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'Stitched up' over repairs to homes
8:31am Sunday 4th May 2008
Residents have accused a housing association of quoting them inflated prices for what they describe as "shoddy" repairs to their homes.
According to leaseholders, refurbishment of flats in roads off Quinta Drive, in Barnet, has taken too long, cost too much and is substandard.
Barnet Homes, which manages the properties on behalf of Barnet Council, commissioned a social housing contractor to carry out the renovations, including asbestos removal, decorating and replacing windows.
Leaseholders, who will be billed on completion, fear the costs will be unduly high and have asked for a review by the Leaseholders Valuation Tribunal, an independent government body which resolves disputes over leasehold properties.
Barnet Homes is disputing the allegations and a pre-trial review, where residents' concerns will be outlined, is scheduled for May 14 at Whittington House, in Alfred Place, central London.
David Seymour, 48, of Denton Close, has secured a three-month freeze on any work while the dispute is ongoing. He claims to have found more competitive rates than those Barnet Homes quoted.
"We were told the asbestos removal by the contractors will cost more than £1,000, but a private valuation I received said it would cost around £800 and take just one day," he said.
"The agreed contractors don't seem to have been competitive. We are being right royally stitched up."
Elaine Luxton, 51, of Ryecroft Crescent, was quoted £4,500 for work including plastering, exterior painting, installation of new windows, asbestos removal and scaffolding.
"From our point of view, it seems very shoddy and they wouldn't have had to do this amount of work in the first place if they hadn't let it go to rack and ruin," she added.
"They have got the competitive pricing all wrong."
A spokeswoman for Barnet Homes said: "Barnet Homes is committed to ensuring the Decent Homes programme of work is good value for both tenants and leaseholders.
"We believe the costs are competitive, including those for scaffolding and asbestos removal at Denton Close."
Representatives from the company would be attending the pre-trial review, she added.
Your Say Your Times
All seeing eye, Barnet says...
3:55pm Sun 4 May 08
The workers from United House did not wear hard hats when working on the scaffold, and should have been thrown off site if Barnet Homes had bothered to monitor its contractors. Get some reporters up there now to see and take statements from tenants and leaseholders.
Barnet Homes shouldnt be allowed to palm off third-rate work to leaseholders and the paying Council Tax payers. Heads must roll. Ive heard all sorts of stories from across the borough of shoddy work from outside contractors hired by Barnet Homes. No wonder Barnet Homes cant get awarded three stars, when theyre run by a no-star management.
What Decent Home?, says...
2:15am Mon 5 May 08
Ask Barnet Homes why we never see the London Tenants Federation Newsletters and why Barnet is not a member.
It's Time all our MPs returned the good faith of their voters rather than insult them with their silence on this issue.
Harold, Barnet says...
12:53pm Tue 6 May 08
I used to own a flat that was controlled by them and the amount of my hard-earned cash that went straight into their account in return for precisely nothing was scandalous.
I paid £60 per month 'service charge' and the only 'service' we ever got was a kid pushing a fly-mow round outside once in a while.
No cleaner, no rubbish removal etc, but, more importantly, no explanation as to where my money was going every month.
My advice to all residents would be get together and boycott en masse.
What Decent Home?, says...
7:30pm Tue 6 May 08
What most of these TENANT BOARD MEMBERS seem to crave is a boost to their whole ego, of "I wanna be a SOMEBODY Director with a budget I am 'empowered'to waste without any penalty", because a sycophant will go that far, sod the rest. Some of the more recent ones to be "ELECTED" have been quite prominent on other community campaigns, now very pro-Barnet Homes and Pro Childs Hill ward Councillors who did nothing, but criticise the Barnet Defend Council Housing activists, opposed to creating Barnet Homes.
Camden did not go down this path and still get their homes modernised.
The problem is not now, but when the Decent Homes Standard is completed, there will be even less stock to maintain and manage,less government funding, THEN WHAT?
We have already seen what happens with Barnet Homes type quangos just down the road when they run out of money. The Federation on ALMOs has repeated so very often what their next steps should be.
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What Decent Home?, says...
12:25pm Sun 4 May 08
Some of these contractors were endorsed by Non Barnet Council Tenant Trevor Renouf Chairman,( maybe the previous Council Leader who briefly held the housing brief has a lot to explain about Mr Renouf's original nomination) and other Tenant Board Members, who Under Company Law and the Articles of Association are not really empowered to object to the Barnet Homes's Executives advice.Tenants are not allowed any comment at any board meeting. You tell us if the shareholders at a company AGM are not allowed comment. Check it all out of yourselves and scrutinise it.
It is this poor quality of Leadership and Ex-public sector Executives attempting to be Private Sector Managers that prevent the Audit Commission Housing Inspectorate from awarding Barnet Homes 3 Stars and access to extra funding.
The whole process needs a degree of transparency that is denied to all Taxpayers, Leasees,(a type of tenant), Tenants. So where is all this money going.
As soon as the Decent Homes Standard is fulfilled, Barnet Homes should be taken back into full Barnet Council control and accountability, albeit an efficient and cost effective management, given it's diminishing stock.
This constant 'Not Us Guv, it's them' needs to stop.