Forum Message

Topic: Pricey Bromyard House
Posted by: George Knox
Date/Time: 15/02/11 17:29:00

I feel sorry for people who are faced with tyranny of service charges. However it is nearly always mad to buy into a very large block rather than a small development.

So far as Social Housing is concerned I consider that Planning should take into account likely service charges when applications go in for new affordable housing and that the Council should refuse applications where those charges are not affordable for people who apply for affordable housing. Lift maintenance for example is very expensive and I don’t think affordable housing blocks should be so high that they require lifts.

Now that our Cabinet Member for Housing is on the receiving end on what he considers to be high he should reflect on what I say for the benefit of future affordable housing applicants.

He should also reflect on the increase of service charges for Council leasehold property in the borough which were raised so much this year. He should also reflect on how one off charges are collected from Council leaseholders when say a block of flats needs new fenestration or new roofs.

He should then explore his powers of influence over Planning.

Some time back Simon Hughes MP totally agreed with me that the way some Councils collect these one off charges is iniquitous. Gary Malcolm should also have a word with H Tailor about this.

For starters leaseholders should have the power to select at least one contractor to quote for works in competition.

I googled "Shared Ownership Tenants require service charge clarification" because Fred's link did not work for me.

P.S.

For people on Benefits or CLOSE to being eligible for Benefits please note that dependent on this and that, you may well be eligible for extra Benefits towards the cost of both mortgage interest AND/OR service charge payments. Such costs can take you into the realms of Benefits which would not happen if there was no Mortgage or Service Charges. This is a little known area of law. The law is different dependant on age and there are other ifs and buts. For one off payments mentioned above you may have to threaten Tribunal proceedings to get some financial help. That is stuff for the specialists.

The following website would give you some clues on eligibility but by no means the definitive answer. You don't have to say who you are. A cost free CAB check would give you chapter and verse.

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx


Entire Thread
TopicDate PostedPosted By
Bromyard House15/02/11 15:26:00 Fred Bray
   Re:Bromyard House  (Oooops !Links should work THIS time)15/02/11 15:31:00 Fred Bray
      Pricey Bromyard House15/02/11 17:29:00 George Knox
         Re:Pricey Bromyard House16/02/11 19:05:00 Della Bramley
            Pricey Bromyard House16/02/11 21:02:00 George Knox
               Re:Pricey Bromyard House17/02/11 20:30:00 Della Bramley
            Re:Re:Pricey Bromyard House17/02/11 21:16:00 Alison Cheyney
               Re:Re:Re:Pricey Bromyard House18/02/11 18:41:00 Della Bramley

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