LKP is involved in a lot of work which does not always warrant an article on the web site.
The most important matter from LKP’s prospective was our final approval by the charities commission to become a registered charity. Over a 10-month period the Commission had reviewed our work to understand that everything falls within the relevant charity legislation.
The commission has accepted we can continue to highlight the problems in the sector on the web site and well as providing information about leasehold matters. We can continue with the LKP accreditation system for those managing agents willing to commit to certain ethical standards. We can continue to campaign for improvements in the legislation. We can continue to help those facing difficulties on leasehold matters.
For the sector our most important events were the fourth and fifth round table round table meetings in Parliament which we help to organise and chair. These events now attract senior representatives for different parts of the sector along with government officials, lawyers and the MPs and Lords themselves – and of course leaseholders.
- We have met with DCLG officials on a number of occasions and work with them to consider a range of leasehold issues ranging from the retirement sector to the recognition of tenants associations.
- We have visited Number Ten twice this year with Sir Peter Bottomley to raise the issue of Commonhold and the need to remove some of the injustices in the leasehold sector.
- We have attend the LEASE stakeholder meetings and the inaugural Property Tribunal user group meeting.
- In June we met with Housing Minister Brandon Lewis with MPs Sir Peter Bottomley and Jim Fitzpatrick
- We continue to work with ARMA the British Property Federation, Council of Mortgage Lenders and others on flood insurance after government decided to exclude almost all leasehold portieres from the safety net flood insurance scheme being introduced for freehold homes under the Water Bill.
- We are attending the s20 review meetings which have come out of the CMA report on leasehold management.
- We have been worked with LEASE and others including the Law Society FPRA, RICS and others on a pre purchase document to anyone planning to buy a leasehold property.
- We have also held meetings with the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) to raise or concerns over the lack of oversight of leasehold building insurance and regulation of those providing series to the leasehold sector. We have also raised the fact that they have no oversight of the control of leaseholder’s money.
- We have met with RICS to talk about their regulation role.
- Last week we attended an FPRA meeting on the legal issues facing leasehold properties and the obligations to reduce carbon consumption.
Leasehold ‘a lucrative way to stop people from buying their own home outright’ – Daily Mail
Sebastian and Martin you have worked miracles doing what you have done to help us residents. The way you have highlighted the methods some Managing Agents have used and treated, and continue to treat us elderly residents as cash cows, as we have been seen as easy prey.
We as pensioners do not have the contacts that you have, so we at the Coal Face continue to uncover the seams of scams that have been inherent at Ashbrook Court since at least 2006 and at other developments, where the Area Managers refused to explain their actions.
So again well done and keep us informed of the good work that you are doing.
Lately we have been aware that a Residential Development Manager was suspended and later sacked, which we have purposely played it low key. We now are wondering if we have played into the MA hands and that this person will have to move from the Residential House Managers Flat (RHMF), have we undertaken the correct action?
We at Ashbrook Court have been checking on Peverel Retirement Booklets that were in place from 2007 and recently changed in 2015. Small subtle changes that allow duplication of items that were previously included in “YOUR SERVICE CHARGE EXPLAINED” in which the middle pages cover “WHAT DOES THE MANAGEMENT FEE COVER” this booklet was provided to explain the Service Charges.
This Blue Booklet 2007 and 2011 was recently removed from developments because more and more questions were being asked. FirstPort director stated that they were removed to be replaced with the new Yellow Booklet. This booklet has changed some of the headings and some of the contents that were previously included in the Management Fees?
We have noted that duplicated items have been allowed to continue since 2006/07, especially for HM Training, Travel Expense and Risk Assessments, that were included in MANAGEMENT FEES.
Imagine the duplication of costs when Peverel/Firstport have 1465 developments and since 2007/08 have charged us over £2,000 for the training of House Managers, another HM is due to commence training on the 05/10/2015. This House Manager was trained over a three day period, costing us nearly £500 she worked for less than two weeks, phoned in sick and then resigned.
Can you please highlight this and ask FirstPort Retirement why they have continued to undertake this duplication of management Fees which are in Breach of Contract, as they have changed these contract documentation unilaterally without any consultation.
Thanking you in anticipation,
Chas
Sebastian forgive me, but you are no longer contactable, as both requests for help on the websites from myself and others where phone calls also go unanswered.
Do you want me to continue posting???
Sebastian thank you for your reply last week..
We as posters also spend time helping others and as you have said we should continue.
.
The latest scam is the duplication of costs as seen below.
In 07/11 Peverel Retirement Produced a Booklet Your Service Charge Explained and whose code was PR-W-SC-07/11.
This was supplied to all HM who would quote the information that was written inside.
As usual with Peverel Retirement the pages were not numbered.
The middle pages were headed “CHARGES EXPLAINED” Management Fee.
It then stated that:-
“This is the fee you pay to Peverel Retirement. It covers the costs of a wide range of activities we have to undertake to efficiently manage your development.
According to a Peverel Retirement House Manager, “The costs of producing Life & Style Magazine are paid out of “Profits”. As such Peverel Retirement are entitled to keep the revenue from advertising”
A one page advert cost £1200.00
Half Page Advert costs £800.00
The total adverts seen in one of these magazines is 14 full pages and 8 half pages.
This means that the revenue from the magazine for one year could be as much as £23,200.00 for one issue. They have so far issued 14 such Mags which pro rata they could have received £328,800.00 since they began publishing,
(All of the 50,000 Residents paid for the production and Distribution)???
Has any resident received any money from the Adverts???
The Blue Booklet under the heading Communications states:-
*Production and distribution of printed information for Residents, including The Welcome Pack
Our Service Promise
Peverel Repair Policy
*Publication of Life & Style, Peverel Retirement`s Resident magazine three times a year.
Carol Crowe has emailed me and denies that we as Residents paid for the Life & Style Magazine even though the Blue Book was sent to all Peverel Retirement Developments providing the facts themselves???
The new Yellow Book has omitted that we pay for the Life & Style Mag but admits to that we pay for the Welcome Pack which we pay for twice when we leave???
Why was paying for Life & Style mentioned in the original Blue Book???
If it was really true that Life & Style Mag was paid for out of profits, it would have shown on Peverel Retirement accounts. It never has???
Why would Peverel Retirements senior managers keep denying the facts???
Congratulations to Sebastion and Martin for all they have achieved.
But after all the effort they have put in Brandon Lewis in a speech at the RESI Conference two weeks ago, says that Landlords and Managers need not worry about legislation as there will not be any.. That after all the evidence Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation and many like me have provided to a succession of Housing Ministers.
I have challenged Brandon as I did the previous three Ministers, but of course they ignore me. I hope that Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation will take up the challenge again on this one.
And I also feel it is the right time for an article on ARMA and the pathetic way they are treating the First Port/ Peverel situation.
,
Really, it makes one want to start a fund to buy up the freehold of some Westminster politicians living in leasehold property. I think we’d see some appetite for change in a hurry.
If LKP or anyone else can identify a target and start a fund I will contribute. The target should be a Conservative, preferably a high profile one, because they have been resolutely against regulation. With some notable exceptions (Peter Bottomley) they have been quite indifferent to the fact that London is being hollowed out with increasing amounts of dirty money driving prices ever upward and sending ordinary taxpaying citizens ever further from the city centre. Surely a few hundred thousand people would be willing to contribute?
Best of all would be a building with several Conservative MPs in it. I know of one but they bought the freehold not long ago.
I wish to thank the LPK for all the hard work, and success they have had with rouge Freeholders ans shady solicitors who bump the costs up and up to frighten the poor leaseholder who really all they wish is peaceful life, and mostly they are not allowed. A guilty Freeholder has only to pay back the charges he has probably taken in the first place, – A leaseholder can and does often loose their property.
To my knowledge a “Freeholder” never has been fined
Would a contract between freeholder and managing agent that allowed the managing agent to keep all commissions and rebates be an unfair contract?
Michael,
Is this the copy of a contract used between McCarthy & Stone and Peverel Management Services Ltd, in 1998. They were later known as Peverel Retirement and considered the instigators of the Price Fixing along with Cirrus Communications during 2005/2009.