service charge

pinklove

Pls Help - I am paying over £2000 a year on my service charge for a flat with no lift, porter and which is badly kept with broken fences and rubbish dumped everywhere. The flat is in wembley park in middlesex. Does anyone know of any type of board or body I could get help from to look into the situation and that could take action on my behalf.

Regards pinklove

JasX

By law you should get some form of statement of accounts each year that tells you exactly what the money is being spent on.

Options usually open to you include getting 50% of the tenants together to form a 'Right to Manage' company whereby you can kick out the company currently setting the levels of charges and install your own.

Alternatively I believe you can challenge any charges that might be deemed 'unreasonable' at an Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.

This is a good site to start on: www.lease-advice.org

Fire_Fox

You first need to read a copy of your long lease to find out what is and is not chargeable. Secondly formally request (in writing) an breakdown of charges for each year that you dispute. Thirdly formally request copies of all invoices and service contracts so that you can see what is supposed to have been done. The LEASE website as linked to above is absolutely excellent and explains the legal position in plain English.

Once you have inspected all the above documentation you may wish to put in a formal complaint. Again you should do this in writing, sent recorded delivery, as you may need the paper trail if you later decide to go to a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. Some of the regulars on here advocate LVTs at a very early stage, but this costs several hundred pounds so it's more moneysaving to do the basic groundwork yourself. IMHO right to manage is something you can consider only once you have evidence you are being overcharged.

pinklove

thanks jasx and fire fox .x