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Nottingham Post
Nottingham Post
National
Joel Moore

Landlords fuming over £25,000 repair bill for Mapperley leasehold flats

Leaseholders who are being asked to pay thousands of pounds towards major works on a block of flats in Mapperley are furious about the charges.

Those who own flats between Woodborough Road and Querneby Road have been told they will need to pay towards external repair and redecoration work by the end of March.

The work will cost a 'conservative' estimate of £25,000, before VAT and additional costs, between 14 flats, according to a letter sent by the building's freeholders, Together Property Management.

Leaseholders claim this could cost as much as £3,000 per flat and that they were not given enough details about the repairs.

They say the company is attempting to bypass resident consultation in an effort to charge more money.

Together Property Management said it was in a "commencing exercise with leaseholders".

However, one landlord, who says the money will be taken out of the annual service charge in March, said it was "too late".

Stuart Powell, who owns and rents out one of the flats, compared it to "extortion".

"It's a bit of a scam," the 42-year-old Londoner told Nottinghamshire Live.

"They can terminate the lease, it's like an extortion. They are preying on people who have not got the education or finances to fight it.

"If you let bullies bully you, they're not going to stop. Some people are just not going to be able to afford that. There are some single mothers living there that are going to be crippled."

The back entrance to the properties off Querneby Road (Joel Moore/ Nottingham Post)

Marcus Parejo, who lets out one of the flats to a friend, said he thinks the company had gone about business in a "very crafty and tactical" way.

"For everyone to pay this, it's a bit of a tall ask," said the 53-year-old from Gamston.

A spokeswoman for Together Property Management said: "An initial letter regarding these proposed works was issued to leaseholder on 10 September 2021 and indeed has resulted in initial observations.

"We are commencing a consultation exercise with leaseholders under Section 20 of the Landlord & Tenant Act at which point leaseholders will be invited to comment, scrutinise, and put forward their own contractors to tender for the works that are necessary.

"As we were due to issue the budget for the forthcoming service charge year, an estimate will be included based on the initial feedback of the independent RICS surveyor that has been appointed to draw up the specification of works and administer the contract.

She added: "This information was shared to leaseholders at the earliest opportunity to keep them informed before the issue of the budget and payment requests which are due in the forthcoming weeks."

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