Southwark major works

[lordshipgirl]

Hi - has anyone received a final bill yet for the major works completed in 2016? Also is anyone aware of any one raising a legal challenge to the amounts paid? The works to my property included painting and some pointing and I've so far been charged an estimated cost of ?18,000! Thanks

[Zig-Zag]

I sympathize! I had similar problems when a leaseholder, with Southwark council charging astronomical amounts and for appalling quality work. Good luck fighting it.

[Penguin68]

As well as work directly on your flat you might expect to share the costs of (a) scaffolding to work on the property (b) work on common parts shared by different establishments © work on electrical or plumbing services from which you take a shared benefit and (d) work on roofs even where you are not on the top floor - so more than just work on the fabric that you lease. However you should get what itemisation you can - if you are being asked to share costs on work which was exclusively undertaken on other properties (i.e. not common or shared elements) you may have a case, as you would if works charged for weren't in fact undertaken, of if charges for specific works were disproportionate as regards the scale, scope or quality of the work undertaken. Even now that the council and councillors are all of the same party you should still expect support from your local councillor if you feel that the charges are unfair or wrong.

[Captain Marvel]

The council are inept bandits. My daughter had a bill for the same amount and all I could see that had changed was common parts lighting and a new front door.

You'll be subsidising the council tenants who pay nish

[Penguin68]

Council tenants have no financial 'interest' in the property (i.e. cannot benefit from increases in value - putting aside the whole 'right to buy' issue) - that interest (in preserving the value of the property through repair and refurbishment) sits with the council (or housing association) for tenanted properties - they will need to demonstrate that the overall cost of the works is being shared equitably between leaseholders and the landlord for non-leasehold properties. There should be no cross-subsidy - although clearly council tenants, who can take no fiscal benefit from the works, cannot be expected either to pay for them. Any possible cross subsidy would be between leaseholders and the council for non-leasehold properties. How the council recoups their costs for non-leasehold properties is up to them - either through rents or local taxes (or through selling some capital assets to pay for the upkeep of others).

Capital works (repair or refurbishment) either preserve or improve the value of property - those without a stake in that value (i.e. council tenants) are, it seems to me, more reasonably excused the costs of these, even where they benefit from living in a 'better' environment. The same would be true of private tenants benefiting from such works undertaken by a private landlord.

[KrackersMaracas]

Hi

I can't help but I do remember a number of threads on the forum about this over the years, many in the same position as yourself. As an example (with some potentially helpful contact details) see here: http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1555979,page=1

I do remember another thread about someone who had asked for an itemized invoice and through this was able to show she was being charged for communal works which were never carried out.

[Sally Eva]

Citizens Advice have two advice workers (funded by the council I think) whose exclusive job it is to help leaseholders dispute major works bills.

There are various ways to get in touch with them. http://www.citizensadvicesouthwark.org.uk

[James Barber]

Hi lordship girl,

Do challenge. Perhaps worth joining seeking advice from http://www.las2000.org Leaseholders Associate of southwark who are well versed in fighting such bills.

Also perhaps worth noting. Around 30 houses in East Dulwich the council own the freehold but both flats are leasehold. I'm always amazed those leaseholders have followed the leaseholder enfranchisement and bought the freehold form the council - as i the leaseholders right. If this is you then you can calculate what the cost of doing this would be via one of many online calculators - https://www.freeholdcalculator.com/freehold_choose.php this is the first ot pop up in a Google search.

[trinidad]

you might find this helpful:

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1555979,page=1

[breadcrum45]

We are also still awaiting our final bill from 2016.

I had so many issues with saltash, but got their attention pretty quickly when I emailed Southwark council CEO and cc?d in Helen Hayes together with saltash contact and any council contacts we had met along the way.

3 lots of scaffolding on same area where pointing was missed, I?ve really put them through the ringer, not let them get away with anything, workmanship is shoddy to say the least.

I?m paying on DD so I?m not yet at a point that I have paid them more than I assume the work should have cost.