Residents at Oakland Court, in Worthing, West Sussex, were told that “friends, relatives and carers” could not attend a meeting next week to discuss major works at the site. The ban came from Fryzer Property Services, but has now been rescinded after indignant residents contacted Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation. We in turn referred the […]
Bottomley tells BBC he will fight on for leaseholders
May 13, 2015 By
Sir Peter Bottomley, newly re-elected for Worthing West, told the BBC this morning that he will fight as hard as he can for leaseholders who have been ripped off. The interview on Brighton-based BBC Sussex also featured the retirement site Oakland Court where residents won a court case involving £137,000 paid in rent for the […]
Mounting concern as Hanover has sold 21 house manager flats
September 11, 2014 By
Hanover residents are becoming increasingly concerned that the supposedly not-for-profit housing association is mining value out of their sites by flogging off the house manager flats. Leonard Hackett Court in Bournemouth had its house manager flat sold in June for £105,000, while others report Hanover seeking planning consent to enhance value before putting the properties […]
Young barrister who won ‘legal torture’ case nominated for an award
November 2, 2012 By
The young barrister who represented for free the pensioners in the notorious ‘legal torture’ case at Oakland Court in Worthing is up for an award. Stephanie Smith, a barrister in her twenties, defeated Justin Bates, who was acting for the freehold-owning landlord and is a more senior lawyer in her Arden Chambers. Bates is an […]
‘Legal torture’ Oakland Court residents settle for £68,500 … but two of the original applicants have since died
August 24, 2012 By
Residents at the Oakland Court retirement development in Worthing today accepted a £68,500 settlement of their dispute with their landlord over the notional rent of the house warden’s flat. Sadly, two of the original applicants have died and three have moved to full-time nursing care since the application to the LVT was made in April […]
Stop this ‘legal torture’ of pensioners, says Sir Peter Bottomley
May 19, 2012 By
A senior Tory MP has today placed a post on the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership website to express his utter disgust at the delaying tactics used by the freeholder – whose legal team included Laceys, who proclaim themselves the “honorary solicitors” of ARMA – at the Oakland Court LVT earlier this month. Sir Peter Bottomley, MP […]
Pensioners win epic £137,000 victory over warden’s flat rental
May 17, 2012 By
In a landmark case, 40 elderly leaseholders have won an epic battle against paying for the notional rent of their warden’s flat through the service charge. Since 1986 this has cost the residents in Worthing, Sussex, £137,000. The battle was fought in the face of repeated delaying tactics by their landlord, the Oakland Pension Fund, […]
