Worthing flat-owner, John Fenwick, is to share his experience of recovery £137,000 from his landlord with other local residents at an event on 25^th July 2012.

The sum was recovered at a Leasehold Valuations Tribunal after Mr. Fenwick challenged the service charges which had been charged in his block of flats.

Mr. Fenwick will be speaking at Leasehold 101: Everything you want to know about owning a flat but were afraid to ask!

The event is organised by property publisher, News on the Block and is supported by the Federation of Private Residents’ Associations and Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.

FPRA Chairman and Worthing Councillor Bob Smytherman who will be chairing the event said:

“The Coalition Government’s policy to rely on self-regulation has resulted in a very patchy level of service to us flat owners with the sector relying heavily on the vested interests of trade associations who have a tendency to put the interests of their members before the flat owners that they are supposed to serve, equally there are some excellent property managers who see little or no value in being a member of a trade association choosing instead to concentrate on excellent customer service.”

“We believe the only way to get the ‘rogues’ out of the sector is to have a compulsory independent licensing scheme with a high minimum standard, along with severe penalties for breaches of those required standards. There are over 2 Million flat owners who need proper protection from the loopholes in the present arrangements and we welcome the LVT’s decision in Mr Fenwick’s case and would look forward to sharing these experiences with flat owners from the Worthing area and encouraging more of them to have an effective Residents Associations to hold their Landlord and Managing Agents to account.”

The evening event will provide flat owners with essential guidance regarding their rights, responsibilities and liabilities as leaseholders and landlords of residential blocks.

Flat-owners will have an opportunity to hear keynote speeches and attend practical workshops led by some of the leading practitioners in the industry.

Topics include:

» A keynote from John Fenwick, who led the residents to a £137,000 victory in the recent LVT case between Oakland Court Worthing Residents Association and The Oakland Pension Fund, and Sebastian O’Kelly, former Daily Mail Editor and co-director of the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership.

» The law on enfranchisement and the Right to Manage;

» Insurance Policies for Apartment Buildings;

» Managing Residents Associations;

» Understanding service charges and costs of major works;

The government backed Leasehold Advisory Service will also be running a one-to-one advice clinic where flat-owners can seek free individual advice in private.

The event will also provide a valuable networking opportunity for local flat-owners to share and discuss relevant issues.

About News on the Block

News on the Block is the leading publication in the United Kingdom providing help and advice to flat owners and professionals working in the residential flat industry.
News on the Block provides specialist help on matters such as troublesome neighbours, service charges, lease extensions, buying your freehold, health and safety, and maintenance. News on the Block distributes 10,000 print copies of News on the Block six times a year.  The magazine is also available as a digital edition.
News on the Block also organise the annual Property Management Awards.
Nic Shulman
Publisher – News on the Block
T: 0845 618 7746
Email: support@newsontheblock.com

About the Federation of Private Residents Association

The FPRA are a non-political, not-for-profit advice, support and lobbying organisation representing the interests of leaseholders for the last 40 years and our members include private residential leaseholders, tenants’ and residents’ associations and residential management companies as well as those companies where the leaseholders together own the freehold of their own residential block.

Bob Smytherman
Chairman – Federation of Private Residents’ Associations
Home (01903) 507073 Mobile: 07867 562538
Direct email: Bob@fpra.org.uk
Further information about Leasehold 101
To book a place please contact us directly.
Delegate places: This event is free for flat owners to attend

Gemma Crabtree
T:0845 618 7746
Email: events@newsontheblock.com