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For the first time ever, the most influential people in the residential leasehold property sector are identified.  The list contains a mix of leasehold campaigners, Parliamentarians, trade and professional bodies, managing agents, building owners, investors, developers, valuers, and lawyers amongst others.   Entries have been gathered subjectively according to our knowledge and experience of the industry and are arranged in alphabetical order by name.   James Agar Investment Director Braemar Estates

QUESTION Dear Sir We currently clean several blocks, on a sub contract basis, so have experience and testimonials from our work for the last few years. Our portfolio ranges from residential to heavy used student areas where the blocks are like halls of residence but treated worse. We also provide pre and end tenancy cleaning for leading high street letting agents. I would like to hear what management companies look for and see as the best approach for new business contracts? Our website is being up

QUESTION Dear Sir Have any of your subscribers had issues with controlling parking? I have 1 resident refusing to stop parking on our road, despite deeds saying not to obstruct/all have assess to pass; letters,bringing in ticketing company, Inc.solicitor letter! Any advice would be much appreciated! Name Withheld ANSWER Parking issues can be very tricky. The first place to look is the lease to see what provision is made for parking or access and the recourse available to the landlord/management comp

At first blush, the Supreme Court’s decision in Daejan v Benson may have appeared to be a disappointing result for tenants, confirming that the LVT must focus on whether the tenants suffered actual prejudice and placing the onus on the tenants to prove that prejudice. Few are likely to deny that the case is welcome news for landlords. But could the case in actual fact be helpful for tenants? One of the main stumbling blocks for tenants in pursuing a claim against the landlord is undoubtedly the costs in

Landlords,  property managers, tribunals and, yes, lawyers are all still getting to grips with the implications of the much-discussed Phillips & Goddard v Francis case. Following this decision, managing agents have quickly found that, without the ability to separate out both proactive and routine work into individual projects, the statutory recovery limit of £250 per leaseholder is being reached all too quickly. Although permission to appeal the High Court decision has been sought, this could take six m

Nikki Lynds-Xavier has joined Winckworth Sherwood, bringing more than 17 years’ experience in social housing management, litigation and regulation, having built and led the successful social housing team at Clarke Willmott and developed the social housing and local authority client base at Coffin Mew. Nikki also brings to the role considerable experience outside of the law, having worked for Sir Gerry Robinson as an investment adviser and establishing her own company, Xavier Athletica, a premium British

Specialist property litigation firm Brady Solicitors has marked its fifth birthday with the appointment of five property management specialists to its 24-person-strong Nottingham team. Established in March 2008 by property litigation lawyer Clare Brady, the firm has established itself as one of the UK’s leading law firms in the property management sector, with a recognised specialism in service charge recovery and related disputes. Dispute resolution specialist Liz Rowen has joined Bradys from SLC Solicit

Douglas & Gordon are re-branding their block management business as, “D&G Block Management” following a strategic review.  Positioned within a large estate agency, clients may not perceive block management as a core activity and believe that “specialist” block management companies with more technical skill sets are better positioned to meet their requirements. Therefore, to ensure the continued growth and quality of service of the Douglas & Gordon block management business, D&G Block Management has been

Riverside Plaza, a prestigious development of 80 apartments in Battersea, London, has succesfully acquired the Right to Manage (RTM).  The situation was unusual in that the leaseholders of Riverside Plaza jointly hold a freehold interest, but are tied to a tripartite lease agreement with OM Limited. OM Limited instructed OM Property Management Limited, a Peverel Company, to manage the development. The only way the leaseholders could gain control over management of their property and transparency over cos

RECENT RESEARCH BY E.SURV, the largest chartered surveyor in the UK, suggests that flatowners in England and Wales are at risk from shortening leasehold terms.  Richard Sexton, Director, explained:”Once a lease has less than 80 years to run, the value of the property begins to fall and picks up speed the closer it gets to expiry. The potential consequences are nightmarish. Both the lender and the owner can fall into negative equity, the property becomes unmortgageable, and is therefore impossible to sell

Places for People (PFP) have acquired the Residential Management Group (RMG).  RMG manages over 60,000 leasehold properties for housebuilders, registered providers, landlords, local authorities and residential management companies. David Cowans, Chief Executive at Places for People said: “We see strong growth in the housing and facilities management sectors. This deal coupled with our existing property services, will enable us to offer a complete residential management package to both the public and priva

The Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards 2013 (the ERMAs), is now firmly established in the industry calendar for recognising professional excellence in leasehold reform work. This is not only the 5th year of the ERMA’s, but also 20 years since the enactment of the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993 which has had a huge influence on this area of practice. This makes the awards this year extra special - and another fantastic reason to attend, even if you have not done so in the