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Proposals to change government regulations on the creation of residents’ associations have received widespread backing. The key changes, proposed by Martin Boyd, Director of The Leasehold Knowledge Partnership (LKP), have been presented to Communities Secretary Eric Pickles MP, and are aimed at making it easier for residents’ associations to be recognised. One of the proposed changes is that residents’ associations can be recognised with 50% of qualifying residents plus one supporting the move, rather th

Local authority leaseholders could be protected against having to pay out large sums of money for repairs and maintenance on blocks of flats that councils carry out using government funding. A consultation has taken place on proposals to update Directions on leasehold caps, with two limits being recommended: £15,000 for homes in London and £10,000 for homes outside of London. This takes into account higher prices in the capital, and that the nature of the stock, with many homes in tower blocks, makes wor

The owners of 54 retirement properties have bought their village, neighbouring land and a derelict pub from administrators, giving them security and control over their living conditions. The Charles Russell property team in Cheltenham successfully advised the residents of Crystal Fountain Village - now to be renamed Woodchester Valley - in Gloucestershire. It is believed to be the first and only retirement village owned and controlled by its residents. Charles Russell began advising Crystal Fountain res

Almost a quarter of UK households have in the past suffered damage as a result of Halloween or Bonfire night, according to new research from Santander Home Insurance. The average cost to a household resulting from acts of mischief such as eggs being thrown, garden plants and fences being damaged, firecrackers through letterboxes and stray fireworks is £227. This amounts to £1.38 billion nationally.

An MP has hit out at current practices in what he calls a “flawed” leasehold sector. Speaking at the annual meeting of the Federation of Private Residents’ Associations on November 12, Sir Peter Bottomley, Conservative member for Worthing West condemned “criminal behaviour in leasehold, price-fixing cartels, cheating freeholders, exit fee fiddles, opportunist lawyers playing the system and feeble judicial intervention”. Sir Peter said: “Commonhold should be adopted. Forfeiture of leases should end. Lawye

News on the Block are proud to announce the winners for this years Property Management Awards. The winners were announced on the 5th December at a glittering Winter Wonderland awards ceremony and dinner. Please save the date for the Property Management Awards 2014-15 – Thursday 4th December 2014. Watch out for some new and exciting developments for next years event! Issue 70 of News on the Block will contain a special Property Management Awards feature. Please contact us to make sure you receive your

The decision by the High Court in Phillips v Francis, which has been causing alarm in the property management industry for almost a year, could yet be overturned after the Court of Appeal has granted permission for an appeal. In a decision criticised widely across the industry, The High Court ruled in January that, without appropriate dispensation, all qualifying works in a building are subject to consultation in advance if they will cost any flat owner more than £250. Previously, the accepted position w

QUESTION There are two flats in my building and a shop (freeholder). Never paid service charges as was not requested to but now freeholder wants to appoint a managing agent. Shall I consent to this and what would be the charges and should I contribute? Can my lease be changed if unhappy with something and what is the procedure to follow? ANSWER The rights and obligations of a Landlord are contained in the contractual arrangement between the both parties called a ‘lease’.  These come in all varieties, s

Opportunities in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) dominated this year’s RESI Conference 2013, held at the Celtic Manor in Wales. Attended by over 1,000 delegates from the property industry elite, RESI is the UK’s biggest property event. The tone was set by RESI Chair, Mark Easton, Home correspondence for the BBC, who said that housing will be a key battleground of the next election, because while homeowners are desperate for values to rise, homebuyers are desperate for them to fall. Delegates heard keyno

Property management and services organisation, the Crabtree Group raised £4,000 at their annual golf day held this year at Dyrham Park in barnet. The money raised was donated to the Willow Foundation, a UK charity that supports seriously ill 16-40 year olds by providing Special Days. The charity was set up in 1999 by former Arsenal goalkeeper and TV presenter, Bob Wilson alongside his wife Megs in memory of their daughter. In the buildup to the event, a number of companies were invited to sponsor individ

Addressing over 500 delegates at ARMA’s 18th annual conference, chairman Ben Jordan urged members to step up to the plate and come forward for accreditation. He said: “The future shape of our industry is in your hands. Do the right thing. Amend your business practices if necessary. Come forward for accreditation and make ARMA and ARMA-Q the success it deserves to be.” Details of how the accreditation process will work and what members need to do to prepare for it were outlined by ARMA’s chief executive,

Readers will be familiar from articles in previous issues of the News On The Block magazine that deferment rates are one of the key components required in the valuation of the landlord’s interest as part of the calculation of the overall premium payable for the lease extension of an individual flat or the collective enfranchisement of a block of flats.  To recap briefly, the landlord’s interest, before accounting for any marriage value, comprises the right to receive any ground rent payable under the term