More Bad Publicity For ‘Dribbling Geriatrics’ Firm
By admin | August 23rd, 2010 | Category: Past Articles | 20 commentsThere’s been further bad publicity on Consensus Business Group /Peverel associated companies and this time, its aimed at Fairhold, because a group of elderly residents discovered they overpaid in fees by £13,300 and today they go to court, to reclaim these fees.
If you can’t access the Telegraph website, we’ve posted the reported below, with a link to it:-
An elderly couple who were overcharged for their retirement home for almost a decade are fighting for compensation against a firm which once dubbed its residents “dribbling geriatrics”.
Don Houston, 77, and his wife Norah, 81, were among residents who paid £13,300 too much in service charges over nine years to Fairhold, the firm which managed their retirement village and is one of the largest of its kind in the country.
The couple have spent the last six years attempting to force the firm to pay back the full amount it overcharged them on behalf of the two dozen residents and won a ruling against their landlord in May last year.
The Leasehold Valuation Tribunal, which solves property disputes, found the Houstons had been wrongly charged and ordered Fairhold to pay back the money.The firm did not appeal against the decision but has repeatedly stalled the process.
It decided it was responsible for only six years of malpractice – overriding the tribunal’s decision – and repaid Mr and Mrs Houston just £8,000.
It then added its £11,186 legal fees from the tribunal to the couple’s service charges for the following year and sent them the bill which they were forced to pay.
Fairhold is one of the UK’s largest freehold owners of retirement properties. It is owned by Peverel Group, which claims to offer “a worry-free life for residents and their families” and owns 1,500 retirement developments.
Peverel, in turn, is owned by Consensus Group, a property and finance firm, established by the billionaire Vincent Tchenguiz.
On Monday the couple will appear before a judge at Central London County Court to try to get the rest of their money.
Mr Houston said: “It’s as much the principle as the money. They have little concern for the ability of the residents to meet the bills, we are just there to generate profit.”
In November Ian Rapley, a Peverel spokesman, told the BBC that complaints against the actions of his company came from a minority of “serial complainers” – and used the term “dribbling geriatrics” in describing residents living in the retirement villages Peverel manages.
Neither Fairhold or Peverel were available for comment.
You can view the whole article on the Telegraph website, by clicking ‘Elderly couple in court row with “residents dribbling geriatrics” firm‘
It wasn’t surprising to hear that Fairhold or Peverel we unavailable to comment, seems to be a common response to ‘bad publicity’.
Put solitaire property management into Google and TTAS is right up there in no. 2 spot behind Solitaire’s own official corporate web site! That in itself should hurt their business enough let alone without bad publicity in the national press like the above story which they seem to attract with ease! When Will They Learn indeed?
The page has gone off the Telegraph web site…
Here is a link to the Tribunal case http://www.rpts.gov.uk/Files/2009/December/D_50002QZ6.pdf
They will never learn because the only thing they care about is the bottom line.
That poor couple spending the last 6 years of their life fighting for justice, hang your head in shame peverel, fairhold, solitaire, shocking, unprofessional, crass, cheap behaviour, but, not surprising given the emails from the public to TTAS.
Long overdue for the Government to get involved and sort this
sorry mess out with Management Companies.
Their is a very interesting article in The Times today concerning our friend MR Tchenguiz. It would appear he is sinking deeper and deeper. The Kaupthing Bank Auditors are attempting to seize all his assets. I presume this would include Peverel.
Things are getting very interesting at Ravenscroft.
I have been told that shortly our accounts will be taken off hold.
I have been told that since E&M are communicating with me all is well. I have ben told i must not speak to my Property manager.
I have been told that the cracks in the brickwork were caused by subsidence, not the cherrypicker as i thought, but the damage to the lawns and paving slabs were due to the cherry picker.
As i have always stated to Peverel, let a judge decide. You present your evidence, i will produce mine.
You shouldn’t have any trouble if you do get them into court Michael. In my experience, they’re fairly inept when it comes to talking to a judge. Virtually a month since I was in front of a judge and they still haven’t paid out. On Friday I will be sendiing them my own demand. 2 weeks after they’ll get my Final letter before action. 2 weeks after that I’m going to money claim online.
Jason, that’s certainly more notice than Solitaire usually give their ‘customers’ for not paying on time! And they usually slap on late payment admin charges and Debt Collection Agency (who are part of the same Group of companies!) charges and fees too! Will you also be adding out of pocket expenses to your claim too?
I wonder why they removed the page from The Telegraph? Complaints from CBG perhaps?
Bushbrother,
Yes it is strange about the Telegraph removing the article though I would have thought (hoped!) that even if CBG did complain to them that they ‘would have done the right thing’ and ‘stood their ground’ for the rights of the consumer (an elderly couple in this particular matter!) and kept the article available? Well done Admin for capturing it!
No doubt if it was the case that CBG complained they would have put the full weight of their ‘legal beagles’ behind it and maybe come up with a legal / trivial / technical point to cause the removal of the article? Still though the LVT – as highlighted by Arthur Dent above, which is in the public domain though maybe not as readily available to the wider audience than the Telegraph article – is damning enough to Peverel!
It’s an interesting read, the Applicants – Donald and Norah Houston an elderly couple well into their retirement years! Appearing for the Respondents: Paul Letman BARRISTER, Jane Caneham SOLICITOR, Ian Rapley (Mr. ‘Dribbling Geriatrics’ himself) and Kevin Barr Group Head of accounts at Peverel! So Peverel need a Barrister AND a Solicitor to ‘defend’ them (…or maybe to point out trivial matters in an attempt to steer the LVT away from the pressing matters at hand? Maybe get them off on a ‘technicality’?) If Peverel aren’t doing anything fundamentally wrong then why do they need such heavyweight representation? If the Applicants are to put the case forwards themselves then surely Peverel should be required to represent themselves too? To be able to ‘pull out the big guns’ against an elderly couple and then have the cheek to try and claim back their legal expenses (whether in full or part) when they’ve lost the majority of the case I find ridiculous!
Nirmal, If they don’t sing to my tune then they’re going to get hit with all sorts of charges. Not least, compensation for the indignity of suffering a CCJ, all be it very briefly. I’m very tempted to ask the judge, if it gets that far, to order them to write to every single ground rent payer andinform any that have had a judgement that they are entitled to a refund.
I guess it was the use of the term “dribbling geriatrics” that Peverel used against the Daily Telegraph’s article and thereby got it removed.
However, the article is still in the printed version of the paper (of which I have a copy). It’s on page 6 beside a large photo of Dame Maggie Smith, actress, 75 ( I was please to read about her recovery from cancer.
Will an apology or retraction follow in the paper I wonder?
Jason,
Nice cuppa! You don’t by any chance have a blend that lifts the spirits after reading the tales of woe and the dastardly deeds done to leaseholders, by any chance!!
Archangel,
I don’t see how the mention of the Ian Rapley “dribbling geriatrics” comment in the Telegraph would give any ‘ammunition’ to Peverel to get the article removed? That comment was made on “BBC Breakfast” TV (19-Nov-2009 – less than a year ago and what’s changed in their attitude?) and broadcast to the public! Peverel can’t claim that the statement is untrue as millions of people would have heard it ‘direct from the horses mouth’!
CBG may have apologised for the comment but that doesn’t mean they can deny that it ever happened or stop people from quoting it? (Unless I’m wrong, in which case I expect Peverel’s legal dept. to send me a letter shortly, probably along with their bill!?)
Now where’s that cuppa!
Hello Nirmal,
I take the point(s) you make. However, the article states “….fighting for compensation from a firm which once called its residents ‘dribbling geriatrics’”
If I were a lawyer, I would say that this could be construed as an incorrect version of what was actually said and by whom and in what circumstances.
However,the comment made on BBC TV last November has not been forgotten and will never be forgotten by me and many,many others to the permananet and indelible detriment of the individual who said it and the companies that he represented and represents.
“The moving finger writes and having writ, moves on…..can lure it back to cancel half a line.”
Oh dear – I think I need another cuppa.
Archangel,
Tea is all about relaxing and taking time to unwind. Sit back and relax and try to concentrate on the flavour of the brew. An Earl Grey is good as is our chocolate blend and the flavoured Darjeeling Greens are great if you like green tea. I’m just working on a project for a client who wants single estate teas and I’ve tried some fantastic Darjeeling first flush teas and an unbelievable Assam lately. I’ll be trying to get some for myself!!
Oh Dear I’m waffling.
Drop me a hint next time and I’ll add in a few samples to try out.
Archangel – agreed with your comments too, however Ian Rapley was on the BBC as the ‘representative’ of Peverel so I do not think that the Telegraph article is wrong when it says the ‘FIRM which once dubbed its residents “dribbling geriatrics”’ – indeed CBG would not have issued an apology had Mr Rapley’s comments not been representative of them?? Litigation Law however is a complex field and I certainly am no expert – this is just my opinion!
Jason, do you specialise only in Indian teas? I’m quite particular to a bit of Darjeeling!! Particularly when trying to relax after thinking about the mess Solitaire make of ‘managing’ our development!
Hi Nirmal
Yes, our business is purely promoting the brand on the website.
If you can find the about us page, at the bottom is a link to a site where you can buy from. Again, drop me a hint if make an order and I will chuck in a few samples for you.
Thanks to everybody who visits our website. Any mention of TTAS with the order details and I’ll try and squeeze in some samples on top of the order.
Admin – sorry about the blatant marketing here. If you feel it appropriate to remove the posts I will understand
Admin,
Re “Jason” – please leave his posts and posting sign in intact!!!!This contributor has given many viewers some very useful info and that special little “extra” that some os us have (inadvertenetly) found has added a much needed “lift” whilst reading about and dealing with these deeply depressing issues.
Nirmal,
I have re-read the original ‘Telegraph’ article of 19 November 2009 (still online) in all it’s gruesome detail and the ‘Recent Media Coverage’ statement isssued by Mr Keith Edgar on 19th November – I quote its opening paragraph – ” You may have seen a report on BBC Breakfast News this morning about service charge costs in retirement properties that we look after. The report was in some parts accurate but in other regards it was not balanced.”
That word ‘balance’comes up again – so I’m increasingly of the opinion that there are 2 key words in all these leasehold legal matters – “reasonable” and “balanced” – both of which get we leaseholders absolutely nowhere.
But back to the hair-splitting – I think I’ll leave that to the lawyers (its their job for which they are handsomely paid (as we can see from the legal expenses reclaims that are made at LVTs); but much more significantly I’ve no intention of making Peverel’s case for them!!
The inline link has been removed – a mystery for the time being.
The answer to the “removal” of the Daily Telegraph page?
Th the same paper dated 15th September the last item in the ‘In Brief’ section on page 13 states the following:
” Fairhold Limited, Peverel, Ian Rapley
Contrary to our article “Retirement village overcharged £13,000″ (Aug 23, Fairhold is not owned by Peverel although the companies do share a common owner. Ian Rapley did not describe residents of Peverel Retirement villages as dribbling geriatrics. He said: “They are not dribbling geriatrics, they are very aware of what they are doing.”
So there you have it!
So I suppose the fact that “they are not dribbling geriatrics, they are aware of what they are doing” justified bringing in 2 solicitors, 1 barrister, 1 company secretary and the head accountant to fight 79 year old and 81 year old Mr and Mrs Houston.?
“Fairhold is not owned by Peverel although the companies do share a common owner” – then why was Kevin Barr – Group Head of Accounts of Peverel Management Services Ltd appearing for the Respondent!?
This smacks of Peverel nit picking – I’m sure the Telegraph received an eloquently written letter from Peverel’s Solicitors (…if anyone from the Telegraph is reading this then it would be good to know if the remonstrative letter actually came from CBG (the common owner?) Peverel (the sister company?), Fairhold Homes (No. 4) (the actual respondent?) or ANY of their Solicitors!??)
This is how they ‘win’ some of their LVT’s – not by defending or justifying the nature of the complaint but on some technicality, I’s not dotted, T’s not crossed – why do you think they needed 2 solicitors, 1 barrister, 1 company secretary and the head accountant to fight 79 year old and 81 year old Mr and Mrs Houston? That’s playing ‘fair’ isn’t it!!? Crass is all I can say!!!