I suspected that Stevenage Homes overcharged for maintenance work last year. I have been trying to get some of the money refunded Some good news on this, I received the following email from Anne Hensley,

Hi Tim

As mentioned at the last meeting, the charge of £1177.41 is going to be removed from all leaseholders (pro rata) repairs charge. I am currently waiting for my manager to advise me with regard to the cost of the fire door to the electrical cupboard (£2428). He is investigating the cost of the door for me.

The removal of the first item will result in a credit of approx £26 to each leaseholders service charge account. Hopefully I will receive information relating to the second item under query before I go on annual leave next Wednesday. However if I am not in a position to give a final amount to credit to your account, it would be acceptable for you to withhold at least £26 from the amount due on the understanding that this will be resolved during April.

As you can see I’ve copied Angelina Romano from income maximisation in to this email so that she is aware of the situation and will not chase leaseholders if they withhold some of their service charges as stated above.

I will be in touch as soon as I receive my manager’s comments.

Regards
Anne Hensley

So that is probably £52 back from the extra money levied. Which is just over half.

The thing I found most surprising about this is that the procurement department could not justify these costs. I am pretty sure if we went to a tribunal they would have to do so, or we could refuse to pay anything.

It all sounds a bit chaotic at Stevenage Homes / Borough Council at the moment.

At least we can withhold payment until April, at least according to one part of Stevenage Homes we can.

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Stevenage Homes annually estimates the repair costs on our block of flats and adds this amount to the service charge.

But the actual cost of repairs usually exceeds this estimate. This year I queried several of the items listed.

I have been getting no where fast with this, no one else in the block appears to care too much about these large repair bills. Perhaps they have given up trying to do something about it.

The story so far

gold plated?

October 2008
I receive the certificate of actual costs for the service charge on my flat. As usual, the actual cost for repairs (£281.46) is significantly greater than the estimated cost (£201.88).

That corresponds to an annual repair bill for the block of £14073 instead of £10094. Over 40 percent out, and you have got to admit, those figures look suspiciously rounded.

On Oct. 27, 2008, I phone and ask for a breakdown of the “repairs”, which are sent to me on Oct. 29.

November 2008
On Nov. 4 I receive a letter telling me how I am expected to pay the extra costs incurred. The want the matter all sorted out by the end of this financial year.

December 2008
I try to match items on the list to work carried out in the block. I query some of the costs in an email to Anne Hensley on Dec. 7.

I received a reply from Anne on Dec. 9 saying:

Hi Tim

Thank you for your email. I will try to obtain further information on the items you have listed and come back to you.

Regards
Anne Hensley

January 2009
I receive a statement of account and a note reminding me that if I do not settle the account by Mar. 31, 2009 it could result in me losing my home. It gives a number to call if I want to, “discuss my account in more detail” with the Income Maximisation Team.

Not having heard back from Anne, I sent a follow up email on Jan. 19, 2009 saying:

Hi Ann,

Is there any further information on these doors?

Regards
Tim

So far no reply.

February 2009
I tried to contact other leaseholders in the block to see if they have been doing anything about any of this.

I get one response, from Denys. He is chasing other issues at the moment. There are quite a few it must be said. I will blog about them in due course.

Next week I will phone Stevenage Homes to see where we are with these doors.

I will also contact the Income Maximisation Team, as they sound so helpful.

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