Contributions
541 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q With regard to the redress element, again, it is a small, individual leaseholder taking a ginormous freeholder, managing agent, or whatever, to court. There is an imbalance…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Can you tell us what is not happening? Halima Ali: There is no management happening at all.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q I hope you do not mind if I start by congratulating you on the work you have done with the National Leasehold Campaign. I know that my constituents in Warrington South have…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q What did the council say? Halima Ali: They just do not want to know, literally, because they are not regulated and it is not their concern. They just will not do anything.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q Having heard from some of our other witnesses, and from the casework that I see in my office, it strikes me that there is a lot of bad practice in the sector. We heard from one…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q It is one thing knowing that you have a service charge—when you buy a flat, you know that—but it is quite another when you do not know about it and it suddenly hits you after…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q I will be brief. Cathy and Halima, can I pick up on your point about estate management? Do you have any examples of members of your forum who are paying fees on a regular basis,…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q What should be happening? Halima Ali: It should be managed.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)No, that is helpful. Thank you very much.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)I am conscious of the time. Others may want to— Beth Rudolf: I know, but I was going to say that the commonholders did not complain about being commonholders. Some of them had…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q So when did you find out? Cath Williams: I found out on the day that I paid my deposit and went in to look at the extras list, which you tick to say, “I’m going to have carpets,…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)That is fine. Thank you.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q The Minister has just asked three questions to help the Committee; I wonder whether I can ask a question to help the Minister. Do you think that he should include flats within…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Yes, but tell us what you would expect to be happening. Halima Ali: The management company should respond in a timely manner, do the work and communicate with the residents. The…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q Sorry to interrupt. When you were buying your house initially, did you know it was leasehold? Cath Williams: No, there was nothing on the site or in the paperwork to say that it…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q So are there no other ways that the balance of power could be shifted to make it easier for the small homeowner who is facing the challenge of dealing with something that is…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q Have you talked to the council about its ability to be involved in this? Halima Ali: I have had meetings with the head of planning. I have raised so many complaints.16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (First sitting)Q I have residents in 40 or 50 homes on an estate in Chapelford in Warrington where not one of them was told about them being leasehold until they paid the money. Cath Williams:…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q The challenge that we are going to face is that we are going to build hundreds of thousands of homes over the next however long, and how those estates are looked after and the…16 Jan 2024HANSARDLeasehold and Freehold Reform Bill (Second sitting)Q I was going to ask you about that. Is the Bill sufficiently robust in that area at the moment? Beth Rudolf: No. It is wonderful that you are opening up the jurisdiction of the…16 Jan 2024