Leaseholders face ‘devastating’ £20k bill for repairs
THEY ONLY HAVE YEAR TO PAY
It is an absolute nightmare. They could pull the block down and rebuild it for that much money Wendy Purdy
HOMEOWNERS are furious after a housing organisation hit them with £20,000 bills to carry out work on their properties.
Angry residents in parts of Edwalton say they were left “isolated and frightened” after receiving letters from Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing, requesting the huge sums be paid within a year.
People affected by the letters are those who own their homes in Alford Road, Greenacre and Wood View.
The demands were made through what are known as “Section 20” notices, a charge a freeholder must pay for the upkeep of a property.
Those renting in the streets will have the bill paid by another party.
The letters say the work will include roof improvements and among those affected is Wendy Purdy, leasehold owner of her maisonette in Alford Road.
The dispensing assistant, who works at Evans Pharmacy in Ruddington, said: “The way this has been handled has been horrendous. It is an absolute nightmare. They could pull the block down and rebuild it for that much money, without exaggeration.
“It has been emotionally draining. When we first got the letters I could’ve quite easily thrown the towel in altogether. You just feel so isolated.
“I am 60 this year and I need to keep my savings for emergencies. This home was meant to be a semi-retirement project and now it has all gone out of the window.
“At the same time, I love my flat, it is my home and I don’t want to have to sell it. It would be impossible to sell it now with a Section 20 over it.
“They are giving us a year to pay this money with absolutely no payment plan in place. I simply don’t have that sort of money and neither do I want to get into debt to that tune.
“It is just morally wrong and this awful chain of events has left many of us feeling panicked, isolated and frightened.”
Wendy, who has lived in the property for two years, said the issue has been “rumbling on” for a lot longer than she has lived there.
She agreed there is “no doubt” that work needs doing to her roof, but not for £20,000 per person.
She said: “How have the properties got into this state? Why is it now that they are having to throw £80,000 at some of these blocks?
“It has been devastating for us to receive these letters and it has had a devastating effect on our mental health.
“Everybody is very emotional about it and we’ve now got to collect the facts to legally
fight this.”
Greenacre resident Nick Wakefield has lived in his home for 25 years and lived in Edwalton all his life.
The factory worker, 54, said: “When a 20-grand bill drops through my door, what am I meant to do? Would they send bailiffs round if I can’t pay it?
“Ever since Metropolitan took over, it has been abysmal. I can’t tell you the frustration and the upset.
“I’ve spent months and months doing this place up. A friend of mine who is a builder has a house as big as this whole block.
“He said his whole roof cost £8,000. He said you could knock this place down for £80k.
“I plan to fight it, of course. Paying it is out of the question.”
Penny Gowland, councillor for Abbey Ward and West Bridgford North, said: “Metropolitan is a housing association and so it should know how to manage housing upkeep and repairs. It is completely unreasonable to land a bill for £20k (£80k for four properties in a single block) on residents’ doorsteps with no warning.
“Metropolitan should have been budgeting for this over years.”
A spokesperson for Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) said: “Ensuring all our homes are safe, warm, and dry is our top priority. After a series of detailed inspections and surveys, a number of properties in Edwalton require improvement works to be completed, including new roofs.
“We contacted residents in September 2020 to advise them that we were beginning the process of identifying contractors to carry out this work. This notification included informing leasehold residents, who own their homes, that in keeping with the terms of their lease costs for major works are recoverable from them.
“As a not-for-profit charitable housing association, we are required to recover costs from leaseholders for works to their homes. We have recently written to residents to update them on the estimated cost of these works after estimates from a number contractors had been received to ensure best value. No bills for leaseholders have yet been issued and these will not be sent until after the works have been completed. After that time, leaseholders will have 12 months to repay the costs on an interest-free basis.
“Unfortunately, financial regulations prevent housing associations, like MTVH, from offering repayment plans over a longer period.”