*Tee*

Hi Louisa,

did you get the problem sorted. We have the same problem also and keen to know what it is?

Laminate flooring isn't allowed in most top floor flat conversions and I would check your lease.

It causes terrible noise to your neighbour below.

Install carpet with acoustic lay and the neighbour will have to soundproof their ceilings

Hi moemaccy,

I feel your pain as I also suffer with this and like you live in a ground floor Victorian flat. The top flat is also owned by Southwark council.

Please complain to the council and ask them to install soundproofing.

Really these flats shouldn't be let without full soundproofing because now if the council builds a block of flats, they are always with concrete between them not floorboards as the regulations have since changed.

I think the law should change for the council to protects people's right to quiet enjoyment of their own homes by installing soundproof. I may start a petition on this for the government to discuss at least!

Is anyone else suffering with this noise nuisance?

To All southwark Leaseholders

If you are not aware there are some interesting changes taking place at southwark council homeowners dept. I attended the last homeowners seminar in November 2015 and was very pleased I did. Hearing stories from fellow leaseholders concerning huge service charge bills and how they challenged the council really inspired me.

I received this email and would like to share it with you all- Please pass on the message to other leaseholders thanks, the more people who know the better!

Best wishes *Tee*

Dear fellow Southwark Homeowner,

As you probably already know, the Homeowners information center announced at the last Homeowners Council seminar in November 2015 is progressing well.

At the seminar, the Homeowners council informed attendees that they will be updated on progress. Below is a quick update

The working group that has been working tirelessly to make sure this much needed service becomes a reality, was drawn from Homeowners council (HOC) and LAS2000 representatives.

Back in January 2016, Communities First (http://www.communitiesfirst.uk.com/) was appointed as the project manager to take the project forward to completion.

We are at the point now where we need to have expression of interest for volunteers who would like to be involved in the project, and would be keen to hear from you.

Due to the nature of the services that will be provided to all homeowners who pay service charge to Southwark council, the working group decided that it will be better to have a center that is truly independent. Hence, the center will be called Homeowners Independent Information Service (HOIIS).

The management board will be made up of homeowners only.

You will be updated as this progresses.

Please respond if you want to volunteer to help out (when the service proposed to be launched later in April 2016) becomes a reality.

Please note that the next Homeowners council Annual General meeting will take place on the 18th of May at 160 Tooley street, London SE1, at 7pm.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Regards,

Michael Orey - Chair of Homeowners council

I went to the homeowners seminar at PWC today and left with a wealth of knowledge and confidence knowing that if this ever happens to me any time soon, then I will know how to deal with the Cowboys at Southwark council. The event started at 11:30am and finished around 4:30pm but didn't mind as I sat through aspirational stories of fellow leaseholders challenging the council over major works bills and service charges and winning.

I urge EVERYONE who is a Southwark leaseholder to find out about these events and come to the next one. It was my first and certainly not my last!

people who leave tons of recyclable rubbish beside the bin rather than put it inside the recycling bin?!!\

ignorant and thick springs to mind!

Fuming..

This is the second time I ordered via the Deliveroo app from GBK branch on Lordship Lane and between them they manage to somehow deliver only half my order and this is the second time it has happened so cannot be a fluke!

The second (and last) time it happened was this evening. I called straight away after I realised and was told by the chap in store that my fries will be put on a bike right away......1 hour later nothing.

My partner complained via phone after the hour and told them to forget the 2 portion of fries and to give us a refund instead... but the cheeky git in store put the phone down?! Livid!

Monday morning will be putting in a strong email to head office and will never be ordering this way EVER again as something fundamental is going wrong here!

Rubbish service and even worse... non existent customer service.

*Tee*

spider69 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> You do need to find a good solicitor and make sure

> he understands and explains in full Right to Buy

> transactions and the pitfalls.

>

> If you have a light in a communial hall the

> electricity is coming from somewhere.

>

> When you say the Major Works bill is ?20.000.00

> for the next 5 years is that what is showing on

> the pre-assignment form. If it is that is common

> pratice to list all potential works for the

> future.

>

> What is quite common is when tenants go to being

> L/H they still think many of the Services come for

> free.

Yes we have 2 light switches and 2 lights in the hallway. Each supply independent of its own and charged to the relevant flat.

So again... Don't quite get the communal lighting charge. It may be little in comparison but if it doesn't apply it the charge should be removed.

*tee*

Hi,

All major works have not been done yet, but due in a couple of months. The council intend to bill me for these works, even though in a couple of months I will still be a 'tenant'. Additionally on top of this, my majors works bill is ?20k for the next five years.

My annual service charge is ?500 which isn't a lot, but considering I don't have any communal lighting which is chargeable to the council and any communal areas to upkeep, I simply cannot understand why the council are aloud to charge for something which I have no use of.

After speaking to LEASE, they were not that useful to me over the phone, but I'm sure when I actually become a leaseholder they will be of some help in the near future.

Another question, should I be approaching a solicitor or conveyancer for the paperwork/ transaction Or both?

Apologies for what seems like a daft question but I have never done this before and feel a bit overwhelmed with it all

*Tee*

Hi,

It's approximately 50 per cent.

While it sounds like a great deal, which it is, the service charges may bring it more in line with a regular mortgage!

*Tee*

All helpful advice. Thank you.

Can anyone recommend a good solicitor/ conveyancer?

Especially if they have dealt with right to buy/ leasehold issues.

Please get in touch!

Thanks

I hope they get caught, how terrible.

have you given the description of this guy to the police?

Hi,

I currently live on the ground floor of a Victorian Terrace flat conversion. There are only 2 flats in this building. The other resident is a council tenant and has no interest in purchasing his home, which means I will forever be at the mercy of the Freeholder- Southwark council.

I have now been sent my right to buy offer notice section 125 from southwark council after waiting for around 10 months for it.

At first I felt incredibly happy of the prospect of becoming a home owner, then I look further and see ridiculous yearly service charges and a five year major works bill for items which don't relate to the property, i;e Estate lighting, communal repairs etc...

The offer letter has also Informed me that the property was valued in August 2013 and in that time frame, if any major works have been carried out since this date, then I will be liable for these on completion too. This is ridiculous!! because in that time there has been a huge amount of works going on. Repairs to windows, doors etc.....

To top this all off, I have since been sent a letter last month detailing major works, to finally be carried out within the next couple of months, and even though i will still be a council tenant in the next couple of months whilst this work is happening, On completion of my right to buy, I will be given half the bill for these works.

Another annoyance is If my neighbour decided to come home drunk one day and smash the front door down, I will be liable for half of the bill for the entire duration of my lease......This doesnt seem fair to me.....

The whole offer notice looks dodgy. Instead of receiving an actual valuation where somebody visited the property , I receive a desktop valuation. I disputed this but now know that if I get a district valuer to value said property and they value it more, then I cannot revert back as the district valuer has the final say..

on the plus side,I really love my garden and little flat and would like to own it but without the headache of the major repairs charges that go with it.

I am very very keen to hear from those of you who have gone through the process, especially if it is a house conversion.

What were your experiences?

Any recommendations for a really good solicitor who really knows their stuff when dealing with council right to buys and leaseholds?

Any recommendations on where to start, i;e should I instruct a solicitor first or get a independent survey done before accepting my right to buy offer?

Many thanks in advance

*Tee*

Further more.......

Can anyone recommend a good Right to buy solicitor who really knows there stuff when it comes to dealing with the council on purchases.

Any leads will be greatly appreciated. Would rather go with a recommendation than google search.

many thanks all

*Tee*

It is a huge gamble.....But on the other hand my head is telling me that the councils desktop valuation have over valued my property by 25K....no one so much as looked at the property. There is one sizeable crack to the external wall and 2 on the inside. It may be suffering from some sort of structure problem but cant confirm this until I book a surveyor to check it out. In which case do you think i will be able to ask the council to re- look at the value based on the surveyors report or do you think the council will ignore my request and send me to the District valuer?

*Tee*

I wish I could, unfortunately, waiting for 5 years to have the works done isnt something I can do.

interestingly, Southwark council are trying to charge me for things that dont apply to me, such as Estate lighting, communal gardens, etc etc. All of which I dont have. It is a 'street' property, and not on a estate. A small hallway, with 2 light switches and 2 light bulbs is all that features in my box of hallway.

I called the homebuyers department to question the high service charges and high capital repairs bill and she kept saying that the charges are correct.

Not sure who to contact now, as I am not currently a leaseholder, but about to become one.

A lot of things on the Right to buy paperwork don't seem right to me and I need some helpful advice, before I sign up to this......

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Another thing that gets my goat is the 'desktop' valuation, I have received instead of a actual one. How can you value a property without visiting the property?

The whole thing is soooo dodgy,I feel so cross that someone, somewhere is plucking figures out of the sky!

*Tee*

Any further updates from anyone?

I'm following this thread as I have just been sent my right to buy notice from southwark council along with a huge 'capital repairs' bill and service charges for a 1 bed flat in a building which totals only 2 flats.

Southwark council are cowboys and I will dispute every bill which comes my way!

*Tee*

In my victorian terrace building are 2 flats, i live on the ground floor and i have just filled out and posted my right to buy form to purchase my flat. I know from speaking with my neighbour that he has no plans to purchase his home, meaning there will be 1 home owner and 1 council tenant in the building. Do you think the council will let me buy a share of the freehold?

looking through nightmare threads on people being hit with huge bills, i want some control

any advice will be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

Hi,

About to embark on purhasing my 1 bed flat through southwark council right to buy scheme and would like to hear views/ opinions/ and past experiences too.

I live in a victorian ground floor conversion flat with 1 other flat above who is still a council tenant. I am trying to think ahead as to what senarios in terms of cost could present itself. The building has double glazing. If anything, i think the possibilities of the roof needing attention could rear its head. I relive nightmares that the council could present me with a huge bill for things that dont need to be done and me not being able to do a thing about it...

keen to hear from anyone who has recently brought from southwark especially a conversion flat.

Many thanks, *Tee*

Mum of 3 girlies, your not alone in being 'flashed'. I live in that very same area, and up until a couple of years back,the same guy would repeatedly 'flash' at women, in and around the area. He would wait until you got to a distance where you could see him and just show himself. I have not seen him in a while so maybe he has been put away where he can seek some medical help for his disturbing behaviour. And i qualify to comment because my sister and i were flashed by this same guy on a quiet sunday morning.It still gets me angry every time i think about it!

The first time it happened i was so stunned, i tried to laugh it off, the second and third time i saw him, I called the police right away, because i wouldnt want my children, or any one elese's children to encounter him. He was quite clearly in need of some help.

Had the same fly problem 2 years straight! it was a NIGHTMARE!! i cannot deal with anything insect-ty at all. Walked into my flat and the window was covered and there was also around 10 dead ones on the carpet. They were the big black flies which means something was rotting, but because i live in a flat conversion and basically have walls, and ceilings like paper, the dead rodent could have been anywhere, a couple of kind people on this forum offered to help as i was petrified.

went away after 2 days, with me frantically hoovering and spraying, it turns out my upstairs neighbour was living in a dustbin. He moved, problem solved!!

Two of my friends, on different occasions brought some packaged grapes from a rather 'posh' high street store,and on both occasions one friend had a snail in one packet, while the other friend had a magot in the other packet. This made me feel really sick at the thought.

it really could have just been a bug that has travelled through the family.

hope your feeling better now though!

Yep, freelancing here too. Design.

Hope your boyfriend feels better soon, scumbags........but the phrase what goes around, comes around springs to mind, and the thugs will get that back maybe worse.

I hope whatever you both do, you both carry on as normal, of course it will make you weary of passing strangers in the street, and you will have your guards up, but never make something like this, change your normal day to day life! i hope they get caught real soon .

No they won't have keys.