Trapped 400 hope Mrs May
A breakthrough
this week in the leaseholder scandal may
give new hope to an estimated 100,000
trapped leaseholders and particularly
the 400 Riverside Housing Association leaseholders in Carlisle.
The
breakthrough came when a major national developer
agreed to buy back some freeholds and axe their
ground rent clauses.
Countryside
Properties, which sold some of the freeholds on its houses to a ground rent
company has agreed to buy a number of
them back with a view to releasing homeowners from clauses where ground rents
double every 10 years.
The trapped 400 in
Carlisle got their properties from the city council and became Riverside
leaseholders 15 years ago when Liverpool-based Riverside took over the
council`s 8,000 council homes.
Since that time the
trapped 400 have battled against rocketing Riverside ground rent charges and other charges made more intolerable by a rickety
inefficient Riverside management organisation.
Several efforts by the trapped 400 to organise
themselves as a body in order to conduct the fight all failed or were sabotaged
by Riverside.
On two occasions, Riverside brought county court actions against
complaining leaseholders only to find that the judge threw out the cases and
added critical comments about Riverside
After years of
complaining and complete frustration, the trapped 400 managed to get the city
council to help. The the council brought in an outside expert who
addressed their concerns at a public
meeting.
Riverside reacted by
trying to distance itself and moved its
rickety leaseholder administration 100
miles- from Carlisle to its head office
at Liverpool.
It is in Liverpool
that Riverside`s long-distance
administration has continued. It is no more efficient than it was in
Carlisle and is possibly worse because of the remoteness involved.
The trapped 400 are now hoping
for help from Mrs May`s government which has recently proposed a ban on the future
sale of houses as leasehold, as well as cutting ground rents to zero.
The hope is that the ban will be extended to present leaseholders.
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803
Carlisle Tenants` and Residents` Federation publishes this blog. Information about the Federation is available on 01228 522277 or 01228 532803
