City Heights Update
Following Friday’s LVT decision at City Heights, it has sparked an interest in media coverage and our source from City Heights has just informed us of the following:-
The BBC came to City Heights yesterday afternoon and did some filming. Our judgement is today all over local news and radio.
Peverel yesterday banned the BBC from filming on any land at City Heights owned by the Freeholder! So to get round that Residents were filmed walking around the communal areas!
As we have 999 year leases which allow us access and use of the communal lands which we can extend to our visitors; our visitors being the BBC.
We are currently trying to source links to the BBC content, for visitors to TheTruthAboutSolitaire to view.
It would appear that City Heights have certainly frustrated Peverel.
[ADMIN EDIT - 15 Feb 2010, 18.03]
As reported by TTAS contributor ‘Paul’, here’s the link to the ‘thisisnottingham.co.uk’ website, that features the report on the City Heights’ LVT victory.
February 15th, 2010 at 1:55 pm
So it would Peverel are starting to flap over this LVT decision against them? Good. Do they really think that by banning the BBC from filming (which it appears they’ve failed to do anyway) that they can somehow suppress this landmark decision…???
I look forward to hearing more about this. It is reported that it’s been all over the local news & radio – can anybody “in the know” advise on whether it will also be on a nationally-broadcast BBC programme…??? I do hope so.
February 15th, 2010 at 4:18 pm
I urge everyone to read the “Determination of the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal” at City Heights. (Available from Admin)
Quotes :
“The Accounts have always been in a mess.The Applicants have only been able to get access to the invoices etc.as a result of bringing the case.The Applicants went to the offices of Solitaire but were unable to obtain the information because of the way the information is held by the Respondents”
“The Tribunal find that the standards of the preparation of the accounts and the audit have consistently fallen below what is reasonable to expect”
“the sheer number of missing invoices”
“there are countless instances of the First Respondent (Solitaire)simply paying Invoices without any Checking”
Page 29 is a classic:
“The Tribunal find the Respondents accounting system almost impossible to understand”
Wonder if the boys in blue are getting interested?
February 15th, 2010 at 4:36 pm
I’ve got a copy of the City Heights decision sat in my Inbox, just waiting for me to get home to read it (writing this comment from work…).
The snippets “Francescc” has noted above are somewhat damning on our mutual friends… But, strangely, they come as no great surprise…..
It does make you wonder what state the accounts are in for EVERY other development Peverel (mis-) manage…??? They have been found to be VERY wanting for the City Heights development, so why should any other development be any different…??? Heads to roll in the Accounts department at Peverel, perhaps…???
“Andy” – do you have any comments on the whole City Heights LVT case…??? It’s now in the public domain, so there’s no need to keep it in-house any longer (i.e. no longer any need to suppress it…)…???
February 15th, 2010 at 5:42 pm
How about this for starters:
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/news/Residents-win-thousands-pounds-tribunal/article-1834675-detail/article.html
February 15th, 2010 at 6:05 pm
You beat me to it Paul.
Bound to be more media news yet.
Can be helped by sending the LVT decision to all the news editors.
Donal MacIntyre on Radio 5 should also get a copy. He’s done a programme on Peverel.
February 15th, 2010 at 8:26 pm
Does anyone know if a LVT can be carried out retrospectively i.e., after RTM has been completed? We decided against the LVT route as the Tribunal seemed a bit toothless. I’ve revised that view based on this! We’ve had many issues regarding the accounts and insurance – does pursuing RTM rule out an LVT? If not, I think that taking action against this highly dubious Solitaire > Oval > Zurich sideshow is the way to go for residents seeking concessions and refunds from Solitaire.
February 15th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Jon, a service charge application at a tribunal can be brought against the manager even if they no longer manage your property. The application is however limited by the Limitation Act (1980), which in most cases means a time limit of 6 years or sometimes 12 years.
February 15th, 2010 at 9:21 pm
Hi
just wondered if anyone knows if you can claim back ground rent after you’ve moved? we lived in lister house from 2004 to 2006. we had numerous arguements with solitaire and eventually paid up to them because we had to as we were moving. we had that many problems with that property david wilson actually let us do a part exchange as we couldn’t sell it.
any help would be grateful. Natycainn@hotmail.com
February 15th, 2010 at 10:07 pm
Natasha, If you mean them claiming back ground rent from you then as far as I am aware the ground rent bill stays with the property and so a new owner will inherit any arrears of service charges or ground rent. This is why the conveyancing solicitors always ensure that arrears are paid before the transfer of the title of a leasehold property.
February 15th, 2010 at 10:43 pm
Bella. We should milk this opportunity. May there be many more!
I will contact Daily Mail and Telegraph. They always like this sort of story.
February 15th, 2010 at 11:16 pm
Absolutely Paul……do your “worst” lol
Good idea to mention it’s one of Vincent Tchenguiz, Consensus Business Group companies.
The Times will eat the story alive as they always publish stories of his misdemenours. Never anything good about him or his family…….strange??!!
If they don’t get published duing the week, they could well make good ‘page fillers’ in the weekend editions.
Always a good idea to get stories like this to the editors by mid-week. Then they can do further research and interviews & decided to print by Friday or pass onto the week-end.
About time the tabloids started printing this & other stories. Peverel deserve it…..as they are soooooo scummy.
February 16th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
BBc East Midlands Today reported last night.
The beeb did a good an interesting slot about a third into the programme.
All those that have a media player can see it here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/default.stm
Click on the icon on right hand side of screen, “Watch” East Midlands Today and it will play last nights programme. The slot is approx 12 mins into the programme.