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Service charges and shared ownership problems!
R&C
Posts: 242 Forumite
I don't know if I am posting this in the right place so sorry if I am on the wrong board!
Basically, we bought a shared ownership property in 2005 with A2 housing, and sold up in August 2009. They were notoriously awful when it came to customer services and whenever there was a problem we had to go round in circles to get it sorted. Fast forward to August 2010 and the new owners of our old property kindly forwarded on to us a letter they had received addressed to them in the post, but which related to the time we were at the property. It stated that the service charges for the year ending 31st March 2009 (they estimate the service charges, then sort out any deficit/surplus at the end of the year) there was a surplus of £197. Great we thought, we're owed money (!) but we did wonder why this letter wasn't sent to us at our new address. So my better half gets on the phone and is told by a nice chap who seemed to know what he was doing that yes we are indeed owed money and a cheque would be with us in the next week. Easy as that, in fact the easiest it's ever been when it comes to A2, so we were feeling rather sceptical. Sure enough, 2 weeks later we're on the phone again. This time we're being told by someone else that we haven't got a cheque, and we won't be getting a cheque, as A2 keep accounts per property, not per person. So that money has now been taken off the account of the new owners of that property! But it's our money!!
Can they do this? Isn't that like overpaying a gas bill in a previous property but the new owners take the benefit?
The worst of it is, before we could complete we had to leave a £100 bond with our solicitor, should there be a deficit. But when there's a surplus it is all of a sudden has nothing to do with us.
Can anyone give any advice?
Thanks in advance!
Basically, we bought a shared ownership property in 2005 with A2 housing, and sold up in August 2009. They were notoriously awful when it came to customer services and whenever there was a problem we had to go round in circles to get it sorted. Fast forward to August 2010 and the new owners of our old property kindly forwarded on to us a letter they had received addressed to them in the post, but which related to the time we were at the property. It stated that the service charges for the year ending 31st March 2009 (they estimate the service charges, then sort out any deficit/surplus at the end of the year) there was a surplus of £197. Great we thought, we're owed money (!) but we did wonder why this letter wasn't sent to us at our new address. So my better half gets on the phone and is told by a nice chap who seemed to know what he was doing that yes we are indeed owed money and a cheque would be with us in the next week. Easy as that, in fact the easiest it's ever been when it comes to A2, so we were feeling rather sceptical. Sure enough, 2 weeks later we're on the phone again. This time we're being told by someone else that we haven't got a cheque, and we won't be getting a cheque, as A2 keep accounts per property, not per person. So that money has now been taken off the account of the new owners of that property! But it's our money!!
Can they do this? Isn't that like overpaying a gas bill in a previous property but the new owners take the benefit?
The worst of it is, before we could complete we had to leave a £100 bond with our solicitor, should there be a deficit. But when there's a surplus it is all of a sudden has nothing to do with us.
Can anyone give any advice?
Thanks in advance!
0
Comments
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Can they do this, in a word no.
I think you may have posted on the wrong bored. try http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/forumdisplay.php?f=160 -
Thank you Freddie, will move it repost there!0
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You would be best to contact the Leasehold Advisory Service, they are a govt run organisation who can give you independent advice (and tend to be very good).Gone ... or have I?0
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