As a result of the housing transfer program, all leaseholders that used to be represented by Tower Hamlets Leaseholders Association (THLA), found themselves to be lacking a united representation when problems started with the new landlord Eastend Homes. Leaseholders were not consulted for the transfer and they found themselves with a new landlord who was imposed on them.
Their numerous issues – most of them created by Eastend Homes – are not heard by the new landlord, because leaseholders are weak, fragmented and unrepresented.
Some of us had to go as far as the Leaseholders Valuation Tribunal (LVT) for Eastend Homes to accept its numerous errors in its service charge bills.
Eastend Homes has resisted the calls to create a Leaseholders Steering Group or Association, which will represent all leaseholders from all estates coming under its ownership.
This is despite the fact that the Council, as well as other RSLs (such as Tower Hamlets Community Housing (THCH)), have been operating such associations/steering groups for years.
It seems that the reason behind Eastend Homes opposition is that it does not wish them to be strong and united, having a single Representative Body, which will speak out for ALL leaseholders.
Instead, it is suggesting for leaseholders to participate at the various Estate Management Boards that has set up in each estate. However, there are two important issues that Eastend Homes prefers to ignore when it comes to leaseholders and Estate Management Boards:
• The first is that leaseholders’ interests sometimes vary from tenants’ and an EMB is not always the best forum to discuss
issues with the landlord, especially since these issues concern all leaseholders of its estates.
• The second is that ‘buy-to-let’ leaseholders are excluded from the EMB because although they have interests on the estate,
they are not residents. As a consequence, they cannot participate in an EMB, which is only for residents, tenants and
leaseholders.
Eastend Homes has arrogantly stated “EeH overriding responsibility is towards residents, tenants and leaseholders, who actually live on the estate rather than absentee landlords who rent their flats out to private tenants”. Interesting! Especially since Eastend Homes stills wants ‘absentee landlords’ contributions when it comes to service charges and major works bills.
Although there is a debate about Tower Hamlets Leaseholders Association (THLA) becoming a Borough-wide “umbrella” association, there is still some way to go to achieve this and surely the first move has to come from us.
But in order to do this, we, leaseholders from all Eastend Homes estates, should come together and join our voice and our strength. Only then, we can make a change.
The formation of Holland Estate Leaseholder & Tenants Association is definitely good news and follows similar moves made two years ago by leaseholders at Island Gardens (EastendHomes Leaseholders Association) and St Georges Estate (St Georges Estate Leaseholders Action Group). I am aware that Glamis Estate does not have a leaseholders association yet and I am not sure what the situation is at Mile End Street estates.
Island Gardens and St Georges estates share similar views in getting all estates together and I wonder if leaseholders from other Eastend Homes estates share our views.
If so, I would suggest making contact with us at:
[email protected] or [email protected]
I believe that this website is the most suitable to make this appeal as I discover that it has gained a lot of momentum since it was created and addresses the concerns of many leaseholders/residents irrespective of which Eastend Homes estate they come from.
Many thanks,
St Georges Estate Leaseholders Action Group (SGE-LAG)
See also here EeHlfa – Borough-wide Leaseholders group
11 thoughts on “United We Are Stronger”
Some of you say that leaseholders have taken Eastendhomes to the LVT? I can only see one case on the LVT (Julian Place) where the leaseholder was told that the services were reasonable and so had to pay his charges. It said that Eastendhomes had taken the leaseholder there. Where are the other cases please where we (leaseholders) have taken Eastenhomes and that they had ‘lost’ the case? I would just like to see what the disputes are.
Thank you
You have got your information wrong my friend, I know personally three EEH leaseholders who are at LVT, and one contesting a court case. The three people I know at LVT are in the “pre-trial” period, and I believe the actual cases are coming up in September. It is possible that you have got the “verdict” information, and not the cases awaiting LVT.
Webmaster: If you read this how about an information section on how to take your landlord to LVT and if your Landlord takes YOU to LVT. It really is serious as many leaseholders would find it daunting without the correct information.
JW
I agree with JW. I know of at least one leaseholder from The Island Estate, one from Glamis Estate and one from St Georges Estate who have taken EeH to the LVT for unreasonable and erroneous service charge statements. So far no formal decision has been issued by the LVT, but at least in one of the cases EeH has already conceded some of the erroneous charges prior to the LVT’s decision.
Applogies, I should’ve informed you guys the outcome of my case, basically I won.
Prior to the hearing (on the day of hearing) EEH came to agreement that disputed amount (unreasonably incurred since East End homes took over from Tower Hamlets) will not be demanded by EEH. On this basis the Tribunal recorded the sums already paid by me for the years in dispute are accepted by EEH in full and final settlement of the service charges demanded. EEH would also pay my cost.
Congratulations Manchester Road. Now the question is – How can EEH justify the costs of the case,and others, THEY don’t pay, we will, as they will be added to our service charges! EEH legal fees must be enormous, those legal fees should be used for funding a leasehold/landlord arbitation scheme. If we had that there shouldn’t be a need to take them to LVT. Your LVT could never have happened if EEH had an arbitration service.
Once again – Well done!
‘EEH legal fees must be enormous’…must they, indeed? Did anyone know that EEH use the publicly funded London Borough of Tower Hamlets legal services team for their machinations? If East End Homes is ‘East End Homes LIMITED’ why is the Borough – the residents, that is – allowing its legal services department to do legal work for a private limited company? Does anyone seriously imagine that EEH senior management gives a monkey’s for legal charges when both EEH residents and LBTH residents will foot the bills? If EEH is also a registered charity how does its management reconcile its financial profligacy with its legal duties? Does anyone really know how the boys at the top are spending public money? Has anyone seen audited and itemised expenses claims, for instance? I have asked for them but Paul Bloss refuses to answer and he got the Council’s legal department to write to my Solicitor asking him to stop my contacting EEH and the Council to ask questions! My reply is freely available to any who want to see and read it. There is nothing either secret or confidential about it so read it if you will. Both EEH and LBTH residents in general are being played for fools by all these people. Woe betide anyone who gets in their way or becomes a nuisance. Fool us once, shame on them. Fool us twice, shame on us! The real question is this: are we content to be fools not for God but for the likes of EEH’s management and staff? Russell Berry, Glamis Estate
Russell. Your article was fantastic, you think exactly the way that many of us do. EEHLFA desperately needs people like yourself that are fighting the fight against EEH failures alone. I am a huge target for EEH, like you asking awkward questions, but EEH are a brick wall, we are sh*t to them! Yet we are their stakeholders. Without us they wouldn’t be.
Have you got an email address for us? Also the Glamis branch of EEHLFA will be launching 0n Monday 14th. December @ 7pm in the Glamis Hall, You will be extremely welcome.
John Wright
PS> Did you and your father used to come to the old GTRA meetings? Things have changed a lot now re meetings.
Dear John
Thank you for your encouraging comment.
My father used to attend meetings but I never did.
I am very sure that EEH has no sincere regard for the residents. The attitude of the people in the Glamis Estate Office speaks for East End Homes and was described to me this very morning as “at best indifferent and at worst patronising and impatient”. I am inclined to wonder what makes any of the Glamis estate office staff think they are so special. My knowledge of two of them is not at all encouraging and tends to suggest that we would be beter of without them and that, perhaps, we may begin to make things better by mucking out the EEH stables.
I am beginning a new forum discussion entitled ‘Who is Paul Bloss?’. Please watch out for it in the next few days and encourage people to read it and to contribute. It would be helpful to avoid venting anger in this proposed new Forum since I intend it to serve us all and everyone who does not know who Paul Bloss is, what he has done and what qualifies him to rule our lives.
If I can be of any small help in the TRA I will happily and eagerly give it. East End Homes, from top to bottom, needs determined and unswerving scrutiny and validation. EEH may not rule our lives – we, on the other hand, must make it clear that we shall from now on always and in all cases use every legal avenue at our disposal to force clarity and accountability into the ‘system’ that EEH uses to run itself. When we are sure that we have imposed a regime of unimpaired transparency we will then be able to think about trusting EEH. At present, that is completely impossible.
My email is [email protected]. Please make contact, John. I will be happy to serve the people in bringing order and reason to what goes on around us.
RUSSELL BERRY
Which two members of staff are you refering too? I haver always had good relations with the staff at Glamis.
I might answer that if I knew who you were but I cannot answer questions from unknown origins, sorry. All will be revealed in time – watch this space
It would perhaps be useful, before we enumerate East End Homes’ virtues and achievements, for us to know who PAUL BLOSS is. This is the man who is ensconced at the top of the pile. This is the man who is responsible for the decisions that affect our lives. This is the man who gives the lead and sets the tone for our employees – yes, they really are OUR employees, paid to serve us, however much it may be unpalatable as statements go.
I do not know who our glorious leader is. He is a complete mystery to me. To me he may well be a demi-god who from time to time deigns to attend to business brought to his notice. My understanding of the identity and character of Paul Bloss is vague, hazy, unclear, confused and inadequate. To me Paul Bloss is quite a mystery, almost an enigma.
Many seem to sympathise or empathise with my genuine state of ignorance as far as Paul Bloss is concerned. I am sure from my own casual conversations that many intelligent and vital people on the Glamis Estate do not have a clear idea of who Paul Bloss is. The same goes for the others – we must examine them all, one by one, and scrutinise them so we may better appreciate and know their worth – but we should start with Paul Bloss, our own Big Brother.
Please contribute positively and using due self-control as to language. We need to know Paul Bloss in order to understand Paul Bloss and since so very few appear to understand him at all we should pool our knowledge here.