Leaseholders’ Representative Group

It's a little under four weeks since Keith Nails (acting chair of the Leaseholders' Representative Group) took the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust to a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal over unfair service charges.

The LVT must deliver a decision within six weeks of the hearing but said it was likely to be in four weeks.

Ahead of this decision the LRG is announcing its Annual General Meeting is to be held on Tuesday, 9th March 2010 at Walton Court Community Centre (upstairs lounge - map below).

For an update about the tribunal and how the LRG plans to go forward, we urge you to show support for this volunteer organisation and attend our AGM.

Also, elections will take place for the official posts in the LRG. We should point out that we have had some vacant posts to fill for some time, namely a chairperson and a vice treasurer. Please make yourself heard as soon as possible if you would like to nominate yourself or someone else for any of the posts.

Please arrive at 6.45 for 7pm start. Meeting ends at 9pm. Agenda to follow.

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Normally the LRG holds its committee meetings every Thursday week after the VAHT's Board meeting.  In June this falls on the day of the European and Local elections.  The LRG committee agreed to search for a suitable meeting room for Tuesday 2nd June but it has proven rather difficult.  The LRG officers have therefore decided to cancel June's committee meeting.  If there are an objections to waiting until July's committee meeting, please contact the Secretary via the usual methods.

Bucks Herald Advert

Fighting Fund

Tom Watt to stand down as Chair

The LRG needs more hard evidence from Leaseholders of complaints not being properly dealt with by the VAHT. And furthermore, extra leaseholder support is needed for the LRG.

Telephone complaint form

Recruit your fellow Leaseholders

By now (we hope!) all leaseholders should have received their final bills for service charges within the financial year 2007/2008.  I say 'we hope' because the postal service which the Trust uses has proven to be less than reliable, with certainly mine and my neighbour's bills arriving 11 days after the date of the letter; and the letter states that there is 28 days to pay from its date (15 Sept), which effectively means you now only have one week to pay! Early reports from leaseholders indicate that there are similar problems as with the estimated bills, i.e. differences in bill items and amounts with people living on the same estate and even the same block of flats.  Perhaps more worrying is that someone has been told they have paid £200 on account when they have not, and for another the bill shows nothing paid when they have paid something... even after these bills have been audited by professional, and no doubt expensive, accountants. If there is a problem with your bill, don't delay, contact the Trust now!  Use the complaints procedure if necessary so that your issue is handled quickly and effectively. We are collecting evidence so it would really help our cause if you could photocopy or scan the bills with discrepancies - send them to the address on our recent newsletter or e-mail scans to secretary@lrg-aylesbury.org.uk.  If you do not wish to reveal your bill please write to us with details of discrepancies or problems you have when trying to resolve service charge issues with the Trust. Checklist:

• Are you actually receiving the services for which you are being billed? Unsure?  Ask the Trust for copies of their invoices.
• Does your bill differ from those of your neighbours? Yes?  Take copies of the bills and submit them to the Trust with a complaint.  Remember however that the Building Insurance Premium for this period was calculated on the old method relative to property valuation; this is okay and will probably be different to the same item on others' bills - the next financial year's bills will base it on the number of bedrooms.
• Is the Trust legally allowed to charge you for all of the services? Be lease-aware!  Read your lease immediately.  Some of the billed items are quite vague so you may need to ask the Trust elaborate.
• Is there a discrepancy with the amount you have already paid? Dig out your bank records / receipts, you may be surprised.

CEO of the Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust, Matthew Applegate, gave the LRG some of his time at our last meeting, for which we are grateful. Many questions were put forward to him as you will read in the June minutes once they are signed off in our September meeting. One striking point was that Matthew Applegate is powerless to solve the problems that leaseholders are facing, and bring staff to account within the organisation, unless these issues are brought up through the "proper channels". Such is bureaucracy, you must play the system to get results! So, there is a Complaints section on the VAHT's website which says:

A complaint can be made in writing by letter or completing our complaint form below, telephoning 01296 732600, or in person. Complaints received by any of these methods will be treated in the same way.