Leaseholders Saga: Standlake leaseholders versus Lewisham Homes

General
#1

I am starting this thread in order to share the experience of leaseholders from Standlake Point while dealing with Lewisham Homes who is so called managing agent on behalf of Lewisham Council Housing or ALMO - Arm Length Manging organisation.

The story started in April this year when I visited a local TRA meeting and discovered that I was not alone in seeing poor services, poor managemen and charges for services that were not provided by Lewisham Homes in our block on our Estate.

I would also like this thread to be some source of information for leaseholders, based on real life situations, that can help when dealing with managing agents or give some insight of what is going on behind leaseholders curtains.

I am also calling for all Bampton leaseholders to come forward and get connected and also inviting all leaseholders, who have Lewisham Homes as thier managing agents, to participate actively here.
I have quite a bit of information, communications, etc. that I will be slowly publishing here as and when I have spare time from my work and household duties.

Jumping a little forward, I want to mention that Lewisham Homes are currently facing the risk of the leasehold tribunal from few Standlake leaseholders and LH offered to resolve the issues, with which we are prepared to seek resolution in the tribunal, amicably. We were invited to meet LH to have a talk on 4th December at 13pm in their office. As a part of the pre-tribunal stages we have to attend the meeting in order to comply with ‘requirements’ to do everything we can to resolve issues between each other. If we miss those stages, our case in the tribunal may not be successful.

None of us, the leaseholders, walked this path before, so all what is happing between us and LH in terms of problems and resolutions process is completely new experience to us that may help others like us.

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2018: The Year in Review
#2

OK, few leaseholders in our block have been questioning Lewisham Homes about their cleaning contract obligation compliance since April this year. That when it was all started.

Lewisham Homes took over from the council to manage our estate about 10 years ago. The service charges doubled from the moment they took over.The previous owner of my flat used to pay 600-700 pounds a year for service charges. After Lewisham Homes took over, it doubled and stayed no less than 1200 per year. And that excluding the majorworks bills.

Now, we never had cleaning problems in our block. Since Lewisham Homes took over, it slowly degraded. The worst years when it hit the rock bottom were years 2015, 2016, 2017. Because it was getting so bad, I requested a breakdown for our service charges 2015-2016. When I received them, Lewisham Homes stated 44 hours cleaning services per block per week (i will publish the documents a bit later) and the total amount caretaking charges were coming to around 17,000 per year per our block. The state of the building was awful and I started taking photos, I have over 500 photos of the evidence of the pigsty we were living (will publish them later as well). looking at the level of the caretaking and the statement of 44 hrs per week cleaning hours raised questions that 44 hrs cleaning per week is a full time caretaker per block which we were not getting, where the caretaking service was missing and why we were charged for something we did not receive.

Then I attended a local TRA meeting in April this year, I discovered that there were the same caretaking problems in other blocks. From that point, I was not prepared to let it go as in previous years and met another leaseholder from our block from whom I learnt that he had offered a twice cheaper option for the replacement of our main door entry system to Lewisham Homes at the time when Lewisham Homes had been planning to the replace it. But Lewisham Homes had ignored his offer which was much better than the one we have now. We, the leasehoders and council funds, ended up paying twice more for the door entry system which has basic functions, faulty from the start, with one year warranty. We were also charged for the repairs of the faulty new door entry system. The poor standards of services provided by Lewisham Homes, being charged by them for services we did not receive and the money waste Lewisham Homes showed triggered an investigation which is still ongoing.The local MP was notified of our troubles as well as councillor Susan Wise. Below is my letter to the Lewisham Homes home ownership department querying the actual service charges for the years 2016-2017.

"Good morning Victoria,

Ref. Service charges breakdown for x, Standlake Point, Se23-2XB.

I and other leaseholders in our block have examined the service charges breakdown provided by yourself and the breakdown raised the following questions which we require a comprehensive answer for please:

  1. the breakdown submitted is missing the following sections:
    lifts - what £5223.36 were spent for, please provide jobs details
    entry phones - £772.61, what were spent for, please provide details
    electricity and communal lighting - £2891.20 – please provide details how much electricity was spent and what are the charges per unit
    pest control - £1002.00 – I believe John, another leaseholder from our block, questioned yourself and got a reply that £54 were spent to remove a dead pigeon by the caretaker – we are charged £40.17 per hour caretaking service and charged again £54 for cleaning the dead pigeon by the caretaker? It is a clear charging for the same service twice. The refund of £54 is due to the block leaseholders, please. £950 were spent for the pigeon proofing - can you please provide the details of what job exactly was done, where exactly was done so we can investigate the repair.
    communal window cleaning - £133, please provide jobs details (what windows, how many times, dates)
    bulk household waste removal - £3291.77, please provide details of jobs carried out, schedules, dates,/ days of the week, etc.
    sweeping (external area) - £1417.98 - please provide details what services were provided, what areas, dates, days, etc.
    ground maintenance- £3485.96, please provide details what jobs were carried out, when, etc.

Window repairs: job # 4445412 on 22/06/2016 – erect scaffold and renew window frame to bedroom of flat number 17 and the job # 4508107 on 25/01/2017 – measure up balcony door for renewal flat number 33. On what ground do you charge leaseholders for repairs carried out in other, not belonging to leaseholders flats, please? The lease (the tenth schedule, part one, the service charges, contribution formula, repairs and maintenance section) clearly states that leaseholders contribute to the repairs of their own leasehold properties and common parts only. Windows, as doors, as any other parts of each separate flat are not common parts, they are not shared areas. Refund due to leaseholders for the wrong billing, please.

Caretaking charges: Mr Kanareck confirmed the price Lewisham Homes charge per hour of caretaking - £40.17. Estimated charges for three blocks on our estate for years 2017-2018 are 53,023.86 pounds. You kindly provided the breakdown of the hourly costs of caretaking which are: equipment, supervision, uniforms, telephones, IT, transportation and associated running costs, wages for caretaker, supervisor and manager, cleaning materials, admin support, office accommodation. As you are probably aware, we obtained quotes from commercial cleaning companies for the same amount of services currently provided by Lewisham Homes, with one caretaker cleaning our three blocks only (more weekly hours per block) and providing service 52 weeks a year, not 44 weeks as currently provided by Lewisham Homes. The quotes came as 30 percent cheaper from both commercial companies. It raised further questions as to why Lewisham Homes, a not-for-profit organisation, charges so high prices that affect not only leaseholders, but council funds your company source the money from. Therefore please provide a comprehensive breakdown of how £53,023.86 pounds distributed between equipment, supervision, uniforms, telephones, IT, transportation and associated running costs, wages for caretaker, supervisor and manager, cleaning materials, admin support, office accommodation. Once the breakdown is provided by yourself, I will be requesting to see every single invoice, receipt, etc. that supports the breakdown of £53,023.86 for further assessments.

Kitchen sinks blockages:
job #4433137 on 06/05/2016 – jetters to clear blocked stack affecting kitchen flat 23
job # 4485545 on 4/11/2016 – clear stack affecting utilities to flat 35 causing blockages
job # 4485545 on 4/11/2016 – clear blocked stack affecting flat 35 sink
Can you provide details of where exactly all three blockages were, please?

This is not a comprehensive list of my enquiries/complaints. Further enquiries in respect to the service charges breakdown may follow.

I trust you will treat my enquiries seriously as they are a part of the investigation that has been carried out since April this year by leaseholders/residents due to the multiple Lewisham Homes failures in various areas of their contracted obligations.

I trust 30 days will be sufficient to prepare a comprehensive reply.

Yours sincerely,
Kat
Standlake Point"

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#3

Kat - I would hate to get on the wrong side of you!

This is amazing work that you’re doing on behalf of your neighbours and I hope they appreciate it.

I’m sure there must be one or two people in Lewisham Homes who must be crapping themselves right now; and rightly so because, on the face of your representations, they appear to have mismanaged the maintenance work and budget big time.

Anyway, here’s a little heads-up if you’re not already aware of it, which is the Lease Advisory Service https://www.lease-advice.org/ and these people are so, so helpful.

Good luck with it all you crazy (in a good way) person!

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#4

Hi John, thank you for your warm support :bouquet: All this work and challenges would not be possible without one man, the leaseholder as me from our block, who is very humble but very smart and experienced in dealing with all this council/ managing organisation battles. He is on this forum but very quiet and polite (different from me who is blunt and loud expressing thoughts without any diplomatic considerations). Both of us make all these challenges possible. I would never have dared to challenge Lewisham Homes on my own. So he is the unsung hero in a way.

Thank you for the link, I have very recently registered myself with them when enquiring about my lease extension.

Yes, there are. We came today from the meeting with one of Lewisham Homes operation managers and area manager for caretaking. The guy was so nervous that his body language was giving him out. However, those people are well trained and have a bunch of lawyers behind them. Us against them a is an unequal battle. As much I feel bad making people uncomfortable and scared (I know how it is like), this is the only way to find the truth and resolution. Unfortunately, being nice and trusting to what they say is a road that gives no chance to find a fair resolution as the most of the times sadly they treat you as if you are stupid.

I am hoping that this thread gives some insight and also the courage to leaseholders, some of them are new and inexperienced, to ask their managing agents questions, challenge them if they are unhappy. Some people buy a leasehold house, flat without proper realising what it is and how to deal with it because the price is attractive. Publishing the info here means the issues will not go unnoticed and if we have to use extreme measures, like press, we can refer to this site for the most of the info.

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#5

Reply to my request:

Dear xxxx,

Thank you for your email.

I duly note all the content of your email and I will be responding to all the issues raised as requested within the time scale you have provided.

Kindest regards

Victoria Akiwowo
Leasehold Services Officer

#6

Ok, where the 53 thousands pounds for one catetaker cleaning the three estate blocks with avarage 10 hrs of cleaning per block to spend came from?

"Bampton Residents c/o Block Representative Standlake Point Windrush Lane SE23 2XB

Old Town Hall Catford Road SE6 4RU
0800 028 2 028 jon.kanareck@lewishamhomes.org.uk
23 June 2017

Dear Bampton Residents, General Enquiry – Charges for caretaking services on the Bampton Estate

Thank you for your letter, which I received on Friday 9 June. I’m grateful you’ve taken the time to tell me about your concerns. I understand them to be:

The calculation of the caretaking service charge for the three Bampton Estate high rise blocks – Radcot, Standlake and Newbridge Points

The standard of the caretaking service (internal cleaning) in these blocks

How we calculate the caretaking service charge
The cost of the caretaking service includes the caretaker’s salary, but we also factor in other costs, such as employments costs, the equipment and materials required to deliver the service, management and supervisory costs, and general administrative and support costs. These are all part of the overall cost of providing a caretaking service. Among these other costs are: Employer National Insurance and pension contributions, Agency and temporary staff we employ to reduce disruption when a staff member is absent, Equipment & chemicals – such as brooms, buckets, mops, and vehicles, Management and administrative overheads – for example the cost of managing the caretaking services and support costs such as Human Resources, Finance and other Corporate services. We identify the full cost of the service for each block and then apportion them according to the number of residents. So, on Bampton Estate, we provide an average of 10 hours per week caretaking for each of the blocks over the course of the year. As you rightly point out, the estimate for 2017/18 is £53,023.86 for all three blocks – or £17,674.62 for each block. We based the estimate on the audited actual service charges for 2015/2016. We then divided this by the number of units in the blocks to arrive at an estimated caretaking service charge of £441.87 for each leaseholder. The hourly rate is £40.17 – taking into account all the costs associated with providing the service. We only charge residents for 44 weeks out of the 52 weeks per year. This is to take account of staff absences during the year. I hope I’ve been able to clarify leaseholders’ contributions to the full cost of providing a caretaking service to the block and why it’s more than the cost of the caretaker’s time alone. I’m sorry if we haven’t made this as clear as we could have in the past.

Caretaking standards
We try to ensure good caretaking standards, but we aim for excellence. We do this by ensuring by managing our caretakers’ performance, listening to customers, and responding to their feedback. Supervisors inspect the quality of internal cleaning regularly so we can identify problems, put them right, and try to stop them recurring. The patch supervisor, Andrea Scott, last inspected the Bampton blocks in April and May 2017. On both occasions she found the cleaning to be good – but not excellent. We know management inspections are just snapshots, so we also rely on residents’ feedback to make a visible improvement in quality. For example, you and other residents pointed out some issues on 16 June. Andrea met you on site on 20 June for an estate walkabout. I understand you agreed that the service had recently improved. We’ve had similarly positive feedback from another residents. However, Andrea will monitor the area closely to ensure we build on the improvements we’ve made with your help and generally take care of the area. I understand she also picked up a number of communal repairs which she has reported. The team will continue to work with you to work towards an excellent estate environment, and we look forward to further feedback. The best way to share your views with the team is to email them at environmentalservices@lewishamhomes.org.uk or to phone on 0800 028 2 028. I hope I’ve addressed you concerns. I understand our Area Manager, Chidi Onyema, will be attending your TRA meeting on 29 June, and he’ll be grateful for another opportunity to discuss residents’ ideas and feedback.

Yours sincerely
Jon Kanareck Director of Operations"

20170623 Bampton Residents - Charges for caretaking services on the Bampton Estate (1).pdf (286.9 KB)

#7

Their ACTUAL breakdown of the £40.17 per hour charge would be interesting.

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#9

That’s great! Thank you! I will write privately to the email. We would love to get connected with other leaseholders who have Lewisham Homes as their managing agent. From what I have seen so far, there are lots of questions about what they do and how they do it. More information we have, more chances that we can straighten things up.

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#10

More interesting is that Lewisham Homes appear to be offering money to residents of adjacent properties to the proposed development site?
There is no planning application, no consultation to tske place until the14th to see what residents think.

Is this a fore gone conclusion with a smokescreen to pacify residents when decisions have already been made?

More info to follow and perhaps any councillors would be interested to comment?

2 Likes
#11

Lewisham Homes just hit Bampton leaseholders with £25,000 per leaseholder estimated bill for the major works coming. The amount is shocking but what more shocking is their prices… Sent right before Christmas, recieved today. Those people in Lewisham Homea have no heart, no consideration, nothing. People are getting ready for festive period, anticipate good time and holidays… I have no words, no respect for those Lewisham Homes workers.

Almost 1 million pounds per block for windows, roof, tiles and painting.

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#12

The estimated cost of work is £622k but they have added in a contingency of £280k or 45% of the estimate. And then added another 10% on top of the total for ‘management fees’. These extras make up 60% of the cost to leaseholders. Doesn’t really seem fair.

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#13

At the moment leaseholders are trying to get our heads around to understand or comprehend that… Only roofung costs are £98,000, the roof size is about 25x25 sq.m. ( about just over 75x75 sq. feet or so (corrected 23.12.2017))

#14

This is absolutely disgusting -maybe you should request all of the quotes they obtained for each of these items to put pressure on them to justify that they made an effort to find the best value estimates possible? I highly doubt it though given its not their money they are spending, and they are in fact incentivised to obtain the highest estimates possible in order to up their management fee.

I can’t see why their management fee relates to the size of the quote - surely the cost of the works is irrelevant and it should be a fixed amount? As I am sure you have already have, carefully check your contract to see what it says about management fees for supervising construction works. If it says nothing, then surely you would have good grounds to dispute its size?

#15

Thank you so much for the good point! I will certainly do that. We have managed to obtain the breakdown of the estimate from LH and also contacted 3 commercial companies for alternative quotes to establish what realistic figures are.

£98,000 for 75x75 feet roof is too much even for a lay person like me.

I will keep this thread regularly updated.

#16

Without prejudice,

Dear Lianne, please accept this email as my comment response to the Section 20: Notice of Estimate, Major Works, Standlake Point, Bampton Estate, SE23-2XB, Phase S8-3S.

Firstly I would like to state that the amount of estimated costs for the major works is not acceptable and the estimated costs are unreasonable.

Taking into consideration the feedback of 5 leaseholders in our block that I am aware of, I, therefore, request that the notice consultation period is extended until the end of April 2018 (and longer if required) in order for the block leaseholders to be properly consulted with.

No works or decisions should be started or made until there is a satisfactory agreement with leaseholders reached in terms of the list of works, costs, period of payment and any other issues or concerns that leaseholders may have.

£902113.13 is an extortionate amount of money and therefore I am initiating the investigation into the proposed estimated spendings for the proposed major works.

As the initial part of this investigation, I would like Lewisham Homes to provide evidence for the following:

… The copy of the independent survey report on the list of works that may possibly be required in Standlake block during the planned major works that has been carried out before obtaining price estimates and costs.
… Evidence of the initial research for cost effective and value for money quotes from various suppliers/contractors in order to secure the best value for money contract.
… A list of dates (months and years) when the last repairs/works done in following areas:
asbestos survey and asbestos works
balconies
cladding
internal decorations
external decorations
internal doors works
external doors works
drainage
internal electrical works
external electrical works
internal flooring
integrated reception system
lightning conductors
masonry and render repairs
paving works
rainwater system
block roof
signage
windows

The Standlake Point leaseholders will be requiring a meeting with Lewisham Homes major works and home ownership representatives in due course in order to discuss all issues, concerns, problems and their resolutions once we complete the investigations of the proposed list of major works and their estimated costs.

I would also like to mention that I have no problem and I am prepared to seek legal help and fair decisions in tribunal should they be required if a mutual agreement between us, the leaseholders, and Lewisham Homes in respect to the proposed major works and their costs cannot be reached.

Please confirm the receipt of this electronic comment response to Section 20 Notice.

Kind regards,
Kat

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#17

It should also be considered that this figure of £900k+ applies to one block of three, so the major works are approaching £3M!

Given that nearly 45% is for management and contingency one has to question the capability of Lewisham Homes as a housing provider to manage this programme. Investigation of each line item is essential to reveal the extent of the miscalculationsl.

#18

Got the breakdown of works

Decent Homes - S8-3S - Detailed Costs Breakdown.pdf (61.1 KB)

#19

Two items in The Grauniad.

Whilst not identical circumstances to those involved here, the principle of persistent non-accountability dominates.

The reference to Scottish problems echo issues from the past when so-called “factors” operated there in almost identical ways and acted without accountability.

However it is my recall that legislation was introduced in Scotland to curtail their un-regulated behaviour.

It is inexplicable that the issues arise once more but lessons should be learned - with sufficient pressure governments can be forced to take action…

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#20

My comment response to the Section 20: Notice of Estimate, Major Works, Standlake Point, Bampton Estate, SE23-2XB, Phase S8-3S.
Part 2

From: Kat xxx Standlake Point, Windrush Lane, Forest Hill, SE23-2XB.

Dear Lianne,

Thank you for the breakdown in a better format. I did examine the works breakdown.

I have information that your department is planning a meeting with leaseholders on 24/01/2018. I appreciate that. I have the following requests as part of the consultation process with leaseholders:

  1. After examination of the works breakdown, I believe the estimate received from you is not correct. There are works that I, as a leaseholder, should not be paying for. There are works that are not necessary to be carried out. There are quantities of materials and works that overestimated or do not belong to our block. Please see the end of this email**. Please provide answers to all my comments on that list**.

My request is please provide the correct and accurate major works estimate for the works that are actually, realistically needed and specific and correct to my flat and to me as a leaseholder.

  1. Taking into consideration that the Council left the block unrepaired and not properly maintained for years, the block was built in 1964-65 - at least 30-40 years unrepair (despite the obligation to maintain in good and substantial repair and conditions - the ninth schedule referred to in Clause 6 of the lease), it would be fair for a long-term interest free payment plan, at least 25-30 years, to be offered to leaseholders and myself as being one of them. I bought the flat in xxx and have already been charged around £15000 that I am still trying to pay off and another huge amount on the top of that to come. Not only I have no money to cover such huge bill, I am also bearing the whole burden of the council’s failure to invest in building repairs for at least 30-40 years.

Consequently, I am asking for a long-term (25-30 years) interest-free payment plan.

  1. XXX, leaseholder of flat X in our block will not be able to attend the meeting on 24th of January and requesting a separate meeting at a later date so he can present his consultation response and discuss his issues and concerns in respect to the proposed works and estimated bill.

As the meeting between leaseholders and Lewisham Homes regarding the major works and estimated costs has been arranged for 24th of January, I would like to have responses from yourself to both my emails - the first one and this one by the end on 20th January 2018 for me to be able to examine and prepare for the meeting on 24th.

21 working days given for the response to my first email is no longer acceptable due to the meeting arrangements being out of my control.

Please confirm the receipt of my electronic response to Section 20: Notice of Estimate, part 2

Kind regards,
Kat

**After examining the works breakdown costs, I have the following questions - please respond to every one of them:

  1. report says: Spot 258, spot 969 – asbestos survey, total: £411.83
    my comment: there was asbestos survey carried out already on 12/06/2015, job #4341242 – why repeating the survey again and making leaseholders to pay twice ? Or no survey took place on 12/06/2015 but leaseholders were charged for??

  2. report says: Spot 1036 - specialist subcontractors used to carrying out repairs to existing asphalt paving prior to Procol application, quantity: 55 items, £15,743.45
    my comment: we have 40 balconies in our block, where quantity 55 came from?

  3. report says: spot 827 – building notice fees, quantity: 409,5 (unit price £1), total £409,50
    my comment: block has 40 flats, where 409,9 number came from??

  4. report says: #307703 – cladding: remove existing and renew with cellular cored PVC shiplap boarding, quantity 9,9sm
    my comment: the block does not have cladding, it has external brickwork. Where is this 9,9sm cladding??

  5. report says: spot 234,232, 233 – contingencies, total: 17, ranged from £500 per unit to £10,000 per unit; total: 33,45 units = £280,000
    my question: what are those 33,45 units that cost £280,000???

  6. report says: #436203 – door frame: rub down, prepare, apply coat of primer, one undercoat, two coats of gloss paint on external surface of metal frames; total quantity: 63.6 lm
    my question: where are the metal door frames in quantity 63,6 lm?? All communal doors are wooden.

  7. report says: 17.7.5 – floor covering: renew any size or type of noising to steps, quantity 110 nr, £1953.60
    my question: where exactly 110nr are?

  8. report says: spot 348 – painting to masonry, quantity 1012 lm, £4,614.72
    my comment: is it external or internal, how did you come to this amount?

  9. report says: #9.9.1 – prep&redec to external walls, flats: painting to masonry, total: 563sqm, £3124.65
    my question: the outside walls of the block are made of bricks, which is around 95% of the external walls, where 563sqm came from??

  10. report says: #9.9.3 – prep&redec to external walls, flats: painting to timber surface, total: 114sqm, £1277.21
    my question: there is no timbers on external walls, where are the timber surface on the external walls in our block exactly??

  11. report says: #9.9.5 – prep&redec to external walls, flats: wash down with detergent, total: 551,93 sqm, £1225,28
    my comment: why external surface needs to be washed with detergent??

  12. report says: # 9.12.8 – prep&redec to fences and railings: open type:painting to metal fences 1-1.5m high, total: 1491m, £39720.24
    my question: we dont have 1491m of fence around our block, where this figure came from??

  13. report says: #17.5.8, #17.5.2 – specialist treatment – apply anti-graffiti paint, total 1203.1 sqm, £16025.17
    my qestion: we dont have problem with graffiti in our block, never was an issue, no need for anti-grffiti paint, why on the list of works???

  14. report says: #43551 – surfaces: apply anti-graffiti paint to vulnerable external surface of brickwork, concrete, timber, total: 1070sm, £9616.09
    my question: there is no problem with graffiti on external parts of the block, why on the list of works???

  15. report says: #435501 – clean existing graffiti covered surface, apply high pressure hot water to remove all traces of remover, paint, debris, total: 1070sm, £12380.97
    my qestion: there is no graffity covered surface, where exactly 1070sm are covered with graffiti that you are prepared to spend £12380.97 for???

  16. report says: #436205 – door: rub down, prepare for and apply one coat of primer, one undercoat and two coats of gloss pain on any size single metal door, quantity: 40.58 IT, cost: £2416.38
    my comment: we dont have metal doors exept the main entry door and caretaker door which are in good order, where 40.58 It came from??

  17. report says: #135001 – meter cupboard: renew orfix new approved meter cupboard…complete with locking device…quantity: 4, cost: £261.30
    my comment: I have no problem with my meter cupboard, why am I charged for smbd’d cupboards?? Also, one of this 4 cupboards have different price from another 3. Why?

  18. reports says: #070115 – shed door: renew any type of hasp, staple…or other equal and approved padlock to shed or bin doo, supply two keys…quantity:20, cost:£467.97
    my question: sheds are not in use, I dont use any shed why am I charged for the lock??

  19. report says:# 070107 - shed door: renew shed or bin store door with any size softwood framed, ledged, braced door, quantity: 20, cost £3769.79
    my comment: sheds are not in use, I dont use any shed, why am I charged for it?

  20. you report says: #324125 – door: overhaul external door and frame and fanlight complete, remove all ironmongery, piece out, make good, resecure beads, architraves, rehang door, ease, adjust, reglaze fanligh, quanity 1, cost £106.23
    my comment: it is recently changed door, nothing wrong with it, why you charged massive amount to replace the door and now you repairing it?

  21. report says: 11.35.0 – repair of PVCu windows/doors: doors: ease, adjust, lubricate hinges, fittings, quantity; 25, cost: £555
    my comment: we dont have communal PVC doors, if they are doors to flats, why am I charged for somebody’s else door?? My door is wooden.

  22. report says: 17.10.4 – replace door to caretaker store, quantaty: 1, cost £205.35
    my comment: the caretaker’s door is fairly new, it is in good order, why replacing it??

  23. report says: #16.21.5 – renew door and frame with PVC door and frame, quantity: 75, cost: £ 26556.74
    my comment: what doors are they? If flat doors to balconies, there are 40 of them, all communal doors are wooden and there are about 20 of them (10 to stairs, 5 on south and north sides each), why do they need replacement?? Where quantity 75 came from??

  24. report says: spot 1041 – standard upgrade of integrated reception system, quantity: 40, cost £5063.20
    my comment: IRS has been renewed during the last major works, it was charged lots of moneys for basic fanctions, why we are charged again for the upgrade when the good IRS should have been installed in the first place??

  25. report says: 14.1.0 – CCTV survey of drain runs, quantity 16, cost: £1332
    my comment: CCTV survey of drains were done on 9/06/2015, job # 4340705 – wasn’t it good enough or was it done at all? Why to do it again?

  26. report says: spot 420 – lightning conductor works at 1st tower block at Woodvale, quantity: 1, cost: £1713.97
    my comment: why are we charged for works in the block at Woodvale?? We are Bampton Estate!

  27. report says: 8.19.0 – re-pointing in masonry: existing brickwork: repointing areas exceeding 3.0sqm, quantity: 23sqm, cost: £714.84
    my comment: where are these 23sqm? Where is the problem with the brickwork?

  28. report says: 101907 – wall: cut out bricks from face of the wall, clean and clear away, lay up to 15No new facing bricks in cement lime mortar, bond, bed, point to match existing, quantity: 75it, cost: £2106.15
    my comment: where are the bricks that need replacemen? 2106.15 pounds to replace 75 bricks???

  29. report says: 6.12.51 – general repairs: former hopper and chute, quantity:10, cost £512.79
    my comment: waste chutes were already renewed during last major works, why do it again??

  30. report says: 6.12.34 – take down satellite dish and re-fix it, quantity: 58, cost £8,369.40
    my comment: I dont have any satellite dish, why am I charged for it??

  31. report says: 029305 – supply standard NO BALL GAMES sign, screw to timber, quantity: 55, cost £3260.77
    my comment: the building has 4 external walls!!! Where 55 signs came from???

  32. Replacing flat windows
    My comment: my flat has 1 balcony window, 1 kitchen window and 1 bathroom window, why I am I charged the same price as those who have 1 and 2 bedroom flats with more windows??

  33. Management charge: £2292.50 per leaseholder, (10%) , total: £275099.40 for three blocks.
    Can you please explain what £275099.40 consist of? Are you saying that the cost of your department is that much? Also, I looked in my lease and could not find 10% management fee, will you please clarify what clause of my lease requires me to pay 10% for the management.

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#21

(applause)
Loving your work, Kat!