Watchdog/Brendan Kiely

salvador_dali

appalledandhelpless wrote: »

Hi All,
I really need advice on 2 issue relating to this crew!
We bought a house from Brendan almost a year ago. We have had nothing but issues from day one. I need to know where we stand from a legal point of view which is the purpose of this post.

The first issue is: We are living in a converted listed property which is over 300yr old situated within a gated complex. A complex which one year later is not still not complete. We are still awaiting BT lines, Tarmac, grass for the lawns and the gate itself is unpowered. We are supposed to be paying a service charge of £83p/m month for buildings ins, upkeep of the grounds, window cleaning and upkeep of the roof of the listed building. We and all other residents are not paying the service charge as of yet because the site is a)incomplete and b)no service has yet been provided (we all even have our own individual window cleaner and are paying our own individual buildings insurance as we don't think we are covered properly if at all) We have seen no sign of HTG for the last 3 months no builders no nothing so we are now starting to think the site will never get finished. This said, i have heard from one of the neighbours that Brendan is refusing to finish the site until we all start paying our service charges. This sticks in my throat for two reasons: 1) A service charge is a charge for providing services NOT for completing a site which should have already been finished and 2) Why should we pay a service charge for a site that barely has no grass to cut, a gate that doesnt work windows that don't get cleaned and insurance we have no proof exisits? Are we in the wrong here?

The second issue is we have had a leaking roof since day one. Everytime it rains hard (which is more regularly lately) our kitchen roof leaks in. We have owned the property less than 12 months so surely we should not have this issue. We have requested this gets sorted by HTG on 4 occasions and we have had no response at all. We have had a professional quote which states that the roof is in a dire state of repair. The felt is so degraded it crumbles in your hand and 1/3 of the tiles are broken. This surely should have been rectified when the house was converted and before we bought it shouldn't it? I need to know where to turn as this is a very expensive job, one i feel we should not be having to pay for. If we had lived in the house 10yrs then fair enough but not after just 11months.
We know the service charge from point one SHOULD cover the roof but i think we'll have better lucl finding rocking horse s**t than this being a solution. What other avenues can we go down? One question i have is how did the roof not get picked up on in the sale process? We have paperwork stating that a surveyor is liable for 6years after he passed the house as fit, could we look down this road? Are there any building guarantees protecting us at all?

Please could someone help light up this dark mess for us as we don't know where to turn and feel we are stuck in house we can't enjoy or move from as i don't think it's even saleable.

Wecome to the Brendan Kiely Fan club
First thing you should check is who you actually purchased the property from and who the service agreement is with as Brendan has many aliases and will liquidate companies to avoid paying debts or to fulfil contracts.
I carried out some work on a property for Total Development Concepts last year and have still not been paid.
The contract was originally with TDC but the materials were purchased through Hometrader Northwest, another company, I was asked to submit my receipts for sub-contractors, gas and electric to Bentley Residential Lettings all of which are registered at the same address and telephone number.
After several weeks of no payment and not having my calls answered or returned I eventually found out that Bentley was going into liquidation and TDC had been dissolved (along with 20+ other named companies) My debt, £1,500, had been lumped in with the other unpaid Bentley debts to a tool hire company and various others ( including £532 for carpets supplied and fitted by a colleague of mine ) After the infamous Watchdog appearance Brendan stated on national TV that he would honour all debts he called me to say he would send my payment but 10 months later has still not done so.
Be very careful if you get asked to get your own workmen in and he will settle up with you later as he will not do so !!
I expect that the work has not been completed because of the bad reputation he has as a rogue trader and therefore cannot get contractors to work for him any more.
As for Brendan not doing the work because you are not paying the service charge this again is another common avoidance ploy Brendan will use, see my previous posts regarding the family I carried out work for who have themselves witheld a retainer waiting for completion, although this amount will not cover the cost of outstanding works.
Be very careful and goodluck

devon87

If im not mistaken. This is the Clifton farm development in Burnley, Lancs? First selling properties over and over again in early 2011 as Hometrader. [text deleted by MSE Forum Team]. Then when reported on that one, resorted to "Best lettings", where they were again caught out, this time by the watchdog crew. Im not suprised Kiely has stopped all work. Hes got nothing left of a reputation to save. Now showing his true colours. Id be suprised if HTG is still trading by next year.

Perceived_difficulties

Sadly, joining this thread I confess to being another Kiely victim. Multiple issues with a rented property and complete ineptitude, lies and obfuscation from the clowns in the Middleton office.

Have decided to tackle the issue in writing only (keeping phone calls to a minimum) and engaging the help and advice of the Housing Association, the Citizens' Advice Bureau (who were so appalled by my situation they'd like to make my story a case study and a policy guidance note), The Environmental Health department of the local council, the Health and Safety Executive and any other organisation who can begin to chip away at the company.

theequaliser

Perceived_difficulties wrote: »

Sadly, joining this thread I confess to being another Kiely victim. Multiple issues with a rented property and complete ineptitude, lies and obfuscation from the clowns in the Middleton office.

Have decided to tackle the issue in writing only (keeping phone calls to a minimum) and engaging the help and advice of the Housing Association, the Citizens' Advice Bureau (who were so appalled by my situation they'd like to make my story a case study and a policy guidance note), The Environmental Health department of the local council, the Health and Safety Executive and any other organisation who can begin to chip away at the company.

Of course you will get help from all the clowns that are passengers on the largest gravy train in the Country ie Civil Servants! The activities of Hometrader pale into insignificance when compared to the thousands of people that have been bankrupting this country by being paid for doing absolutely nothing yet they receive ridiculously high wages.( not to mention the pensions ) Thank God for Government cuts especially those aimed at downsizing the circus in each town more commonly known as the local council. Notwithstanding the above there is actually a bigger scam in this Country and it is the legal aid system, it is presently being abused NOT by those who are in genuine need of legal advice but those highly educated people " thieves with posh voices" lawyers, they are by far the biggest rip off merchants in this country, the Courts are just a 'Pantomine' and all those involved very highly paid actors.
I think its time we stopped focussing on Business men who are just working hard to earn a living and instead focussed upon the real crooks!!
This Country is on the verge of civil riot as the Courts and the Police are completely out of touch with society. Each day they persecute decent people by handing out ridiculously high fines for the most minor of offences, meanwhile all the actors in the panto are earning stupidly high incomes!!! Watch this space, good people will revolt!!! It is written.. Enough is enough! Criminals representing criminals!:rotfl:

propertyman

But equally, in a large portfolio, some are going to go right. That surely cannot invalidate the opinions and arguments of others, nor the evidence presented by Watchdog?

Just because a person has made bad choices in life does not mean that they have to resign themselves to any landlord that provides substandard housing, does it?

cajef

annacoates wrote: »

Me and my DH would have no hesitation in dealing with Mr.Kiely or any of his companies again, and i say this simply because of the outstanding,quality service we have received thus far.

Another Kiely spammer, if the post was not so full of praise it could possibly be believed but going on Kiely's reputation it becomes obvious that this is someone in his employ.

theartfullodger

Dear Anna: kindly let me have your address & 'phone number as there is much I wish to learn from you.


Such an aggressive stance! How unlikely from a woman!

Cheers!

theartfullodger

I see you've edited out your invitation to have remarks repeated to your face: Well, I repeat,

Dear Anna: kindly let me have your address & 'phone number as there is much I wish to learn from you.

PM me if you'd prefer not to post that info in this thread.

Cheers!

propertyman

However, we DID NOT experience anything along the lines of what has been discussed here and in many other forums

What I cannot understand is why a person would haunt many websites in the defence of their landlord.

You say you didn't have a bad experience others say they did.... the facts become irrelevant when reputation is soured.

All anyone can then do is re assess their business practices make any changes and rebuild their reputation.

Justanothermug_2

I too am owed getting on for £1000, but not for lettings fees! For worked carried out at some of the houses The Kiely's have bought and done up to sell. Throughout the 5 months I've worked for them it has been a constant battle with payment and materials! Cutting corners is an understatement, employing 18 year old electricians to do full rewires and main breaker boards. When it physically impossible to gain an NICEIC cert in 2 years!!! The list goes on and on! I will feed you more at some point, all I know is they need to be banged to right at some point!!!