Council selling flats

Cheeky_Monkey

Somniac wrote: »

Are you actually 12 or just acting like it?

:rotfl::rotfl: I wish

As long as you are in social housing, you will always be at the mercy of the Council and the decisions they make regarding social housing.

Unfortunately for you, there's only one way to avoid that so you might as well stop moaning and just get on with your life.

Somniac

Norman_Castle wrote: »

Its likely the 90 mile distance makes maintenance difficult or more expensive so a gradual reduction in the number of properties owned will reduce the maintenance.

Its understandable you are concerned about the future of your home. Explain your concerns to the council and ask about their future plans for the block.

Thank you. That is good advice. We have done that but they are cagey.

Somniac

In a consultation, we may have been able to receive assurances that the some of the money earned from the sale would be ring fenced for work on the building.
As it is, the Council has received half a million pounds from the sales so far.Yet the building has windows that are falling out, mortar that is falling out and various other issues.
To be frank, if anyone does not see a moral issue here, it is either because a political ideology prevents them from doing so or they have some sort of Trumpian personality disorder.

Don't think there is much more to be said. Thank you for your replies.

lincroft1710

Somniac wrote: »

In a consultation, we may have been able to receive assurances that the some of the money earned from the sale would be ring fenced for work on the building.
As it is, the Council has received half a million pounds from the sales so far.Yet the building has windows that are falling out, mortar that is falling out and various other issues.

You may not have received such assurance or you may have received platitudes. The council may have a more urgent need for this £500K.

Selling off unwanted flats will mean that when the council come to repair or modernise the block, the new owners of the flats will be stung for a majority contribution to the costs. You and and any other council tenant don't contribute, so the council will actually save money by selling off some of the flats.

Norman_Castle

Somniac wrote: »

As it is, the Council has received half a million pounds from the sales so far.Yet the building has windows that are falling out, mortar that is falling out and various other issues.

Very likely to be separate budgets for income from property sales and maintenance spending. Linking income and outgoings based on location is unlikely to be done.

paddycharlie

Somniac wrote: »

In a consultation, we may have been able to receive assurances that the some of the money earned from the sale would be ring fenced for work on the building.

You may also have also been told that it is being used elsewhere as it is more important. Or possibly been told absolutely nothing about where the money will end up.


You have no right to be consulted about them selling their assets and selling a flat to a private buyer is going to lessen the chance of them pulling the block down as you have said they previously couldn't buy out the private owners already there so selling this flat to another private owner would make it harder.


You should focus your energy on the real issues your having which is the council being poor freeholders. And ask for assurances about your future as a tenant in your home

Somniac

lincroft1710 wrote: »

You may not have received such assurance or you may have received platitudes. The council may have a more urgent need for this £500K.

Selling off unwanted flats will mean that when the council come to repair or modernise the block, the new owners of the flats will be stung for a majority contribution to the costs. You and and any other council tenant don't contribute, so the council will actually save money by selling off some of the flats.

Don't want to spoil your comfy misconceptions but I am not on HB. I pay my rent and have done so for 20 years.

lincroft1710

Somniac wrote: »

Don't want to spoil your comfy misconceptions but I am not on HB. I pay my rent and have done so for 20 years.

Where have I assumed you are on HB?? As a council tenant you do not have to contribute towards council's maintenance/upgrading of your home and communal areas/features of your block. Owners of flats have to contribute

Norman_Castle

lincroft1710 wrote: »

As a council tenant you do not have to contribute towards council's maintenance/upgrading of your home and communal areas/features of your block.

Tenants don't pay a separate payment because maintenance and upgrades of council properties are covered by rental payments. They pay indirectly through their rent.

da_rule

The biggest thing from my perspective is that this block isn’t in the borough that the council is responsible for. From a practical point of view this must create a lot of issues when it comes to housing social tenants, i.e. who takes priority, the council it belongs to or the council who’s area it’s in?

Also, whilst some of the works to the property are funded by leaseholders and through rents, any shortfall has to be made up out of council funds (i.e. council tax receipts). I can’t imagine too many people would be happy that their council tax funds are being used to fund housing in another borough when their borough may have problems of its own.

Also, there is the cost of sending council officers out of their area to inspect/manage the property.

Selling the flats (and maybe eventually the freehold) would benefit the people in the borough that the council is responsible for as they will have additional funds from the sale and reduced liabilities as maintenance costs can be recovered to a greater extent from leaseholders. Also, leaseholders and generally easier to manage than tenants.

Councils are under financial and political pressure. I can’t imagine many councillors will be worried that someone from outside their borough (who therefore can’t vote for or against them) has an issue with it.