchange Building,
Old Hall Street,
Bixteth Street,
Liverpool L3 9JR.

(The entrance is off Old Hall Street on Bixteth Street)

Further details here