Following is a copy of an email I have just sent to Mr Alam, Contracts Manager of Camden Council having received his letter dated 13th July commenting on the ‘progress of the communal flooring works to SEC’. As you will gather, I am absolutely furious!
Mr Alam,
I wrote to you on 27th June 2015 and then again on 7th July 2015 and have yet to receive a reply or answers to the questions myself and other leaseholders have. However, I come home tonight to a letter, from you, which has been put through my door today regarding the progress of the communal flooring works to SEC and an opportunity to ‘choose the colour of floor tiles on our estate’ with a choice of three drop in sessions, none of which are beyond 6.30pm! Very considerate, not, as I like many others work and don’t get home by then.
So it appears to me that the fact that the costs have gone from an approx £1419 per leaseholder to £4500+ is something I and other leaseholders just have to deal with?! How disrespectful is that? Councillor Revah and Terry Wiggett is this how we should be expected treated? Are we just expected to pay whatever figure Camden decide to pull out of their hat? Do Camden think we are all lottery winners? Yet again I repeat:
* This would mean we have bills of £3500-£4700 for cold water pipe replacement, £2000+ for decoration of porches and £4500+ for flooring (should this go ahead). When will final costs options be provided to leaseholders and will this be prior to the work, be it cleaning or tiles, being approved?
I am disgusted and very, very angry and will be putting a copy of this correspondence up on my blog.
With this huge rise in costs I ask, yet again:
* How does the bill per leaseholder go from approximately £1419 each (in Dec 2014) to £4500 (in June 2015)?* How many of the 47 who responded are leaseholders?
* Given the astronomical amount leaseholders have only just been informed they are going to expected to pay (yet again) for this work, can we request another survey be done before this work is agreed?
* Given that only 33.33% of the flats in SEC actually responded to the survey, is this a valid enough result for Camden to go ahead with the decision to tile our porches?
* Despite an email from Mr Amal stating that the caretakers fee would be reduced due to the fact that he couldn’t clean our porches for months, my Service Fee invoice did not reflect any form of refund – where is my refund?
As this is the third time I have asked these questions, I (and the other leaseholders I have talked to) would like a response by return.
Kind regards,
Miss Pier Reid
South End Close
South End Close 
Something smells decidedly fishy here. Nobody I know is in favour of this flooring and everything has been presented in such a way as to maximise the flooring-tile proposal. By contrast, the pictures of the cleansing option were poor.
It also appears that no one at the Council is actually listening to the residents. Those that may have voted in favour of the tiles are a small minority of the total residents on the estate. Are we sleepwalking into an unnecessary cosmetic change⦠or being pushed.
The tiles are a needless expense to both council tenants and leaseholders alike – and all at a time when we are told that cuts are having to be made across the board. The mess, upheaval and inconvenience will also be an extra cause for concern.
Andrew Hobday
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I have spoken toe leaseholder services, a lady, called Candy, answered my call. She suggest me to witre dispute to leaseholder services. I have wrotten the following email to them:
Dispute to Contract 13/311 Communal Decoration and Associated Works
We, as leaseholders, have dispute with the above work. Please don’t start the work before the dispute is resolved. See the blog:
Regards
Yuwan Liu
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Hi, Here is the response to me from the council.
From: Ford, Rhianne [mailto:Rhianne.Ford@camden.gov.uk]
Sent: 10 August 2015 16:03
To: liu.yuwan@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Service charges – Flooring works dispute – Property reference 380
Dear Ms Liu,
All of the issued raised in Ms Piers blog have been addressed.
The answers to her queries are as follows;
How does the bill per leaseholder go from approximately £1419 each (in Dec 2014) to £4500 (in June 2015)?
There were additional works which you were notified of on the 11th June 2015. I have reattached the notice containing this information.
*How many of the 47 who responded are leaseholders?
17 of the respondents were leaseholders.
* Given the astronomical amount leaseholders have only just been informed they are going to expected to pay (yet again) for this work, can we request another survey be done before this work is agreed?
Shamsul Alam has provided the following comment in relation to another survey being completed;
“There are 140 flats within South End Close and at the time of the survey there were couple of void flats so these would not have taken part in the survey. All council tenants and leaseholder had an opportunity to take part in the survey. Three different drop in sessions were held in the estate to give residents an opportunity to attend the sessions to see a sample of the flooring and compare it against a sample of the existing flooring that have been deep cleaned before voting on their preferred options. We even sent letters out to those leaseholders who do not live in the estate as far away as Australia to ensure they take part in the process.
The survey clearly stated that if any residents who are not able to attend any of the drop in sessions and would like to view a sample of the flooring then the RLO would be happy to arrange an alternative time for them to view the sample. The drop in sessions were held in the estate to give as many residents as possible to view the samples of the tiles. We even installed a letter box within the estate to make it easier for the residents to drop off the voting form.
I do not feel another survey is necessary as we have given all council tenants and leaseholders an opportunity to take part in the survey and many residents have been waiting long enough for the new flooring to be installed”
If you want to discuss this further, please contact Shamsul Alam directly.
* Given that only 33.33% of the flats in SEC actually responded to the survey, is this a valid enough result for Camden to go ahead with the decision to tile our porches?
Shamsul Alam has provided the following comments;
“Everyone had an opportunity to vote and take part in the survey. There were three drop in sessions held within the estate and anyone who was not able to attend could have contacted us to view the samples at an alternative time.
Voting was not compulsory and I can’t force people to vote but only encourage them. “
* Despite an email from Mr Amal stating that the caretakers fee would be reduced due to the fact that he couldn’t clean our porches for months, my Service Fee invoice did not reflect any form of refund – where is my refund?
Any refunds or credits in relation to service charges will be applied when the final accounts are reconciled and issued.
I believe this answers your queries however if you want further information regarding the nature of the contract please contact the contract matter Shamsul Alam.
Kind regards,
Rhianne Ford
Collections officer
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Hi All
Here is the response to me from council
Dear Ms Liu,
All of the issued raised in Ms Piers blog have been addressed.
The answers to her queries are as follows;
How does the bill per leaseholder go from approximately £1419 each (in Dec 2014) to £4500 (in June 2015)?
There were additional works which you were notified of on the 11th June 2015. I have reattached the notice containing this information.
*How many of the 47 who responded are leaseholders?
17 of the respondents were leaseholders.
* Given the astronomical amount leaseholders have only just been informed they are going to expected to pay (yet again) for this work, can we request another survey be done before this work is agreed?
Shamsul Alam has provided the following comment in relation to another survey being completed;
“There are 140 flats within South End Close and at the time of the survey there were couple of void flats so these would not have taken part in the survey. All council tenants and leaseholder had an opportunity to take part in the survey. Three different drop in sessions were held in the estate to give residents an opportunity to attend the sessions to see a sample of the flooring and compare it against a sample of the existing flooring that have been deep cleaned before voting on their preferred options. We even sent letters out to those leaseholders who do not live in the estate as far away as Australia to ensure they take part in the process.
The survey clearly stated that if any residents who are not able to attend any of the drop in sessions and would like to view a sample of the flooring then the RLO would be happy to arrange an alternative time for them to view the sample. The drop in sessions were held in the estate to give as many residents as possible to view the samples of the tiles. We even installed a letter box within the estate to make it easier for the residents to drop off the voting form.
I do not feel another survey is necessary as we have given all council tenants and leaseholders an opportunity to take part in the survey and many residents have been waiting long enough for the new flooring to be installed”
If you want to discuss this further, please contact Shamsul Alam directly.
* Given that only 33.33% of the flats in SEC actually responded to the survey, is this a valid enough result for Camden to go ahead with the decision to tile our porches?
Shamsul Alam has provided the following comments;
“Everyone had an opportunity to vote and take part in the survey. There were three drop in sessions held within the estate and anyone who was not able to attend could have contacted us to view the samples at an alternative time.
Voting was not compulsory and I can’t force people to vote but only encourage them. “
* Despite an email from Mr Amal stating that the caretakers fee would be reduced due to the fact that he couldn’t clean our porches for months, my Service Fee invoice did not reflect any form of refund – where is my refund?
Any refunds or credits in relation to service charges will be applied when the final accounts are reconciled and issued.
I believe this answers your queries however if you want further information regarding the nature of the contract please contact the contract matter Shamsul Alam.
Kind regards,
Rhianne Ford
Collections officer
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