UPDATE: Has Roger Southam resigned from Savills? His LinkedIn profile suggest his employment there discontinued at the end of last month. He is now associated with the Eighty Nine Consultancy, which has no website and may be self-employment.
The National Leasehold Campaign Facebook group today urged Roger Southam to resign as chairman of the Leasehold Advisory Service citing conflicts of interest.
The call echoes LKP when it declared no confidence in Mr Southam at a meeting of stakeholders in the leasehold sector at the DCLG where he was present in April 2017.
Both Justin Madders MP and Sir Peter Bottomley have expressed their lack of confidence in Mr Southam in the Commons.
Mr Southam in turn complained to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner about Sir Peter and Jim Fitzpatrick MP and LKP, as secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group on leasehold reform – to whose meetings Mr Southam has long been uninvited.
Mr Southam’s complaint prompted a pained reaction from Sir Ed Davey, the third MP patron of LKP, to ask: “Why was I left out?”
Today April Fool emails have been sent to Mr Southam, copied to ministers, MPs, LKP and the chief executive of LEASE urging his resignation.
The following is from Catherine Williams, one of the three founders of the National Leasehold Campaign Facebook group, which has 10,500 members:
“I am a member of the National Leasehold Campaign and have been fighting leasehold abuses for the past twelve months. During that time I have looked for advice on the leasehold issues being experienced by myself and other members and obviously LEASE appears as one of the first organisations available to us.
“At first glance it appeared that LEASE was the most appropriate place to ask for help as it is government backed with funding presumably taken from UK tax payers? I also note that this funding has been recently increased in an attempt to improve support for leaseholders during this very difficult time.
“I was extremely shocked therefore to discover that you have personal links to and interests in investment companies …
“To compound this issue further it transpires that your wife Roberta Anderson works for Mainstay (yet another property management company) and has responsibility for the AVIVA realm fund that holds over 36,000 freehold portfolios.
[Ms Anderson’s LinkedIn profile has her described as head of acquisitions for both the Mainstay Group Ltd and the Wallace Group & Simarc Property. Missing from the LinkedIn profile is reference to previous employment with Dorchester Ground Rent Management headed by Julius Gottlieb, a ground rent fund that imploded after his criminal conviction in December 2016 for attempting to groom a 14-year-old girl, whom he arranged to meet at Guildford station:Paedophile property investor gets suspended jail term | News on the Block
One of the UK’s prominent residential ground rent investors who enjoyed a glittering career heading finance departments of some of the country’s top PLCs has admitted to grooming a teenage girl for sex. Julius Gottlieb resigned as managing director of Dorchester Ground Rent Management after he was arrested when he went to meet the 14-year-old, whom he believed he had been chatting with online.
Miss Williams continues:
“I am astounded that you are allowed to continue as chairman of LEASE with such clear conflicts of interest, unless of course the main remit of that organisation is to advise investors on how to maximise profits from freehold portfolios and leaseholders?
“If that is its remit then please disregard my email – if it’s remit is the exact opposite and LEASE has been created to support aggrieved leaseholders then I suggest that you are not the best person to head the organisation and as a tax payer I wish to object to my money being used in this way.
“In my opinion you cannot possibly represent both leaseholders and freeholders in the current climate of the Leasehold Scandal and request that you step down as Chair of LEASE with immediate effect.”
Related posts:
LEASE chair Roger Southam resigns
DCLG rejects second complaint about Roger Southam as LEASE chair. He was appointed on merit, it claims
‘Dump Roger Southam. Appoint Sebastian O’Kelly,’ National Leasehold Campaign tells housing minister
Not the job of LEASE to warn ministers of leasehold houses scandal, Roger Southam tells BBC
Roger Southam should not be LEASE chair, leaseholder tells housing minister
How this man is still in his position I have no idea.
Dear Mr Southam,
As you know I run the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) which helps support thousands of leaseholders who have been miss sold their homes and have been massively let down by the sector.
You will also know exactly how this has occurred as you have sat on both sides of the fence. Here lies the problem, being a director of Savills who wrote these onerous ground rents to maximise profit you are now in a position to help fix the very problem that you were responsible for creating.
http://www.groundrentsincomefund.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/Savills-Research-Spotlight-on-Ground-Rents-Spring-2012.pdf
Many of our campaigners come to us asking for help. We now have 11,000 members. We should be able to recommend the government funded organisation you are Non-Executive Chair of, the Leasehold Advisory Service. However unfortunately this is not the case due to your involvement.
In April 2017 the National Leasehold Campaigners asked you to resign due to your overriding conflicts of interest. To which in November 2017 you declined.
You make a mockery of the ‘Nolan Principles’ you are supposed to uphold.
Leaseholders; rightfully so, are struggling to know who to trust in this sector. And you Mr Southam are not helping the situation.
Gavin Barwell (Previous Housing Minister Feb 17) stated:
“LEASE to be solely, and unapologetically, on the side of the leaseholder”
Mr Southam you are unable to uphold this position as you have too many fingers in too many pies in the sector.
The National Leasehold Campaign strongly considers that the Chair of LEASE should not be held by anyone with material financial interests in the market overwhelmingly on behalf of or derived from Freehold Landlords.
Until and unless LEASE appoint someone with the genuine interests of leaseholders at hear, nobody is going to have any faith in them and they become just another meaningless trade body.
Leaseholders have found their voice, today may be April Fools but I can assure you leaseholders are not going to be treated as Fools any longer.
Therefore, on behalf of the National Leasehold Campaign we would like to formally lodge a motion of no confidence in Yourself and urge you to step down as Chair of LEASE with immediate effect.
Please listen to what Leaseholders want.
Regards
Katie Kendrick
National Leasehold Campaign
Dear Sirs, Madam
I am a leaseholder, I bought my lease in 2012. Since that time I have spent my life and money taking my freeholder and managing agents to the First tier property tribunal (no less than 4 times) for unreasonable service charges. Each time I won, each time, unlike other tribunals I had to carry my own costs. I am in the process of making yet a further application to the FTT for non adherence to terms of the lease. It goes on and on, without reprieve. I am just one, there are many thousands in my situation.
I was in complete darkness when I started out on this journey of fighting this intolerable situation. I was certain I would lose my home, certain I could not stand up for myself, I became ill, and depressed and looked for help in this wilderness, there I found LKP
It was such a relief, to find Martin Boyd, and Sebastian O’kelly of LKP, a charitable organisation. They took the time to personally speak with me. The advice they gave to me was of the sort that only those, free of any conflict of interest would be able to offer. It helped me then, the help continues to help me. Along with the enormous support of NLC.
LEASE may also be a place in the darkness for people like me and people less able than me. However, Roger Southam remains in his position of leadership when he and his wife hold a catalogue of conflicts of interest. It is bizarre that this can be, surely this is incongruent with proper governance. Please, it is imperative that our governments own funded advisory service is fit for purpose.
Please, Mr Southam, even you must see how untenable your position is and that it would be only right and proper for you to stand down. This would only be in the interest of the leaseholders for whom this organisation is interested to serve. Please allow for someone, such as Sebastian O’Kelly to stand in your place, as someone who has an impressive track record in supporting, unfettered, the many hundreds, who like me, look for non conflictual voice in this Leasehold wilderness. We need proper and right direction, direction that you are not in the position, due to your conflicts, to lend yourself.
I sincerely hope that you are able to understand that we in the NLC look to our government to find people who can best provide help and support, you must surely see that you are not that person, please do the right thing and resign.
Sincerely
Louise Whitnall
To Whom It May Concern,
After recently moving onto a development with fleecehold and leasehold properties, I have since learnt that a lot of land on new build developments are being sold without prior notification. In uncovering this situation I wanted to find a reputable source who could provide me with information on how to appropriately and efficiently deal with this situation.
As someone being exploited you want reliable, trustworthy and transparent information and help at your disposal. This is where I came across LEASE. No one can deny that the website provides information but sadly the man leading the charge to represent us is in a conflict of interest.
I am disgusted that Mr Roger Southam remains as the Non Executive Chairman of Lease despite having extensive previous business interests with freeholders and has even boasted of maximising ground rent opportunities for them ! In addition to this, Mr Southam’s wife has acquired ground rent opportunities through Mainstay. It is these conflicts of interest that make me have no confidence in Mr Southam and in turn LEASE.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign on Facebook which has a 10000+ strong membership, we believe that that he should step down and stop treating innocent homeowners as fools.
Yours faithfully,
Mrs C Thorp.
According to the Glassdoor website the LEASE Chief Executives salary in 2012 was around £82000pa. Not easy to give that up, and the chance of winning some WOW Awards.
I truly hope you mean £8,200pa MH.
It is not even a full time job.
It is a total waste and immoral use of taxpayers money
Dear Mr Southam,
I have no confidence in LEASE whilst you remain Non Executive Chairman. I don’t believe you are fair and objective because you have made significant financial gain as a freeholder. You have extensive previous business interests with freeholders and you have boasted about maximising ground rent opportunities in the past.
This campaign is not personal, leaseholders are at the end of their tether and we deserve better. You should do the right thing and stand down as Chairman.
Yours sincerely,
Mrs Helen Green
Dear Sirs,
Having owned a leasehold house since October 2015 for which the land was sold without prior notification, I wanted to find a company who could provide me with information on how to deal with this situation as well as finding out how to arrange enfranchisement.
In my search for support I discovered LEASE, a government funded organisation. Whilst no-one can deny that the website provides some information, I am really concerned that the man in charge has a significant conflict of interest.
It is extremely disappointing that Mr Roger Southam remains as the Non Executive Chairman of Lease despite having extensive previous business interests with freeholders, boasting of maximising ground rent opportunities for them. His continued appointment seems a grave misjudgement and a poor use of public money.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign on Facebook which has seen membership of 10000+ be achieved, I call for Mr Southam to step down, and for LEASE to be led by someone who genuinely wants to advocate for and support leaseholders,
Yours faithfully,
Louise Mellors
The fact that this man continues to hold this post, despite the huge case of conflicting interests that is well documented, is a disgrace. If this really is a platform to help those of us in the dreadful position then he myst be forced to strp down!
Invitation to resign sent by email to Mr Southam
Dear Mr Southam,
I am a member of the National Leasehold Campaign (NLC) which helps support thousands of leaseholders who have been mis-sold their homes and have been massively and unforgivably let down by the sector, including you.
Previously, you were a director of Savills who wrote these onerous ground rents to maximise profit (shame on you!) yet you are now in a position to help fix the very problem that you share the responsibility for creating. How ironic.
Many, many of the 11,000 members of this group need help. We should be able to recommend the government funded organisation you are Non-Executive Chair of, the Leasehold Advisory Service. How can we do this given your previous track record and the conflict of interests you are surely guilty of given your wife’s involvement in this shameful sector?
In April 2017 the National Leasehold Campaigners asked you to resign due to your overriding conflicts of interest. You declined in November 2017.
You make a mockery of the ‘Nolan Principles’ you are supposed to uphold. Leaseholders, rightfully and understandably so, are struggling to know who to trust in this sector.
Gavin Barwell (Previous Housing Minister Feb 17) stated: “LEASE is to be solely, and unapologetically, on the side of the leaseholder”. So far, the evidence shows you have failed miserably.
Mr Southam, you are unable to uphold this position as you have too many fingers in too many related pies. The National Leasehold Campaign strongly believes that the Chair of LEASE should not be held by ANYONE with material financial interests in the market overwhelmingly on behalf of, or derived from Freehold Landlords.
Until and unless LEASE appoint someone with the GENUINE interests of leaseholders at heart, nobody is going to have any faith in them and LEASE becomes just another meaningless trade body. Leaseholders have found their voice and are not going to be treated as fools any longer. We are gathering in increasing numbers with increasing strength, resolve and determination and will not be quieted.
Therefore, on behalf of the National Leasehold Campaign I would like to formally lodge a motion of no confidence in YOU and urge you to step down as Chair of LEASE with immediate effect.
Do the decent thing Mr Southam and RESIGN.
Regards
Lesley Rentell
Member of The National Leasehold Campaign
Mr Southam,
As a freehold house owner who shares the same financial woes if not as much as my fellow leaseholders, you have become a white elephant to taxpayers under LEASE as LEASE has become a corrupt and useless entity for service charge victims.
It is hugely disappointing to remain in your post considering conflicting, biased and extensive previous business interests with Freehold investors
You have not and are not serving the millions of service charge victims and with your wife Roberta Anderson working for Mainstay and managing the Aviva Realm Fund which holds over 36,000 freehold portfolios, this stinks of shameless insider corruption.
PLEASE RESIGN AND LET A COMPETENT PERSON DO YOUR JOB
My email to LEASE…. (and a few influential Government people):
LEASE – Time for Change?
Dear all,
Given the growing membership of the National Leasehold Campaign and the increasing awareness of the leasehold scandal involving thousands of hard working families across the UK, surely it’s time to assess the effectiveness and personnel of LEASE?
It has taken a number of us to give up a significant amount of our personal time to educate and raise awareness of the leasehold scandal. A national scandal that the LEASE Chairman, Mr Southam, told the BBC Radio 4 You and Yours programme in April 2017 was not LEASE’s job to alert Government ministers to! The National Leasehold Campaign now has close to 11,000 members and the APPG on leasehold and commonhold reform over 140 MPs. We have campaigned tirelessly, working with the help of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and key figures in the APPG to push for much needed leasehold reform, and despite LEASE advertising itself to be the first point of contact for leaseholders there are key conflicts of interest for senior figures in the organisation that should be investigated further and could well explain LEASE’s less than pro-active stance to push for leasehold reform. A quick search on Companies House shows links for key LEASE personnel and their family members to property management companies. How can senior personnel in an organisation like LEASE act in the interests of leaseholders when they clearly had (and potentially still have) links with property management companies and freeholders?!
That this leasehold scandal has been allowed to happen is disgraceful enough. Government must take steps to show that its own funded leasehold advisory service is indeed whiter than white and has the right personnel to take the organisation forward to fully support leasehold reform. This scandal is indeed the “PPI of the house building industry” as stated by Justin Madders MP. It’s time to make sure that Government funded LEASE is giving value for tax payers’ money and driving and supporting the leasehold reform that is needed.
Kind regards,
Jo Darbyshire
April 1st, 2018
The Chief Executive
Leasehold Advisory Service
Fleetbank House
2-6 Salisbury Square
London
EC4Y 8JX
Dear Sir,
Having owned a leasehold house since xxxx for which the land was sold without prior notification, you want to find a company who can provide you with information on how you can deal with this situation as well as finding out how you arrange enfranchisement.
You want to have help and information at your disposal so you search and find LEASE. No one can deny that the website provides that information but sadly the man leading the charge to represent us is in a conflict of interest.
It is disappointing that Mr Roger Southam remains as the Non Executive Chairman of Lease despite having extensive previous business interests with freeholders and has even boasted of maximising ground rent opportunities for them ! In addition to this, Mr Southam’s wife has acquired ground rent opportunities through Mainstay.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign on Facebook which has seen membership of 10000+ be achieved, we believe that it’s quite apt on April Fools Day the 1st April that he steps down and stop treating innocent homeowners as fools.
Yours faithfully,
Dear Sir,
We’ve been in our leasehold house 2 years now and within that time have found out the shocking state this country is in with regards to how the housing sector operates. We bought our house expecting to buy our freehold within 2 years (as our developer said we could) but instead they sold it to an investor within 2 months of us moving in and did not even give us first refusal on it. This led us to search for advice and help on the matter and LEASE was one of these.
We later find out that you, Mr Roger Southam, is the Non Executive Chairman of LEASE and have had previous business interactions with freeholders and boasted about maximising ground rent. It also transpires your wife (Roberta Anderson) has acquired over 36,000 freeholds for Aviva Realm Fund which to us is a massive conflict of interest. How can one person be helping leaseholders when another person is taking advantage within the same family. Even if everything was above board this cannot be allowed and you have no option but to stand down.
Reading about the many stories of heartache, financial burdens and mis-selling tactics we can see why the government has to get involved. We hope you realise this kind of sneaky behavior will not go unnoticed with the general public and remember the people who have these houses will spread the word and the National Leasehold Campaign will not be going away anytime soon.
Yours faithfully,
Chris Pearce
Dear Mr Southam
As chairman of LEASE and considering your involvement with Savilles who were the agents that sold us our now unmortgageable and unsellable property with onerous ground rent that we were not advised about, i find it preposterous that you are still continuing with the pretence that you have leaseholders interests at heart.
Please resign from LEASE, you are not a fit and proper person to hold your position and it is an insult that you continue your involvement with Savilles who helped create a truely distressing situation for myself and my young family. While being chairman of LEASE who are supposed to advise leaseholders how to navigate their way out of leasehold abuse and also being involved with Savilles who have created leasehold abuses and missold properties with onerous ground rents crippling innocent hard working people, you clearly have a conflict of interest and your position is untenable. Please throw all of your influence behind LKP and side with leaseholders calls for reform by resigning from the positions you hold that conflict yourself or resign your position at LEASE, you cannot sit on both sides.
Sincerely
Neil Thacker
Dear Sir,
Having owned a leasehold house since 2015 for which the land was sold without prior notification, you want to find a company who can provide you with information on how you can deal with this situation as well as finding out how you arrange enfranchisement.
You want to have help and information at your disposal so you search and find LEASE. No one can deny that the website provides that information but sadly the man leading the charge to represent us is in a conflict of interest.
It is disappointing that Mr Roger Southam remains as the Non Executive Chairman of Lease despite having extensive previous business interests with freeholders and has even boasted of maximising ground rent opportunities for them ! In addition to this, Mr Southam’s wife has acquired ground rent opportunities through Mainstay.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign on Facebook which has seen membership of 10000+ be achieved,
Currently I am imprisoned in my flat as I cannot sell it to move to a different place due to no buyer gets mortgage with doubling ground rent terms.
Urgent Action required!!!!!
Yours faithfully,
Andrea Szilagyi
I am the owner of a freehold house with fee generating covenants retained from the original leasehold deeds and an uncapped estate maintenance fee. I am deeply concerned by the current national scandal regarding both leasehold and freehold abuse by developers, investment companies and many management companies, who are succeeding in corrupting original leasehold and freehold terms to generate profits for themselves at the expense of homebuyers.
I am aware that LEASE provides helpful information for concerned and anxious leaseholders. It therefore concerns me greatly to hear that Mr. Roger Southam, the Non Executive Chairman of Lease is being allowed to compromise LEASE itself by being allowed to continue in his current role.
I am told that Mr. Southam had extensive previous business interests with freeholders and has even spoken openly about his part in maximising ground rent opportunities for them, as if it were an achievement. It is also reported that Mr Southam’s wife has acquired ground rent opportunities through Mainstay, a management company that has a dubious reputation, as reported in newspapers and online sources.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign, I am urging you to formally confront Mr. Southam about his past and, possibly, current involvement in shady leasehold or freehold practices. Such links would be contrary to the aims and purpose of LEASE and, as such, Mr. Southam should be required to resign from his post In order to ensure that the trustworthiness of LEASE is no longer compromised by his presence.
Kind regards,
Bridget Murphy
I am the tenant of a leasehold house with ground rent doubling every 10 years. I took a 25 years mortgage and successfully applied to the first buy scheme assuming that I would have then been a home owner but I now find myself and my family of honest workers right in the middle of a surreal situation that has been given the name of National Leasehold Scandal.
I understand that my main source of help should come from LEASE but I find it difficult to trust an institution that has the purpose of helping leaseholders but is lead by Mr. Roger Southam, whose role in creating this situation appears to be public knowledge. If it is true that his role in maximising ground rent was admitted by Mr Southam himself and if his wife really has acquired ground rent opportunities through Mainstay, saying that we have a conflict of interest is an obvious statement.
As a member of the National Leasehold Campaign and as a concerned citizen, I request that this contraddiction is resolved, which I believe can only happen through Mr. Southam’s resignation from LEASE.
Thanks & kind regards,
Riccardo Paglianiti
This is a disgraceful conflict of interest. This should not be allowed to continue – there are so many families impacted by this greedy and unethical practice.
Dear Mr Southam & LEASE members,
I am a member of the National Leasehold Campaign in which I joined to raise awareness to people like myself caught up in the leasehold scandal.
Thousands of people/families across the UK are starting to realise the extent of the unfair practices of the developers and solicitors involved at the point of sale by not explaining the implications on the future.
Some leaseholders are set to lose their homes in the future, due to the extortionate ground rents that escalate, whilst others will never truly be a homeowner even after working all the life when their mortgages are paid and completed, due to the onerous ground rents. We cannot sell our homes either, so we are truly in a living nightmare!
I would of thought that LEASE would have been behind the thousands of us in delivering advice, however it seems the complete opposite. I have asked myself why LEASE hasn’t helped us for the last year?
The national leasehold campaign is growing in numbers daily, as people are realising they too have been affected in this national scandal.
Mr Southam, you as the chairman of LEASE publicly stated on Radio 4 that LEASE should have no involvement in raising this problem to the government. If it is not your job, then who’s is it?
We took this into our own hands and one by one went to our local MPs and to date we now have 140 MPs backing us.
Leasehold Knowledge Partnership have been a key figure in ensuring we as leaseholders are listened too and informing ministers and the government, rather than receiving support from yourselves.
I find it difficult to hear that LEASE is still advertising as helping those of us caught up in this trap, yet when I and many others contacted you January 2017, the advice provided was least helpful.
I feel there should be an investigation into ‘conflicts of interests’ within the LEASE organisation.
There are senior figures in your organisation with past and possible present links with property management companies and freeholders that have been linked to the unfair practices that we as leaseholders are facing.
I for one have lost all faith in LEASE and in my opinion LEASE have not tried to act on behalf of the leaseholders or offer advice to support us.
The LKP and APPG are pushing for a leasehold reform and we are grateful for all their efforts. We can only hope that the government will take the appropriate steps to support the leasehold reform.
It’s a shame that tax payers money is going into funding LEASE yet the organisation has not helped us so far….
Please reflect on how the leaseholders feel and how yourselves are being portrayed.
Kind regards
Lisa Chapple
(Fellow Leaseholder caught up in the leasehold scandal) .
Dear Sir,
I had purchased leasehold flat from Taylor Wimpey which had ground rent clause which doubles every 10 year. I didn’t know the consequences of the clause at the time but I do now. Thanks to the “National Leasehold Campaign on Facebook”. When I looked further, I found quite a lot information on LEASE as well. Now, I understand this clause makes the property very difficult to sale in the market. This is my biggest worry in my life and hope it does go away in future.
I came to know from the group that Mr. Roger Southam ( Non Executive Chairman at LEASE) has conflict of interest. In order people like us to have faith in LEASE, only those who has genuine interest of leaseholder should be on board. I hope you listen to what leaseholders want.
Regards,
Bikrish
Mr Roger Southam
I write to ask you to resign from your position at Lease.
It is disappointing to find that Government funding is used to support an organisation where the Non Executive Chairman has a clear conflict of interest. Not only is your wife employed by a company that holds thousands of freehold portfolios but you have also had business interests with freeholders.
As the first point of call for leaseholders one would expect to get independent advice and for the organisation to be headed by someone who supports leaseholders and supports leasehold reform. Indeed, Gavin Barwell actually said that what is wanted, is for LEASE to be “solely, and unapologetically, on the side of the leaseholder” Your history of links with property management companies and freeholders and your statements that it is not up to LEASE to inform ministers of a leasehold scandal does not give leaseholders the confidence to trust you.
It is beyond belief that loopholes have been used to extort more and more money from hard working people. It is shocking that wealthy freeholders and management companies are finding new and ingenious ways to force people to part with their money. It is absolutely disgusting that innocent people who have paid to employ various professionals to assist with the purchase of their homes only to find that they are imprisoned in an unsellable property paying outrageous fees now have to turn to a Facebook group for support and information.
The National Leasehold Campaign group was founded by a young lady who found herself in a nightmare. Her and the other main leaders of the group have had to become experts on leasehold and are having to educate thousands of others to support them through their nightmare. Each day brings new horror stories of peoples lives being wrecked through leasehold. Help has been on hand from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and some of the members of the APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform. No Government funds have been provided for this group who work tirelessly. It is disheartening that Government are using taxpayers money to fund Lease while you are connected to the organisation. It is disconcerting that you keep accepting the money.
Again, Mr Southam, I ask you to resign.
Regards
June Walsh
From June Walsh
Mr Roger Southam
I write to ask you to resign from your position at Lease.
It is disappointing to find that Government funding is used to support an organisation where the Non Executive Chairman has a clear conflict of interest. Not only is your wife employed by a company that holds thousands of freehold portfolios but you have also had business interests with freeholders.
As the first point of call for leaseholders one would expect to get independent advice and for the organisation to be headed by someone who supports leaseholders and supports leasehold reform. Indeed, Gavin Barwell actually said that what is wanted, is for LEASE to be “solely, and unapologetically, on the side of the leaseholder” Your history of links with property management companies and freeholders and your statements that it is not up to LEASE to inform ministers of a leasehold scandal does not give leaseholders the confidence to trust you.
It is beyond belief that loopholes have been used to extort more and more money from hard working people. It is shocking that wealthy freeholders and management companies are finding new and ingenious ways to force people to part with their money. It is absolutely disgusting that innocent people who have paid to employ various professionals to assist with the purchase of their homes only to find that they are imprisoned in an unsellable property paying outrageous fees now have to turn to a Facebook group for support and information.
The National Leasehold Campaign group was founded by a young lady who found herself in a nightmare. Her and the other main leaders of the group have had to become experts on leasehold and are having to educate thousands of others to support them through their nightmare. Each day brings new horror stories of peoples lives being wrecked through leasehold. Help has been on hand from the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership and some of the members of the APPG on Leasehold and Commonhold Reform. No Government funds have been provided for this group who work tirelessly. It is disheartening that Government are using taxpayers money to fund Lease while you are connected to the organisation. It is disconcerting that you keep accepting the money.
Again, Mr Southam, I ask you to resign.
Regards
Dear, Mr Southam,
That you will depart from Lease is no longer in question?
The manner of your departure is the issue here?
Are you going to leave with a vestige of integrity remaining in your professional life(however unjustified)) or will you have to be dragged kicking and screaming( after hanging on like a limpet) and unceremoniously escorted from the office out on to the street?
What then for your future, Mr Southam? A lifetime of your “respected” fellows and colleagues pointing at you each time you enter a room and saying” how the mighty have fallen?” as they snigger to themselves!
Mr Southam, In your current position you are as the pilot of a plane made of wax that is flying high. We the leaseholders are the sun. You are getting higher, The sun is getting stronger, You are getting much closer to the sun.
Can you guess the outcome, Mr Southam?
Time for you to take a leaf out of the old News of the World journalistic bible.
“Make your excuses and LEAVE!”
Well said.