March 29, 2024

Search Results for: dispatches

Channel Four Dispatches exposes retirement leasehold

Tonight’s Dispatches programme (September 24 2012) on retirement leasehold was a brilliant example of television journalism that was extremely critical of both McCarthy and Stone and Peverel. Peverel’s LVT defeat at the hands of pensioners at Strand Court, Rye, received a wider airing (or search Strand Court on this site). But the focus was an […]

Brilliant exposé of retirement leasehold on Channel Four Dispatches

Tonight’s Dispatches programme (September 24 2012) on retirement leasehold was a brilliant example of television journalism that was extremely damaging to both McCarthy and Stone, and to Peverel. It is excellent that Peverel’s disgraceful treatment of the pensioners at Strand Court, Rye, has been given a wider airing (search Strand Court on this site). But […]

Dispatches reveals a host of leasehold fiddles on TV

The long awaited Dispatches documentary last night, Property Nightmare: The Truth About Leasehold, was an excellent and welcome overview on the issues facing leaseholders. The best part of it was the report on the plight of those leaseholders who have bought ex-local authority properties but where the block is still run by the council. Profligate, […]

Elderly Accommodation Counsel says ‘recent retirement flat resales have increased in value’

Evidence based on sales since 2010 Evidence includes unverifiable discounts – ‘incentives’ – from the retirement developers LKP refused to be associated with the report and urged non-publication In spite of abundant evidence on the Land Registry of catastrophic falls in value of retirement properties, today (August 20 2019) the Elderly Accommodation Counsel reports that […]

Family save £25,000 over McCarthy and Stone shared equity lease, thanks to Better Retirement Housing

A family selling a McCarthy and Stone retirement flat with a rip-off lease condition have been saved £25,000 after the case was taken up by Better Retirement Housing. Rita May Bailey, who is now deceased, bought the one-bedroom flat at Bridewell Court, in Widnes, Cheshire in February 2008, which has a registered price of £167,450. […]

McCarthy and Stone: we want you to succeed, but you don’t need ground rents

By Sebastian O’Kelly Trustee, Leasehold Knowledge Partnership The retirement house builder McCarthy and Stone says that it is struggling, the newspapers are reporting. Profits are down more than 50 per cent for the first half of this year. And it is worried about the long-term implications of the government’s undertaking to reform ground rents, setting […]

ARCO snubs McCarthy and Stone / Churchill by saying there is no need for ground rents

The trade body the Association of Retirement Community Operators announced yesterday that ground rents are “not essential” in retirement housing and it backs the government in ending them. The announcement directly contradicts McCarthy and Stone and Churchill. Both have argued that they need ground rents for the viability of retirement housing projects and without them […]

BBC One Show warnings over retirement housing’s ‘sting in the tail’

The BBC One Show on prime time telly featured retirement housing earlier this week (November 22). It can be viewed here at 2.09 minutes The presenters warned that retirement housing can come with a “financial sting in the tail that can hit families at the worst possible time”. Sebastian O’Kelly, of Campaign against retirement leasehold […]

Law Commission outlines ‘event’ fee report, but still wants to hear from leaseholders

About 100 of those who have contributed to the Law Commission report into retirement housing “event” fees were invited to an evening get-together at Westminster last Thursday. There was wine and canapés and gossip, after attendees had digested the evening’s theme “Building Fairness: Growing a housing market older people can trust”. Esther Rantzen was the […]

Exit fees: You have less than 30 days to provide your input

Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation has published a number of articles about the Law Commission’s work on “exit”/transfer fees, and which sort of charges should be allowed going forward. The end of the public consultation is January 29. One of the problems faced by the project is that while those working in the retirement sector […]

Will Lord Best’s proposals produce a healthy retirement housing market …

… Or help perpetuate what is already wrong with it?   – Government should underwrite retirement flat purchases like Help To Buy scheme – There should not be any stamp duty when downsizing – Schemes where some service charges are deferred until a property is sold should be ‘made available more widely’ – Retirement accommodation offers huge savings over maintaining […]

Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation veteran wins another £5,000 off Tchenguiz

Battle-scared Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation veteran Norman Greed has pulled off another coup for residents at Eddington Court: a £5,000 repayment on insurance commissions from the Tchenguiz Family Trust. In June Mr Greed, a director of the Eddington Court RTM claimed £10,000 on past insurance commissions to Kingsborough and Oval.