… because they can examine the books
LKP is very pleased the government has launched a consultation on “Making it easier for leaseholders to gain recognition of a tenants association”.
A recognised tenants’ association has one significant power: it can call in an auditor to examine the accounts.
The government uses the word “tenants”, rather than leasehold owners or residents, because under the law a leaseholder is a tenant. Inevitably, this will cause some confusion government also uses the term tenant to refer to those renting in both the private and social sectors.
Details of the full consultation can be found here.
We would urge as many leaseholders managing agent’s and even landlords to respond to the consultation which ends on the 22nd May.
The consultation follows on from work that has been done by LKP and others over the last five years. A formal submission was made to Eric Pickles, Secrertary of State at DCLG, on November 2013 asking for this review.
Pickles then replied to Sir Peter Bottomley MP on december 3 2013
The housing minister formally agreed to go forward with a consultation last year.
Our draft proposals to Pickles were supported by the British Property Federation, Which?, Centre Forum, AgeUK, the London Assembly, Sir Peter Bottomley MP, Ed Davey MP, Jim Fitzpatrick MP and Baroness Gardner.
Barrister Amanda Gourlay, of Tanfield Chambers, had kindly helped draft the relevant wording.
LKP had previously engaged positively with Housing Minister Mark Prisk.
Many of you also attempted to engage with Grant Shapps in 2010.
Shapps’s standard answer to almost everything was to assert that the existing systems provided sufficient “balance”.
How things have changed. Now officials accept leasehold is a much larger part of the housing market, does have some fundamental problems and must improve in the future.
Please do respond to the consultation and please make sure officials are made aware of the problems you may have faced with the various strategies some landlords and managing agents use to prevent or delay formal recognition.
The proposals of LKP are here LKPproposals
The minister’s reply to Sir Peter Bottomley is here ReplytoBottomley
Related posts:
Recognised Tenants’ Association review – Part I
LKP and Bottomley at Number 10 to reverse flawed reform of recognised tenants’ associations
Officials fail to stop LKP publishing legal opinions on flawed reform of Recognised Tenants’ Associations (RTAs)
Tower Hamlets Homes spends thousands to thwart recognised tenants’ association
Recognised Tenants’ Association review – Part II
Too expensive to give figures on leasehold forfeiture, says Ministry of Justice
Looking forward to making the process easier and more comprehensible. It’s my last hope -,because of some technicality we did not qualify for Right to Manage. Will keep you posted if we succeed.
Harassed,
I would like to assist if pos?
Ask Admin for my email?
,
Thank you – will do. Are you a legal professional or an experienced leaseholder?
Harassed,
Retired Professional Building Engineer who purchased flat in 2006 moved in November 2008, attending my first Budget Meeting, Circa October 2009 which was to discuss the end of year 31/03/2008 for the 2008/09 period.
At the meeting we were shown the cost of replacing Toilet/Carpets for the House Managers Flat.
No previous correspondence had been sent out to any of the 28 Residents informing us that we had paid £702.37 for the replacements.
I asked why were these not covered by Insurance, to be informed that they were not covered.
This started me to begin to check what and how the Area Manager could do in our name.
Hence my involvement regarding the many Price Fixing Scams that were owned up to by Peverel Retirement 65 Developments costing £1.4 million pounds of residents money from 2005 to 2009.
Peverel Retirement now FirstPort Retirement Property Services paid £100.000.00 in GOODWILL PAYMENTS to the 65 Developments.
I believe we at Ashbrook Court were also Price Fixed and have nearly all the last pieces of evidence to show to the courts.
Excellent! Thank you for that and will be in touch, that’s what we need. Transparency and fighting against corruption and fraud, which is really what this is all about.