how to deal with southwark council and its extortionate service charges?

[MOB100]

Hello everyone,

I am a new leaseholder of a little flat in Sydenham Hill Estate, on the Forest Hill and Dulwich border.

This is also my first post on this forum (forgive me if I'm posting this on the wrong thread).

I would like to start a discussion amongst Southwark Council Leaseholders to share our experiences in dealing with southwark council and its extortionate service charges and major works repair bills.

Can we learn from each other's experiences? Have leaseholders from other Southwark estates managed to get organised, and collectively and successfully challenged the opaque billing systems of the housing unit?

Are there any success stories of Tenants and Leaseholders Associations that have (with or without the help of elected Councillors) successfully made enough noise to get the Council Officials to sit up, listen and act? How was that achieved?

I have heard of LAS2000 as a possible helping and guiding hand, but have not been able to find further info on that body.

Your experiences, comments, and thoughts are welcome here for all of us to share and build on.

After reading an excellent thread entitled: southwark council service charge, I thought this could be useful to us all in the long run.

What are you thoughts dear Leaseholders?

Very best wishes,

Mob100 xx

[The Minkey]

Run a search. You'll find such a thread already exists.

[Otta]

The Minkey, they've already read that one. Not sure a new one was needed but hey ho.

So MOB100 what are you being asked to pay?

[MOB100]

Hi Minkey,

Thank you, yes. I did read it before posting this one and found it extremely helpful.

The purpose of this current thread is to hopefully allow leaseholders to come up with suggestions and ideas based on their experiences. A kind of ongoing forum where everyone will be able to add up to, and also to help galvanise a spirit of cohesion for the different TRA in Southwark.

It will also help newcomers to quickly refer to any particular issues they have with Southwark Council Housing unit.

Thanks again for your kind advice.

x

[MOB100]

Hi Otta,

as this is my first service charge, and have nothing to compare it against, I'm really interested in reading ways in which to avoid the novice pitfalls when dealing with the housing unit.

I know, this is very vague, apologies.

What I would also like to know is if any TRA has managed to get sufficiently organised to speak with one voice, for instance when scrutinising the charging system, allocation of contractors, checking the quality of major works, etc...

In other words, can enough pressure be exerted on the Housing Unit to break the cycle of opacity and unaccountability that seems to institutionalised.

Really, just getting a debate going i guess, which will hopefully generate some ideas and tools to deal adequately with the officials there.

Forgive me again if this is too vague.

Best wishes,

Mob

[Otta]

I've also recently bought a flat on an estate (in Penge, so Bromley Council *shudders*), so am also interested.

[MajorWorksHELP]

We are leaseholders with Southwark & have had an extortionate estimated bill (?7,000) for terrible work on our flat.

This was Major Works for the "Warm Dry & Safe initiative".

Work was carried out by Saltash, poor materials used, sloppy workmanship.

Final bill yet to be presented to us, but fearing the amount will still be steep

(we feel the ?2,000 we have paid to date is too much anyway)

Please get in touch if you too have experienced similar problems. We are seriously considering legal action, so finding other leaseholders in similar situations would be a huge advantage.

I am aware of the Southwark leaseholders association (and have joined this) but it seems they only meet once or twice a year and I havent managed to make any of the meetings due to work. If anyone knows a way to make cnotaft with them by phone or face to face outside of the annual meeting - please let me know

[Robinson15]

I'm a leaseholder in Nunhead and I've been dealing with Southwark's shady service charges for a number of years with very little joy. I discovered after getting a breakdown of costs for the 5 years I have lived in my flat, that the majority of the 'repairs' haven't even been undertaken at my address (even though 'Estate' is defined as just the house split into two flats, where I live). So I've been charged for over 5 years for broken windows that are God knows where.

Then the major works happened last year. I have no problem paying money for work done. I have a problem with only ever being given an estimate. The council don't seem to be very forthcoming with actual charges. After trying to get actual charges out of the council and Saltash, I ended up getting a solicitor. Mainly as the estimate outline of work doesn't actually match what has been done to my flat. Syed Abib, who is supposedly the fount of all knowledge, is insistent no work has actually been carried out at my address ? so presumably I completely imagined the scaffolding surrounding my flat for 3 months. Syed doesn't want to check as 'he has a lot of folders to go through'. Poor love. There was also another guy, Carlton Austrie, from Saltash, who is apparently a project manager, yet, he also cannot seem to locate the final cost / breakdown of work. He also couldn't seem to find the council reps' address who came to my flat to discuss the poor work, who does actually know the final breakdown. Funny that.

My solicitor advised me to not pay anything as they are in breach of my lease (long story), so I haven't and now the council are sending me bullying letters, threatening to speak to my mortgage company unless I pay up in 10 days.

I think there is strength in numbers, so I would be very happy to meet up with people to discuss this further and take action. There's been loads of instances (if you google) of Southwark over charging people and taking backhanders from contractors. Its our right to see actual costs and pay what is fair. I would even suggest this is actually very newsworthy, could it be worth speaking to the media about this to apply further pressure?!

I'm intending on going to Nunhead library on 4th June at 6.30 to raise the issues of Major Works with the councillors there. If any one would like to join me, PM me here.

[richard tudor]

What ever happened to Errol? Who used to work in Home Ownership and posted on the Forum.

He started to reveal the inner works of Southwark Leasehold Management and suddenly disappeared of the face of the earth.

Was he getting to close to the truth

[Robinson15]

Hi Richard

Errol is a good find. I just did a search after you mentioned him ? so thanks for that bit of info.

I just had a read of Errol's posts. He does know all the insider info. I didn't realise, the council can actually charge on the basis of an estimate and you have to challenge the estimate at the initial / consultation stage, which presumably is the S20. I did this, but that doesn't seem to work at getting any closer to the real truth of actual costs.

The estimate racket the council have going on is basically a license to print money.

[Otta]

Do you think Errol was silenced?

[Robinson15]

I hope not!! I searched for him and he seemed to be posting in April this year, but nothing after then. I'm going to try to PM him and see what happens!

[fredbear]

I started the other thread.We have just had a refund on our major works that were for 2005/6 completed in 2009.we were overcharged by approx ?800 which they have had for 6years no interest or appology.I have email the chief exec but no reply.

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