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A city council that charged the leaseholder of a flat for improvement works to their block despite it being funded by a community energy grant has lost a court battle.   Sheffield City Council challenged an earlier tribunal decision in the Court of Appeal which ruled it could not bill the leaseholder for the cost of the work that had been covered by the grant, as it amounted to "double recovery".    The court heard that the council had overhauled blocks on two social housing estates, and had struck an £2.

Property managers must start to build trust with their customers and stop hiding behind the complexities of contracts, legalities and liabilities when dealing with tenants, a briefing paper has demanded.   The paper by property management group FirstPort Property Services was released last month for an audience of leading residential property management professionals.  Co-hosted with The Institute of Customer Service and Four Seasons Hotels, the meeting was told that property managers should shift the ser

Two teenagers sadly died when the bottom of a glass state-of-the-art lift at a block of luxury flats caved in.   The couple, both aged 17, had just stepped into the elevator on the ninth floor of the Madrid block when the lift mysteriously gave way.   Initial reports suggest the sides and floor of the lift were constructed of glass and one of the panels shattered or dropped out last month.   As a result, the teenagers plummeted down the shaft and died as a result of multiple injuries.   Authorities say th

Nationwide Building Society has a portfolio of ground rents worth more than £54m – despite it publicly attacking builders who sell freeholds, it has been claimed.    There has been a groundswell of opinion against developers over the past couple of years for selling freeholds to investors. The issue has been discussed in Parliament over the past six months and following media reports earlier this year, the building society attacked investors for charging exorbitant ground rents. However, its own staff-pen

Alex Greenslade, Chairman of enfranchisement experts Leasehold Solutions, collected the Outstanding Achievement Award at this year's prestigious Enfranchisement Right to Manage Awards (ERMAS) 2017. ERMAS 2017 took place at London's exclusive 8 Northumberland Avenue, and recognised professional excellence in leasehold reform and enfranchisement. Awarded to industry professionals working in enfranchisement or right to manage, the Outstanding Achievement Award recognises those individuals who have made an ex

In the light of the horrific fire in West London in June, it is time to overhaul the fire assessment regime for flats says 1st Sure MD Paul Robertson The tragic event at Grenfell Tower will haunt many of us for some time. For those working in the residential property sector the fire - described even by the emergency services as “unprecedented” - raises a number of difficult questions. I have been asked several times in the last few days what insurers are going to do in response to concerns over the claddi

In the early hours of the morning of Wednesday 14th June 2017 a fire started in a fourth floor flat within Grenfell Tower, West London. The numbing and harrowing events that unfolded in the short time after shocked the world and perhaps led us all to question our confidence in the safety of our built environment.   The live images were broadcast as we watched in horror, agonising for those trapped and witnessing homes and lives consumed by fire.   We are all fortunate enough to live in a world where such

The recent fire in Grenfell Tower in West London provoked a lot of comments in the media. A thought should be shared with those affected, as losing a loved one must be the most unsettling of events that anyone can suffer. This impact on individuals will remain for the rest of their lives, long after the public outcry has passed and is without measure the most significant impact of this fire.   For the moment a lot is written about the events, its causes and what the fallout might be. This will be a comple

Bolt Burdon Solicitors are hosting a panel drawn from across the property sector for a discussion about valuation pitfalls under the 1967 and 1993 Acts and how to avoid valuation negligence claims.  The panel includes:  Nicola McQuillan, Senior Solicitor at Bolt Burdon Solicitors, specialising in leasehold negligence  Piers Harrison, Barrister at Tanfield Chambers and author of Leasehold Enfranchisement Law and Practice  Mark Wilson, Managing Director of MyLeasehold Ltd and a founding member of ALEP 

Housing and building experts will face many months of questions in the wake of the tragic Grenfell Tower blaze.   As the horrific images were being broadcast, the finger of blame was being pointed at the building’s recent refurbishment – where cladding that had been fitted appeared to fuel the flames.   The cladding is not the only question that the public and authorities will ask for the inquiry promised by Theresa May. The probe will need to answer the following:   Is there a need to retrofit sprinklers

A chilling blog written seven months ago by residents of Grenfell Tower claimed that only a “catastrophic event” would highlight the “dangerous living conditions” at the 24-storey block.   Survivors of the disaster told journalists that they had raised a host of concerns about the risk of fire – particularly that there was only one escape route – but they were “brushed away” by the council’s tenant management organisation.   They said fire risk concerns about the placement of boilers and gas pipes; the ab

Several people have been killed in a huge fire at a block of flats in West London. The tower block is 24 storeys high and contains 120 apartments. The fire started in the early hours of Wednesday morning. London ambulance service said they were called at 1.29am and 20 crews raced to the scene. The London Fire Brigade (LFB) have confirmed there have been “a number of fatalities” and at least 50 people have been taken to the hospital so far, according to London Ambulance Service. One resident said he only d