Leaseholders urge Clive Betts MP to quiz housebuilders over ground rent review schemes

Leaseholders trapped in unsellable homes owing to rip-off ground rents have deluged Clive Betts MP (above) to call in housebuilders to explain their haphazard ground rent review schemes.

Mr Betts chairs the Communities Select Committee but declines to intervene in the leasehold scandal whereby 100,000 homeowners are trapped in unsellable properties, according to Nationwide.

Mr Betts has told the National Leasehold Campaign activists:

“On the issue of launching an inquiry, while the Committee has not yet taken this decision, it is possible that this is an area that the Committee may wish to further inquire into in the future.

“However, following the Government’s announcement just before Christmas, of a package of initial reforms in this area, and the Law Commission’s wider review of the leasehold and commonhold law, the Committee has been keen to see initial progress made on both of these before taking any decisions on what further work it might wish to conduct in this area.

“In particular, I understand we might expect some initial legislation from the Government before the summer.’

He adds that “the Committee has taken a keen interest in this area, and has questioned ministers on this issue on a number of occasions over the last six months, both orally and in writing. All the relevant letters and transcripts are all available on
the Committee’s website.”

Below are a selection of leaseholders’ correspondence to Mr Betts, copied to their local MPs.

To Meg Hillier MP

Dear Meg

I hope you are well
I am writing to ask you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the Leasehold Scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have 11k members in the National Leasehold Campaign.

Mike Ashley from Sports Direct was brought immediately before the Select Committee for not meeting minimum wage regulations for his staff. Oxfam were immediately brought before the Committee after allegations of impropriety abroad. Sir Phillip Green was brought in for alleged misuse of the BHS pension fund.

The scale of the Leasehold Scandal is unprecedented and I would like to ask the question: why has Jeff Fairburn from Persimmon and Peter Redfern from Taylor Wimpey not been brought in to explain why they have sold leasehold houses to thousands of people and then sold their freeholds on to freehold investment companies behind their back? Why have they used the govt’s Help To Buy scheme to load first time buyers with onerous ground rents and maintenance charges, while feathering their nests with gigantic bonuses (Jeff Fairburn = £70m)? What is the scale of this problem: how many properties like this exist? Who are the offshore investors who have bought these freeholds?

On other matters, freeholders should be brought in to answer why they are lumping leaseholders with the removal costs of Grenfell style cladding whose installation they had nothing to do with. Vincent Tchenguiz, a major freeholder, should be required to attend the Select Committee hearing to personally justify why his leaseholders will foot the bill for a building he owns, on land which he also owns.

Estate Agents such as Foxton’s CEO Nicholas Budden, should be required to answer why most of his leasehold property adverts do not indicate the length of lease, the ground rent payable and its escalation clause, ongoing service charges, or permission fees. These are in clear breach of the Advertising Standards Authority’s Misleading Advertising Code sections 3.3, 3.18 and 3.19

Guy Parker, CEO of the Advertising Standards Authority should be called in to ask why his organisation, despite numerous complaints over decades, has failed to stop false advertising by estate agents regarding ‘home ownership’ when the properties are actually leased and therefore in law the leaseholders are classed as tenants.

Undoubtedly, the whole leasehold system is corrupt, and the govt and Select Committee need to start demanding to know why the entire industry has abused the public in this way. It may be legal, but it is certainly immoral. Now is the opportunity to hold people to account and give them the opportunity to explain themselves.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

I would greatly appreciate if you could please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and help to make this happen.
Kind regards,

David Silverman
London N1 7JY

To Kate Osamor MP

Dear Kate,

It has been a number of months since I visited you during your surgery hours with regards to Prowse Court and the doubling ground rents here.

We’ve just heard from Countryside Properties that they have reached some agreement with our anonymous freeholder and will be offering us some some variation to our lease terms, but we do not have the details of this offer yet. We anticipate the terms of the offer to be similar to that made by Taylor Wimpey under their ‘Ground Rent Assistance Scheme’. Any Taylor Wimpey customer who signs up to their scheme waives their right to make any further claim against Taylor Wimpey or bring a class action against them in the future, such is the guilt and stench of corruption from the biggest home builders in the UK.

As more and more people find themselves affected by the ‘Leasehold Scandal’, we need the national home builders, such as Countryside Properties and Taylor Wimpey, their ‘approved’ conveyancing solicitor partners, valuers, landlords and their agents (such as Homeground Management Limited) that are part of this scandal to be held to account.

I’ve copied in Clive Betts, Chair of the Select Committee for Housing and would really appreciate your support in calling for a Select Committee Inquiry into the ‘Leasehold Scandal’. 

I would be more than happy to give evidence to any Inquiry on this subject and look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Mr. Basim Jafar
Silver Point, in Edmonton

To Jack Dromey MP

Dear Jack Dromey MP.

Me and thousands of LEASEHOLDERS and FLEECEHOLDERS are demanding that the Government hold to account all the Developers without exception who have screwed there customers by creating monietised leases and private estates with added RIPOFF charges. Many of us are disolutioned as the Government had consistantly dragged its feet in any attempt to haul Developers before a Cross Party Select Committee.  Please would you raise this in parliament as a matter of urgency because Phillip Green was hauled before a committee in very little time over BHS, yet 1000’s of property owners are left out of pocket in a Totally Anti Competative Market which more than likely should be in breach of Competition Laws.

Kind Regards
Martin Foulds
Erdington
B23 7QL.

To Allan Hepple, Northumberland Council

Dear Mr Hepple,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I own a flat on Southfield Green and I will never be able to afford the extortionate prices quoted to extend my lease and therefore will never be able to sell it and move. Please help as much as you can on this matter.

Kind regards,
Tracy S
Cramlington
Northumberland

To Lisa Nandy MP

Dear Lisa,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyance solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Common hold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Martin R
Wigan

To Clive Betts MP

Dear Mr Clive Betts MP

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign, and an article on the Leasehold scandal appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

I therefore urge you to begin an enquiry into the scandal to try and stop people being trapped in these extortionate leaseholds.

Thank you very much

Emma H-S

To Liz McInnes MP

Dear Liz

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Brian Worthington
Heywood

To Justin Madders MP

Dear Justin Madders

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards
Mrs Hazel Seale

To Alan Campbell MP

Dear Mr Campbell

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards

To Heather Wheeler MP

Dear Heather Wheeler MP

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Rowan M

To Gareth Johnson, MP

Dear Gareth,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.  I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and hope you will attend the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month. 

Leaseholders have been abused, are being abused and will continue to be abused unless there are steps to prevent and penalise unfair treatment.  Some leaseholders of houses and of flats now have properties which are virtually un-saleable due to their lease terms. Recent attention to punitive ground rent provisions have illustrated the damaging disadvantage to which leaseholders have been subjected, for far too long.
·        Leasehold dates back to Feudal times and only exists in England and Wales. Leaseholder means ‘’Tenant’’.
·        Developers are changing from leasehold to “Fleecehold”.  Which means they keep toxic covenants in the freehold transfer such as permission fees.  This must not be allowed to continue.
·        The concept of the BARON (FREEHOLDER) bullying and threatening the SERF ( Tenant) with eviction (FORFEITURE) should be outlawed.
·        This behaviour, which is commonplace in modern day England and Wales is leading to serious harassment of individual tenants and sometimes whole communities by unscrupulous Landlords and unregulated Managing Agents .
Leasehold should be replaced by ‘’COMMONHOLD’’ for flats which happens in the rest of the Western World .  Houses should NEVER be leasehold since they sit on their own freehold plots. Therefore Leasehold should be ABOLISHED.  The government should take action to protect those existing leaseholders (Flats & Houses) with onerous lease terms which have become toxic.  A full review of leasehold legislation is essential.  Residential Managing agents MUST be regulated since they persecute and threaten tenants with impunity. This cannot be allowed to continue.  We want FULL retrospective action for those already stuck in the web of leasehold.  We urge you to support a public enquiry into the miss selling of millions of homes by the developers.

Kind regards, 

Alan E

Longfield

To Mike Kane MP

Dear Mr Kane

We (My family) have previously contacted you on several occasions regarding the ‘Leasehold Scandal that my family are caught up in. This scandal is escalating and nothing short of a ‘living hell’ for those of us caught up in it.

I know you stated you were unable to join the APPG either as a member or a friend but can I implore you to use your valued influence to call for a Select Committee inquiry into the Leasehold Scandal.

As more and more people from all over the country find themselves caught in the Leasehold and #Fleecehold trap, we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.
There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like my family are finding that having a new home ISNT a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Buying a freehold is not an option for many , either because of the highly inflated costs involved or because some developers do NOT sell true Freehold. When my son bought a new home from Taylor Wimpey using help to buy his first home, we did not expect to have to spend more time learning about leasehold law that we have ever spent educating ourselves professionally.
There are now almost 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press, on television and on the radio related to the Leasehold Scandal.

As you did still offer to assist us in any way,  you could you PLEASE contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing , Communities and Local Government , who I have copied into this email to help make this happen. 

I hope you may offer your support of an inquiry and re-consider joining the APPG, even just as a Friend – any support you can offer is greatly valued by us. The APPG is very supportive of our cause and its important that our own MP can lend a name to such a cause.

Kind Regards

Moira & Tony M
Sale
Manchester

To Heather Wheeler MP

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and #fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Buying a freehold is not an option because Bellway Homes do not sell true freehold. 

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal. 

Kind regards,

Natalie Carthy

To Robert Buckland MP

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal.

As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Buying a freehold is rarely an option because many builders do not sell true freehold. When I bought a new home using Help to Buy I did not expect to have to spend more time learning about leasehold law than I have studying for my own career.

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal.

Please can you contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen?

I look forward to seeing you at one of the APPG meetings on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform in the future.

Kind regards,

Victoria B

To Justin Madders MP

Dear Justin
I am very proud to have you as our MP.  The work you have done on the leasehold scandal is incredible and the 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign consider you the “Champion MP of Leasehold”. 

We have spoken about this many times and I know you agree that it’s time to summon the housebuilder’s who are responsible for creating the leasehold scandal to the Select Committee.

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.
Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Katie Kendrick
Ellesmere Port
(Founder of the National Leasehold Campaign NLC)

To Andy Slaughter MP

As a H&F resident I am proud to have you as our MP. You stand up for the vulnerable in society.

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal.

In Hammersmith our freeholder blocked all attempts to sell our flat on the open market. Even though he entered no defence  when we issued proceeding at the High Court he subsequently created new obstacles to sale and we were trapped with no option but to sell to him at a massive loss. We are now recovering in rental accommodation. I am happy to be interviewed about the detail and speak out.

Our personal circumstances have made me realise how vulnerable leaseholders are on many levels to abuse. Developers,valuers and certain conveyancing solicitors have colluded to hoodwink low income buyers through the Help to Buy scheme. This has been particularly unjust and cruel. 

Please give this serious issue your attention and support reform of the Leasehold system. 

Yours Sincerely,

Anne H
London W6

To Stephen McPartland MP

Dear Stephen,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Having taken what I thought was the first step onto the property ladder in 2012 by buying a flat in Monument Court, Stevenage, I am now ready to sell my property and move up the property ladder. This is currently impossible as I am living in what local estate agents have told me is now “an unsaleable development” due to the ground rent doubling every 15 years. I have now lost 5 sales and am unable to move as lenders simply refuse to offer mortgages on properties in Monument Court because of the ground rent situation. The doubling ground rent clause and it’s consequences were not highlighted to me by the solicitors I used when purchasing the flat (solicitors that were recommended by the developer) and was only discovered by myself when I lost my first buyer as a result.

This situation is causing huge amounts of stress and worry for myself and my family and tens of thousands of others across the country. The National Leasehold Campaign has nearly 11,000 members in the same or similar situations who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

Kind regards,
Anna M

To Tom Brake MP

Dear Tom,
I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal.
As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

My nightmare started on June 2014, although at that time I thought it was a dream come true! , but last summer, reality call on our door. We have a double ground rent every 10 years. Our property is now unsaleable, yet, extending the lease will cost thousands of pounds.

The biggest purchase in life most people will do and the whole process is a mine field, yet, everybody stays quiet. Furthermore, our own Governments are encouraging people to fell for this trap. The leasehold and fleecehold systems have been set in such a way as to allow the freeholders and managing agents the milking of £££ for the rest of our lives.

As a leaseholder I am only entitle to pay, to pay up and to be quiet. There are so many abuses that it is beyond belief that this is allowed to happen, and I am sure I have not even seen half of it. The devil is in the detail. Countless sleepiness nights, and the more I read about it, the more aware I become of how rotten the system is.

Please can you contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen?

Kind regards,
Monica S

To Mark Lancaster MP

Mark,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.  We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign with thousands of unhappy leaseholders in the same boat.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

This scandal is robbing millions of people in the country from their hard earned money and needs to stop. More needs to be done to help current leaseholders buy out their freehold without extortionate fees, and also making ground rent peppercorn.
Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and as someone in your constituent that has voted for you at every election in the past, I look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Natasha

To Justin Madders MP

Dear Justin,

I am writing to implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and #fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.  

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Having bought a new Barratt home three years ago, using Help to Buy, my husband and I are now feeling overwhelmed by the worry of being in this situation, with the financial uncertainty it is creating casting huge shadows of doubt over our family’s future.
We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal.
Please can you contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen?

Thank you for your support and kind representation of your constituents in this matter.
Kind regards,
Briony H

To Andrew Selous MP

Dear Andrew,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and #fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.  

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Buying a freehold is not an option because Linden Homes do not sell true freehold. When I bought a new home using Help to Buy I did not expect to have to spend more time learning about leasehold law than I have studying for my own career.

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal. I have contributed to several articles myself to help expose this.

Please can you contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen?

I would be happy to give evidence to any aspect of an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at one of the APPG meetings on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform in the future.

Kind regards,

Darren C

To Andrew Selous MP

Dear Andrew,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people find themselves caught in the leasehold and #fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.  

There are many angles to the Leasehold Scandal and many people like myself are finding that having a new home isn’t a pleasure; it is a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy or obvious way out. Buying a freehold is not an option because Linden Homes do not sell true freehold. When I bought a new home using Help to Buy I did not expect to have to spend more time learning about leasehold law than I have studying for my own career.

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press; on television and on the radio related to the leasehold scandal. I have contributed to several articles myself to help expose this.

Please can you contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen?

I would be happy to give evidence to any aspect of an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at one of the APPG meetings on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform in the future.

Kind regards,

Louise O
Dunstable

To Justin Madders MP

Good afternoon Justin,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.

I am currently also progressing with the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, it appears leaseholders will be required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action, thus taking away my rights to redress.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to hearing on how progress is being made from the next APPG meeting.

Kind regards,

Mark H

To Chris Green MP

Chris,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account.  We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News at the weekend.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Jo

To John McDonnell MP

Dear Rt Hon John McDonnell  MP 

Can I please make enquiries if you are representing me and fellow constituents of High Point Village, Station Approach,  Hayes on this matter regarding leasehold properties? 

John, we desperately need your help and a practical first step I would welcome is if you were there to represent those of us at High Point Village effected by the leasehold scandal. 

To that effect can I please implore you to equally make representation and to contact the Minister regarding the campaign to introduce a common hold tenure. Can I also implored you to represent me and fellow constituents who are resident in High Point Village by joining the APPG,  chaired by Sir Peter Bottomley MP and Jim Fitzpatrick MP. 

The overriding point is that leasehold in all forms must go, including existing leasehold arrangements that your constituents are currently crippled by. It is a deeply flawed form of tenure. In hand Regulation of Managing agents is most pressing. As it stands Ballymore Asset Management have no qualms creaming approx £2.1 million  per annum from Leaseholders at High Point Village. It’s both frightening and alarming the rut I and others are in because we purchased a leasehold property. 

A commons debate secured on leasehold on Thursday December 21 was very well received. Can I please ask APPG to continue be be proactively determined in their resolve to press on with this urgent work that effects not alone me but all your constituents at High Point Village,  hard working people being ripped off by Ballymore -both  freeholder and Asset Management Company.
Minister Sajid Javid’s prolonged but welcomed review of leasehold abuses, onerous ground rents and leasehold houses, must be commended but can you please support him any way you can to now look at those already part of the leasehold scandal.
Kind Regards,

Kenneth O

To Alan Campbell MP

Dear Mr Campbell,

I am writing as one of your constituents and someone who has always voted for you to ask you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Enquiry into the leasehold situation.

As someone who has purchased their first property just over two years ago, I have found myself inheriting a leasehold that is managed by a company located offshore (I presume for tax avoidance purposes). The leasehold situation has been cleverly disguised by the building company (Bellway) who  sold the lease on to a third party before I purchased my home and I now find myself in a situation where I will need to pay their legal costs as well as my own to attempt to purchase my lease. My solicitor has quoted me £200 for the work yet the leasehold company (HomeGround) have estimated their costs at £1000 for the same work.

Frankly I feel the whole situation is morally repugnant if not illegal and an example of Rachmanism that is more suited to feudal times. I would therefore please implore you to bring whatever political influence you can to bear to establish clear rules for purchasing leases without arbitrary figures being generated by such third-party companies who appear to be operating above the law.

I note that such leases are now illegal but I feel it is only right for the law to be applied retrospectively so that a small proportion of the population do not end up with property that cannot be sold because of the increasingly onerous conditions attached to the lease. If the situation is now illegal, I cannot see why it would not have been equally inappropriate conduct several years back and would wish you and your colleagues to do everything in your power to close this loophole.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen H

To Lindsay Hoyle MP

Dear Lindsay

You will be very aware of the Leasehold scandal that is affecting many of your constituents including myself and my wife.

We bought our house only last year , its was our intention to buy the freehold for about £4500 from the developer David Wilson Homes however after we exchanged contracts , the freehold was sold onto a third party investor called Landmark Collections of Bolton, ironically they are funded by RBS who are mostly state owned so we the taxpayer are funding our own crisis ! After being sold onto Landmark the cost immediately increased overnight to £10500 (52 times our ground rent) plus legal costs to purchase our freehold and this believe it or not is quite low compared to some people I know. At the moment we have to pay £210 for ground rent , permission fees to build anything on the house or even move a fence and if we decide to sell we have to pay Landmark over £400 for a management pack. We also have to pay £132 maintenance charges for the upkeep of green spaces , again unregulated all because the local council won’t take responsibility for the estate even though we pay full council tax .We had both taken early retirement but have now had to get jobs again to try and pay the extortionate amount for the lease . The reason is my mother is elderly and hasn’t been well so we find ourselves in a position we we have to move again to be closer to her , we have found we cannot sell our property in its current state as any potential buyer is put off because of it being leasehold. This is blighting our lives and giving us endless sleepless nights.

This scandal of unregulated charges and wheeler dealing of peoples freeholds has to be stopped due the misery it is causing in ours and many others lives. I can’t believe we have a heavily regulated financial services industry yet house builders and their various agents who all deal with vast sums of money are unregulated and have made the most of being so by fleecing thousands of home owners , many who cannot afford to get out of the mess the house builders and their friends have created.

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap. We need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers , managing agents, investment companies who buy freeholds and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching eleven thousand members of the National Leasehold Campaign which contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently. I am sure there are many more than eleven thousand affected , I suspect that in your constituency alone you have in excess of that figure as you have Buckshaw , one of the largest concentration of houses that are leasehold almost all of which have been sold onto third party investors and many I know who are unable to sell or have seen the price of their houses reduce dramatically.

It is worth noting if you were not aware that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action. Surely these tactics by house builders which continue unchecked are taking us back to the days of highway robbery, the difference here is that there is no consequence to their actions.

Leasehold on houses has to be banned with immediate effect and  if necessary compensation given to those adversely financially affected. In Scotland and Northern Ireland freeholds can be bought for only 10 times the ground rent due to legislation so please make that happen here now rather than later. In addition charges levied by so called managing agents need to be scrapped or at worst set at an agreed low rate and finally either councils take back responsibility for maintaining streets and green areas or the residents that pay an additional charge should have a rebate on their council tax as these are public areas to which those who don’t pay the charge have unrestricted access.

 Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and hope that you will be present at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month to represent me and the many other constituents caught up in this daylight robbery.

Kind regards,
Michael & Cheryl M
Chorley

To Diane Abbott MP

Dear Diane Abbott MP

Hope this finds you well!

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

Kind regards,
Dan G

To Dame Margaret Hodge MP

Dear Dame Margaret Hodge,

I hope you are well and enjoying the current beautiful weather.

The purpose of my email is for me is to request you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancers, valuers and others responsible professionals for creating this mess to be held more accountable with a view to have the government regulate this practice. We are now approaching 10,000 members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently being a leaseholder myself.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I would be happy to give evidence to such an enquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.
If you have any queries or need any information, please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
Kind regards,

Anwar A
Barking

To Margaret Hodge MP

Dear Margaret Hodge MP

First, I would like to thank you for joining the Leasehold and commonhold APPG group. This means a lot to myself, my family, and many other residents I know, including the millions of others who are currently affected and could be affected in the future until the government actually eliminates this leasehold scandal once and for all.

I urge you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contribute towards this overall campaign within the group, which includes the article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.
Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

Kind regards,
Venilia Amorim

To Laurence Robertson MP

Dear Laurence

I write to you ahead of the next APPG on leasehold and commonhold reform later this month and also following Sebastian O’Kelly (Leasehold Knowledge Partnership) calling for an inquiry into leasehold abuses on Sky News last Sunday.   #leaseholdscandal.

When we met at Rectory Court I explained to you how leasehold was making the lives of elderly and vulnerable residents an absolute misery at the hands of the freeholder. Having retired and paying significant amounts of money to their freeholder, who is also their managing agent, they expected a quiet life. Instead they have been abused again and again by ever rising fees and ever worsening services. On top of paying £17,500 per year for the block to be managed, the freeholder adds 15% admin fee to planned works. How can it be right for your elderly constituents to be a lucrative revenue stream with no control over fees the freeholder can impose on anything they dream up?   

Even worse, the 99 year leases are now under 70 years, which means that the flats will lose value unless owners pay for lease extensions. The latest figure for this was £12,000.  An enormous sum to pay for the right to live in your own home for which you are entirely responsible.  It is ridiculous in 2018 that we can have people earning money from owning a “right” for someone to live in the home they have paid for and on day zero can claim that property.  We must end this feudal system not only for new builds but all homes.

This whole system needs looking at.    Here in Bishop’s Cleeve we have thousands of newly built houses. Without doubt many of your constituents have unwittingly bought new leasehold or “fleecehold” (freehold with covenants) homes. Huge numbers of people up and down the country are now trapped in houses they cannot sell because mortgage companies will not lend on doubling ground rents, or are facing huge fees because their freehold has been sold on as an investment opportunity and they are powerless to fight increases in permission and admin fees.

I ask you again to consider joining, or at the very least becoming a friend to the Leasehold APPG.  I am seeing through family and friends all over the UK the terrible impacts of the leasehold scandal. PLEASE add your voice to the call for a full inquiry and to the proposals to reform this scandalous system.

Regards
Barbara F

To Stephen Kinnock MP

Dear Stephen Kinnock and David Rees,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.
I would be happy to give evidence to such an Inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the next APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform later this month.

Kind regards,

Julian Alexander

To Marie Rimmer MP

Dear Marie 

I implore you to use your influence to call for a select committee inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people are finding themselves caught in the leasehold and fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

There are many angles to the leasehold scandal and many people like myself are finding that new homes isn’t a pleasure, it’s a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy way out. Buying a freehold is not an option because Taylor Wimpey, Morris Homes, Bellway, Barrett’s home as well as many other major builders do not sell true freeholds.  The buy the freehold is a lengthy and costly process, however after spending money to get the freehold, it turns out its not a true freehold as restrictive covenants remain. I’m summary the lands still will not be  truly ours! 

When I purchased our new home using ‘help to buy’ I didn’t not expect nor was I informed of the situation that we are currently facing or the escalating ground rents that makes my home unsellable. I did not expect the endless worry and stress that this has caused for me and many others. 

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent assistance scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a select committee or future class action against the unfair practices that the professionals involved have been negligent in failing to provide us with essential information at the point of sale. To reiterate the scheme will not benefit us either by converting to RPI. 

These same developers are building more and more homes around Prescot, promising to be freehold, yet the covenants remain.  Why are councils backing these developers when the know the seedy practices and the situations in which we are in? 

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press, on television, radio and newspapers highlighting the leasehold scandal to expose this unjustly practice. 

Please could it ask that you personally contact Clive Betts – chair of the select committee for Housing, communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen? 

I would be happy to give evidence to such an inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the APPG meetings on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform.  We really need your support. 

Kind Regards 

Lisa C
Prescot 

To Marie Rimmer MP

Dear Marie 

I implore you to use your influence to call for a select committee inquiry into the leasehold scandal. 

As more and more people are finding themselves caught in the leasehold and fleecehold trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. 

There are many angles to the leasehold scandal and many people like myself are finding that new homes isn’t a pleasure, it’s a web of permissions and fees wrapped up in a long lease document and there is no easy way out. Buying a freehold is not an option because Taylor Wimpey, Morris Homes, Bellway, Barrett’s home as well as many other major builders do not sell true freeholds.  To buy the freehold is a lengthy and costly process, however after spending money to get the freehold, it turns out its not a true freehold as restrictive covenants remain. In summary the land still will not be truly ours! 

When I purchased our new home using ‘help to buy’ I didn’t not expect nor was I informed of the situation that we are currently facing or the escalating ground rents that makes my home unsellable. I did not expect the endless worry and stress that this has caused for me and many others. 

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent assistance scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a select committee or future class action against the unfair practices that the professionals involved have been negligent in failing to provide us with essential information at the point of sale. To reiterate the scheme will not benefit us either by converting to RPI in the longterm. 

These same developers are building more and more homes around Prescot, promising to be freehold, yet the covenants remain.  Why are councils backing these developers when they know the seedy practices and the situations in which we are in? 

We now have close to 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign who have contributed to articles in the press, on television, radio and newspapers highlighting the leasehold scandal to expose this unjustly practice. 

Please could I ask that you personally contact Clive Betts – chair of the select committee for Housing, communities and Local Government who I have copied into this email to help make this happen? 

I would be happy to give evidence to such an inquiry and look forward to seeing you at the APPG meetings on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform.  We really need your support. 

Kind Regards 

Lisa R
Prescot 

To Johnny Mercer MP

Dear Mr Mercer,

I implore you to use your influence to call for a Select Committee Inquiry into the leasehold scandal. As more and more people find themselves caught in this trap we need the developers, conveyancing solicitors, valuers and others responsible for creating this mess to be brought to account. We now have approaching 11k members of the National Leasehold Campaign and I contributed to an article on the Leasehold scandal that appeared on Sky News recently.

Please note that under the much publicised Taylor Wimpey Ground Rent Assistance Scheme, leaseholders are required to sign a settlement agreement as well as the Deed of Variation to vary their lease terms from doubling to RPI. Signing this prevents them from claiming further from Taylor Wimpey and giving evidence to a Select Committee or any future class action.

Please contact Clive Betts, the Chair of the Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government and make this happen.

Kind regards,
Mrs F