Fire Fox's Debt-Free in 2009 Diary

claire0788

Fire_Fox wrote: »

I sent a long explanation of our situation to a firm of solicitors who specialise in Lease disputes on Friday and here is the response:

"Thank you for your enquiry of the Service Charge Company.

Firstly, our professional fees for acting would be £90.00 plus VAT per hour and disbursements. You do tend to ‘cap’ our initial time engaged to certain hours to provide some initial summary advice but it appears from the details supplied that the matter appears to have reached a complicated stage.

What we would intend to do is

1.Consider the documents supplied with copy demands, accounts (certified or not) and the Lease;
2.Establish precisely what costs you dispute;
3.We would suggest attending the Landlord/Managing Agents office and inspect the documents that make up the purported sums due and those in dispute;
4.Dependent upon the location of the building we suggest a site inspection;

Amongst these items we would bear in mind that the Landlord must adhere to strict rules and provisions to comply with the Landlord & Tenant Act 1985, 1987 with further amendments regulated by the Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Act 2002.

I trust that this clarifies your particular questions and should you require further information please do not hesitate to contact me."

This just doesn't seem the right route for us as I can do a fair bit of this work myself and, in fact, already have! I think I am going to ring the Leasehold Advisory Service and see what the appropriate course of action is. I can't imagine the new owners want to simply write off the arrears, but equally a protracted legal battle will cost one or both parties dear.

My friend has studied law and im going to be extra nice to him and ask him to do a bit of research for me once i have all the paperwork and read it through. I dont understand how they get away with it ! Good luck !

Fire_Fox

Completed a Pincone survey this morning, so another £3 added to my signature. Nipped to the Post Office to send a cheque for £320 to the new freeholder, and a second letter to Staples regarding my laptop as they have not bothered to even acknowledge the first! :mad:

Went to Poundland spending £2 on two multipacks of crisps, £2 on cleaning products, and £3 on three recessed light fittings in brushed steel finish. Not sure if I am going to fit them in the bedroom, bathroom or buy a few more and do the living area.

claire0788

Hey, got an email about being able to get payments made into my paypal account from pinecones You would probably be able to do that as you have done loads more for them than I have. I think you just put your paypal details into your personal details section.

Taylo_2

Thanks Firefox, some useful stuff about the shopping, will bear it in mind, not got an ASDA anywhere close to me but I will see if they deliver locally just in case and get onto mysupermarket as well to a=have a mooch around on there!

With regard service charges, my flat was a new build two years ago and i think after two years you are able to get together with the other residents and decide to go for another management company, do you know anything about that kind of situation?

Fire_Fox

You can 'sack' the managing agents, but it's not always necessary nor practically possible - unfortunately a new agent won't take your building on if some leaseholders are in arrears. Many agents will smarten up their acts if you demonstrate you know the legal position and complain in a formal manner: their inertia relies on your inertia! This is your first port of call for learning about the legal position in England http://www.lease-advice.org/publications/documents/document.asp?item=1
Also look back at post number 170 on this diary. If you haven't yet complained in writing or examined the documentation you are a way off replacing the agents. You will need the agreement of the freeholder OR to go to a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal - in many ways a similar stepwise process to if you or I were to get sacked.

Fire_Fox

Forgot to say yesterday that I received the promised explanation from Yorkshire Water of why they debited £480 from my bank account last week. Sadly the letter contained no such explanation, simply informing me that my last reading "looks to be extremely high" and that they have requested payment for £19,518.33 :eek: on 28th September 2008 (sic). They further inform me that they are "unable to cancel this transaction in time" and suggest I stop the payment with my bank.

:rotfl: I don't think it's me who has been reading the meter incorrectly ....

Fire_Fox

I'm exited cos Mr. Fire Fox is going to buy us a smart new Sony TV on Thursday! He's been talking about it for a while - in fact got a 0% credit card for the purpose - but doesn't like to open his wallet (he's a saver not a meanie). But my Asda TV has broken so ... :cool:

I did cook the sticky chicken and stir fry veg, and Mr.Fire Fox proclaimed it yummy and asked when we were having it again!

kirstenc

Mr Fire Fox is definately in the good books then lol

and your meal sounds fab!!

and...19k......eyakarumba!!

what on earth are you going to do to sort it out?? other than cancel the transaction of course!!

Fire_Fox

I'm not cancelling the transaction! I have rung Yorkshire Water and told them to do what they are paid for. If the payment bounces they will not know what has hit them, OFWAT will be involved ... Both transactions are illegal under the direct debit guarantee, as they have to give me ten days notice if they intend to increase my payments. I haven't received a bill for the £480 payment, and they have already requested this one, before informing me.

Sleeping very badly at the moment, so was awake until 5am. Did make good use of the time, plotting what to do with the ten overripe bananas in my freezer, four bendy carrots and one sprouting sweet potato. Tonight's meal is to be cottage pie with sweet potato mash, and I will grate the remaining carrots and freeze. :T

Intergalactic_Floozie

fire_fox wrote: »

plotting what to do with the ten overripe bananas in my freezer, :t

banana bread, banana bread, banana bread!!!!!