Following the conviction of fraudster Simon van Houten, 31, the Rendall and Rittner managing agent who “can expect a custodial sentence” for stealing £122,000 next Thursday, Baroness Gardner of Parkes is calling for leaseholder funds to be protected. Next Monday in the House of Lords, she is to ask the Government to introduce a transparent […]
OFT promises ‘substantive announcement’ on exit fees in August
A letter to a Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation activist reveals that the Office of Fair Trading, whose seemingly interminable investigation into exit fees has lasted three years, will be making a “substantive announcement” in August. The news comes in a letter of July 11 from Martin Harvey, of the “Retirement Homes Investigation Team”. But […]
Sort out LVTs and keep on exposing leasehold ‘legal torture’, says Sir Peter Bottomley
Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative MP for Worthing West, praised those who have been exposing leasehold abuses in a statement to the Commons this afternoon. He also called on the government to examine the process of Leasehold Valuation Tribunals and asked for a written ministerial statement on their workings to be provided in September. He cited […]
No regulation, but I may make changes to leasehold, says Shapps
Housing minister Grant Shapps has ruled out statutory regulation of the leasehold sector, but may well introduce measures to improve Leasehold Valuation Tribunals. Furthermore, an announcement on the fraught issue of “exit fees” in the leasehold retirement sector, which are payable when a flat is sold, can be expected soon. These have been the subject […]
Gurvits / Moskovitz face RTM rebellion at retirement site in Plymouth
Two retirement developments in Plymouth are seeking to exercise right to manage against their North London managing agent and freehold owner: Joseph Gurvits and Israel Moskovitz. The residents are also contacting their local Tory MP, Oliver Colvile. No reasons need to be given for RTM as it is a no fault process. The freehold owning […]
‘Much to be proud of’ … Keith Edgar is leaving Peverel
Keith Edgar, head of Peverel Retirement, is leaving the company and house managers have been posting the news on noticeboards at Peverel sites. This is Keith’s valediction on the Peverel website: “After almost 20 fantastic years at the Peverel Group I have made the difficult decision to move on to a new challenge. It’s been […]
Cameron wades into retirement dispute in his Witney constituency … but what about the rest of us?
David Cameron stepped into a row at a retirement development in his own Witney constituency where the freeholder is the Tchenguiz’s owned Retirement Care (BH) Limited and the managing agent was Peverel. Both appear to have bent over backwards to accommodate the prime minister, and – remarkably – Peverel walked away without fighting the issues. […]
John Fenwick and Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation to address free leaseholders’ talk at Worthing on July 25
John Fenwick, who won the £137,000 LVT action at Oakland Court in Worthing, is to address a free conference for leaseholders in the town on July 25. He is to be joined by Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation chairman Sebastian O’Kelly, who is also director of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership. Fenwick, 65, will discuss how […]
New chairman for Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation
Sebastian O’Kelly has been appointed chairman of Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation. In this role he replaces co-founder Melissa Briggs, who has decided to stand down owing to ill health. As property editor of the Mail on Sunday for 10 years, Sebastian has written on leasehold issues many times and, with Melissa, he is co-director […]
Wartime squadron leader, aged 94, chalks up £11,500 victory over Peverel
During the Second World War, when Eric Matthews, 94, was an RAF squadron leader, he was used to chalking up downed enemy aircraft. Now he is celebrating another victory over a lesser adversary: Peverel, which has had to pay back £11,475.34p. The money is being re-paid after a series of inter-company deals by the property […]
Janet Entwistle: ‘There are problems with Peverel’s reputation, but new owners are in it for the long term’
Janet Entwistle has published a digest of the questions and answers either emailed to her or asked at her public meetings with Peverel’s leaseholders on June 12. The comments are a frank admission that the company has “problems of reputation” and address fraught issues such as insurance commissions, sub-letting fees and service charges – subjects […]
Leasehold Advisory Service denies seeking ‘bungs’ to pass on leaseholders for professional services
LEASE, the Leasehold Advisory Service, is a taxpayer-funded quango, so why on earth is it asking solicitors and others whether they would be prepared to pay referral fees to be put in touch with the distressed ordinary leaseholders who call up for advice? Referral fees – or ‘bungs’ as they are less politely termed – […]