Feudal system for leaseholders

Published: 22 September, 2011

• LIVING in a modest one-bedroom flat in Camden, I find myself having to reckon with feudal-type relations between leaseholder and freeholder.

It appears the concept of a stakeholder democracy has not, penetrated this area of civil life.

Like many other leaseholders (as exposed by letters to the New Journal), I have been made to pay – or rather part-sponsor – the installation of Integration Reception System, at anything between £250 to £400 a shot (for me still an estimate). 

I do not object to Sky or people using it, but why on earth do I need to have a Sky connection in my flat, and pay for it, when I do not have any need for it?

Have Sky handed in sponsorship-money to Camden?

Did this then legitimise (or give rise) to an additional levy on leaseholders for something which many of them have no need for?

The same, but worse, happened with the replacement windows which had been put in my building.

People had no say in what was being put in and this has proved to be a further disaster area, for which a very high sum had been already levied.

The new windows offer no insulation whatsoever.

They allow heat and noise to travel freely in and out of the structure.

A new low-point has been reached with a payment demand of £1,345 for the prospective instalment of smart meters, to allow us to make “savings” (though no insulation has been offered with the new windows).

How can a meter which they say will save me money be priced for households at £1,345? This is the equivalent (price wise) of a full suite of energy-saving white-goods (fridge, oven, washing machine etc) or the equivalent of five new smart phones!

Can this be said to be a fair levy on leaseholders?

The whole system of Camden Council leasehold management practices are a throw-back to feudal times.

As leaseholders we “get” to pay, without fair representation, for council services and jobs several times over! We pay for the posts and the buildings in which they work through national taxes and through council taxes.

But then we get charged again through the vehicle of “management fees” which are added to our every bill.

In fact we get charged for council employees carrying out duties associated with their own paid posts, ones that we (as residents) have already been made to pay for.

Why are leaseholders turned into cash cows?

Why are council leaseholders, who pay for local government several times over, not treated as stakeholders with fair representation and consultation?

Such modern-day feudal practices are hard to understand. I hope someone from the home ownership unit at the council will take a minute or two of his or her time to reply.

All advice would be appreciated.

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