Campaign to improve housing in later life
Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation has published a full list of Peverel’s retirement sites with links to contacting the constituency MP.
One feature that is immediately noticeable is that 73 per cent of retirement leasehold sites are in constituencies with Conservative MPs.
Click on link below:
Full list of Peverel sites with postcodes:
Better Retirement Housing, formerly the Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, exists to promote good practice in the retirement housing sector.
The elderly should be able to downsize, enjoy the benefits of stress-free homes, and live communally.
The advantages of this form of living to achieve mutual reliance and combat loneliness are obvious.
Sadly, the UK’s retirement housing sector has been beset with poor practice and has an appalling reputation. It has been the subject of critical tribunal rulings, two investigations by the Office of Fair Trading, and one Law Commission report.
It has also been debated in Parliament, and at the All Party Parliamentary Group meetings organised by the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.
That there is a problem is not disputed by impartial observers, although retirement housebuilders’ do their best to minimise the issues.
It is scandalous that the most vulnerable in our society have been beset by sneaky and dishonest fees widespread in leasehold, or systematically cheated, as the OFT found in the Peverel / Cirrus collusive tendering scandal.
However, we acknowledge that the retirement housing sector is varied and there are good operators within it. Better Retirement Housing is delighted that new overseas companies are moving into the market, and that care providers are producing housing solutions. This has introduced a welcome change of culture.
Nonetheless, the standard retirement leasehold flat remains a dubious proposition. It is absurd that it can be the single worst residential property investment one can make, with plummeting re-sale values bearing no resemblance to the local housing market.
The worst practices are made possible by leasehold tenure, and is widely acknowledged that in Scotland, where leasehold does not exist, retirement housing is more harmonious.
Better Retirement Housing aims to improve this sector and, with the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership, seeks to make reforms to residential leasehold law.
We assist with individual problems and provide an editorial service of the sector, which aims to be accurate and fair.
Sebastian O’Kelly
sok@leaseholdknowledge.com
Martin Boyd
martin.boyd@leaseholdknowledge.com
Press / admin / urgent 07808 328230
Latest news from Leasehold Knowledge PartnershipTonight’s Dispatches programme (September 24 2012) on retirement leasehold was a brilliant example of television journalism that was extremely critical of both McCarthy and Stone and Peverel. Peverel’s LVT defeat at the hands of
I live in a Managed Retirement complex. Are you able to advise on the situation where a manager of the managing company fails to respond, twice, to a leaseholders request to meet that manager regarding a subject of some concern to the leasehold. The purpose of the requested meeting to discuss, that whch I consider, a certain lack of skills within the management structure? My occupation over a number of years in industry included identification of staff training needs and recommened suitable training.
Thank you John
If your managing agent ignores your communications and if the service it provides is unacceptable or too costly, or if you just feel like a change, you may be able to get rid of them via a right to manage (RTM) enfranchisement process.
Sadly my mother Gillian Smith passed away on 2/12/13. She managed the site Homewell House in Kidlington from 1991, until ill-health forced retirement 5 years ago. I had a written response from Peverels and I have also emailed McCarthy and Stone.
It is not my intention to mislead anyone, but if a contribution to the Geoffrey Harris ward at the Churchill hospital was made, this would be very welcome.
We have been trying to sell my deceased sisters flat in Homechime House in wells for 2-3 YEARS. There are 11 similar properties for sale and probably more. The property was purchased for £92K and we cannot sell it for £69K. However we are still stung for service charges, rent, Councl Tax (at full price) I believe because of the greed of Peverel our properties may not sell at all. Surely it cannot be legal to create an situation where, because of the excessive charges we are unable to sell. Maybe if the properties are meant to lose money the SOMEONE can come along and buy them for a song. I wonder who that would be?????