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This is the question that was asked at the ALEP Commonhold Lecture held in February this year. The outcome of the Government consultation on ‘Tackling Unfair Practices In The Leasehold Market’ states that the Government ‘wants to look at ways to re-invigorate Commonhold’.    This article looks at the background to Commonhold and what it is and considers why to date it has not been successful and looks briefly at the areas that may need to be addressed if it is to be made workable.   Background    The Comm

On the 17th May 2018 News on the Block hosted our Charity Powerleague Tournament.  This year the sun was shining and the competition was fierce.  Rumours of ex premiership footballers taking part swept Shoreditch and as the ten teams gathered Wayne Bridge arrived.  The companies supporting the event this year were: Braemar Estates, Deverell Smith, Earl Kendrick, JM2 Support Services, Lee Baron, Macdonald & Company, Strettons, PMR, Warwick Estates fielded two teams. As the temperature rose the teams got mo

A fire in or around a fridge freezer probably started the catastrophic blaze that engulfed Grenfell Tower, the inquiry into the inferno has heard. After seven days of tributes to the 72 people who died in the tragedy, the Grenfell Tower Inquiry has moved to the causes of the blaze and how it spread so quickly. According to evidence from Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, an expert in fire investigations and forensic science at Dundee University, the exact cause of the fire could not be determined but was likely t

A four-year-old boy who managed to cling on to a balcony at a block of flats after falling two floors was rescued by a brave passerby who has been nicknamed Spiderman! Mamoudou Gassama, 22, scaled four floors in less than 30 seconds to reduce the boy who had fallen in the French capital’s 18th arrondissement last week. The hero shimmied across a ledge to the child to safety in view of shocked onlookers below, including one who videoed the fearless event. It is thought the boy was left by his father, who h

QUESTION  Our Landlord does not issue the AGM minutes once the AGM has taken place to residents at all. Are they obliged to send the minutes to the Leaseholders/Tenants? Can I request a copy of them? This is a private Company. Any advice would be appreciated. ANSWER The minutes must be available for inspection by a shareholder free of charge (section 358(3), CA 2006) and the shareholder is entitled to a copy of the minutes on payment of a fee prescribed by the company (section 358(4), CA 2006). Meaning as

Residential block directors are increasingly realising the benefits of investing in good interior design, both for the enjoyment of residents as well as the potential uplift in the value of properties located within the blocks. Sam Bheda, an interior designer, was appointed to undertake a major design and redecoration project for an iconic grade two listed 1930s block in North London. He explains the specialist skills required for the project, and the value the interior design has provided for the benefit

On Saturday at 9am of the late May Bank Holiday, a team of intrepid souls from Adiuvo, Earl Kendrick, Realty Management & POD Management set out from Richmond with the aim of walking to Brighton to raise money for Alzheimer’s (and the fun!).  Colin Stokes, Managing Director of Adiuvo said:  "We battled through the high temperatures, the rain, the electrical storms, ankle deep mud, overgrown narrow paths, insect bites, dehydration, heat exhaustion, too many styles and a heart breaking climb over the South

“Goodbye! We are now leaving this world. Goodbye! I hope I haven’t disappointed you. Goodbye to all!” Those were the final words of London chauffeur Mohammed Neda as he called his loved ones on his mobile phone, realising that he was not going to escape the inferno engulfing Grenfell Tower. After helping others to safety, Mohammed, found himself on the top floor of the block with no way out. His testimony was the first of dozens being heard by the Grenfell Tower Inquiry. Headed by retired judge Sir Martin

The government has pledged to spend £400m to remove potentially dangerous cladding from more than 150 high-rise tower blocks across the UK. As the first anniversary of the Grenfell Tower disaster approaches, Theresa May told MPs that councils and housing associations would be given the cash from Whitehall coffers to carry out the work. But government funds for privately owned blocks was ruled out. She added that it would be wrong if the cost of removing the cladding meant housing providers had less money

Newlyweds the Duke and Duchess of Suffolk will be spending married life in a 21-room apartment in Kensington Palace after it was given a major renovation. Around six months of work on Apartment 1 was coming to an end as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle prepared for their big day. It means the couple will now be next-door neighbours to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – William and Kate. The apartments are so close together they are linked by adjoining doors. Earlier this year came the first hint that Harry

A couple have been told they cannot turn the cellar of their maisonette into a room because their lease does not include the subsoil beneath the building. In Gorst v Knight, the court heard that Mr and Mrs Gorst wanted to increase the height of their cellar from 5ft to 9ft to make it habitable. The local council had approved the plan, but the freeholder was against it and this led to a legal dispute. A court has now rejected the plan because the lease did not include the subsoil beneath the building. Mark

Property industry leaders have urged the new Secretary of State for Housing to continue the good work of his predecessor in raising the profile of the sector. James Brokenshire was announced as the new secretary of state to replace Sajid Javid, who was named the Home Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd. Leaders from across all spheres of the industry encouraged Mr Brokenshire to hit the ground running and get on with implementing measures that were highlighted in last year’s housing white pa