Cherry Jones has managed to drastically reduce service charges using local contractors … The epic right to manage victory at Rectory Court – where Stonewater was given the boot and the new manager is LKP-accredited Cherry Jones of Swindon-based Home from Home – has made it to the national press. The leaseholders at the 44-flat […]
Property manager who champions leaseholders resigns from Tory party over ‘watered down’ reforms
Cherry Jones, a Swindon property manager and champion of leaseholders, has resigned from the Conservative Party over the government back-tracking over leasehold reform. In correspondence to local Swindon MPs Robert Buckland, also the Solicitor-General, and Justin Tomlinson, she says: “I have resigned my conservative membership. I am embarrassed by the party I have supported all […]
Taylor Wimpey passed management at Surbiton Plaza II to commercial operator ‘to save customers the administrative burden’ (of being in charge of their own money)
UPDATE 11/12/17: This article has been updated with comments from the former and current owner of the management company (below). Taylor Wimpey customers at its Surbiton Plaza II site have been landed with an embedded management company in one of the sector’s Roger-Southam-style deals. And the leaseholders have also been shafted by Taylor Wimpey with […]
Now four in five homebuyers avoid new-builds … after ground rent scandals and shoddy build quality, that’s no surprise
Four in five avoid new build homes Inside Housing, news, analysis, and comment about the social housing sector in the UK. Research commissioned by bridging lender Market Financial Solutions (MFS) revealed that 81% of adults would rather live in an older home than a new build, Inside Housing reports. And 79% of those responding to […]
Questions from APPG attendees: Ground rent sale prices have risen tenfold since 2007
A number of key figures in leasehold were in the audience of the All Party Parliamentary Group and several asked questions. Ground rent sale prices have risen ten-fold since 2007 David Thomas, CEO of Barratt Developments In the North East and in the North West houses have traditionally been sold leasehold whether on the second […]
DCLG told ‘incentive to remain an honest managing agent gets less with each passing year’
Civil servants meet property managers who work for leaseholders … which makes a change from trade bodies, compromised quango chairmen, housebuilders working the leasehold opportunities, big freehold interests (frequently owned offshore) and the terracotta army of professionals whose livelihood depends on English flat-ownership being absurdly complex and unbalanced Four senior managing agents met officials at […]
Council’s section 106 is delaying the hand-over of residents’ management companies, Countrywide tells leaseholder in complaints ruling
Swindon leaseholder Andy Webb, who lives in Bovis-built site The Oaks, complained to Countrywide Estate Management about the delays in handing over control of the residents’ management company. He wished to attend an AGM and put himself forward as a director, and the complaint was “escalated” in July to Elaine M Evans, Countrywide’s “compliance & complaints […]
MPs call for all-party group on leasehold, and to stop right to manage being thwarted
The Westminster meeting on Tuesday March 11 on right to manage organized by Leasehold Knowledge Partnership / Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation saw an all-party group on leasehold becoming more likely. The move would certainly be backed by Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative Swindon MPs Justin Tomlinson and Robert Buckland, as well as Jim Fitzpatrick, Labour […]