CONTENTS
1 Newlon powerpoint presentation from 5th August
2 Consolidated list of questions for Newlon
Hello, here is a small update following on from the presentation and Q&A session hosted by Newlon on 5th August. You can download the Newlon powerpoint presentation here.
There is a consolidated list of notes/clarifications and further questions below.
As ever, if you find out any information that could be useful to the group, please email us: barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
Notes/clarifications and further questions for Newlon from Old Barnsbury Leaseholders following meeting with leaseholders August 5th 2021.
Please note, there was an action taken by Newlon also to arrange a further meeting with Newlon and Old Barnsbury Leaseholders (in person and Zoom option) to discuss the specifics of Section 8 of the residents’ charter and other questions raised/not responded to below. This will be arranged in due course.
Service Charges
- Do monthly charges relate to the cost being charged to the individual block plus communal areas you live in only vs wider estate in Barnsbury or beyond? Please can you advise which areas would be considered communal? For example:
- A car parking or refuse collection area in one area of Old Barnsbury, would this be considered communal across the whole of Old Barnsbury or just the adjacent blocks?
- Would Old Barnsbury leaseholders ever get charged for any communal area work in New Barnsbury
- Please confirm why leaseholders pay more service charges than tenants? We think this is because HA tenants do not pay for insurance, mgmt or repairs but leaseholders do but we want to double check this.
Section 20
Newlon was asked to explain why sometimes we receive Section 20 notices in Barnsbury for work or services which we don’t receive here. Three out of five recent Section 20 letters have not applied to us recently. The problem with the letters is that we don’t know which apply to us and which don’t so they have to be checked individually. This wastes time all round, including Newlon’s. This is an admin query vs anything about the contents, the letters need to be targeted.
- In future, can Newlon include in the letters which addresses/blocks/estates are subject to the costs/charges and stop sending them out to us if not applicable?
- Aside from the transformation work, when can we expect Section 20 notices for cyclical decorations? These are overdue and Old B cannot wait for the refurbishment work as the estate will get further run down.
- Invoices for Section 20 work can be issued up to 18 months after the work, do we always know exactly how much we will be charged before the work begins?
Old Barnsbury Refurbishment
Re. Newlon’s proposals for charging non-resident leaseholders transformation fees up to £50,000 for the external refurbishment work planned. Note: Section 8 of the Residents’ is Newlon’s text and was not drafted by residents and there was no or extremely little leaseholder engagement in it so it’s not something many of us feel comfortable with.
Also note that a recent purchaser of an Old Barnsbury flat has advised that no details were provided about non-resident leaseholders paying 20-100% of charges for refurb work and this has come completely out of blue and did not get revealed in searches. It was not explicit in the the estate transformation offer document either. The following are the current key unanswered questions we have:
- What happens if you are a non-resident leaseholder and sell your property and the new leaseholder becomes a resident leaseholder?
- Do the proposed charges for non-resident leaseholders apply only if people leave after the works are finished, not if they leave before or in the middle?
- What if a resident leaseholder becomes non-resident? Is that treated the same as a resident leaseholder selling?
- Hard to see how the cost of up to £50,000 can be justified for Old Barnsbury Leaseholder costs. What is behind this estimate/cap that Newlon has suggested?
- When does Newlon expect to know the exact costs which could apply to NRLs?
- If the Residents’ charter is owned by residents, why would Newlon’s proposals for charging non-resident leaseholders be included in it?
- If the Residents’ Charter is a non-binding draft document, how is it holding anyone to anything?
- Is the proposal that the Residents’ Charter becomes binding after it is submitted as part of the planning application?
- If so, will it become binding to the extent we can object to any breaches through the planning process at Islington/GLA?
- Would it be an ombudsman/service charge challenge appeal if there were Residents’ Charter breaches by Newlon? Islington Council would likely be concerned if commitments made at planning were broken.
- Is Newlon saying that there will be no Section 20 bills related to the transformation work for four years from now, i.e. nothing until at least 2026?
- What is Newlon’s proposed mechanism for charging the 20 – 100% of the estimated 50k figure if resident leaseholders move out or sell? What is the impact of the phasing of works on works on this, assuming that the planned refurbishment work will be carried out over several years, what timeline apply to the billing?
- There is no detail about the date for determining residency – what is this? And is it a snapshot date or one that gets checked ongoing? How will Newlon check this?
- Might payment plans for any NRL bills be possible or will bills have to be paid in one go?
- Are non-resident leaseholders able to opt in to the internal property refurbishments, paying for them but taking advantage of any economies of scale/shared disruption? We understand the resident leaseholders can, please confirm. Note: We are aware that the ‘up to £50K charge’ for NRLs proposed is for external common improvements only, not internal work.
- If Newlon moves the toilets in OB flats, the soil pipe will possibly cross the windows of the flat below contravening leaseholders’ right to light. Newlon is asked to comment on this please, will design of the refurbishment guarantee that this will not happen?
- Please re-confirm that Mount Anvil is not involved in the refurbishment of Old Barnsbury.
- Concerns over quality of work across the estate. What will be different this time for the work being undertaken? There is lots of evidence of very poor workmanship in the flats over the years to current work being. Newlon to comment please.
- How will Old Barnsbury leaseholders and their tenants be compensated for noise and dust etc during the refurbishment works? It may be harder to rent out flats with adjacent building work going on.
- What can be shared now about phasing for the Old Barnsbury work?
- Please confirm that Newlon has said that it will not buy back any flats from non-resident or resident leaseholders in Old Barnsbury under any circumstances.
Many thanks from your Old Barnsbury Leaseholder Reps
barnsburyleaseholders@gmail.com
Barnsbury Estate Leaseholders Group 