Minutes – General Meeting 26 September 2019

Tanners Hill TRA General Meeting at Zion Chapel – Minutes

Thursday 26 September 2019, 7 – 8.30pm

Attendees:

Deloraine House residents: Gillian Lewis – leaseholder and TRA Sec, Block Rep, leaseholders – Beverley Knight, Robert Ridyard, Tom Deffee, Mendosa, Clayton, Louis Stevens

Heston House: Barry Still – tenant and TRA Chair, joint block Rep, Nuala Walsh – leaseholder and joint block rep

Florence Terrace: Vicky Yeardley – leaseholder and joint block rep

Tanners Hill: Naomi Groves – leaseholder, TRA vice Chair, leaseholders – Guy Bell, Aldona Cunningham, Ogden Hodge

Councillor Stephen Penfold, John Bardens

Apologies: Colin Connell – tenant/TRA treasurer, Frances Connell – tenant Florence Terrace, Ted Trott – tenant/Omega block rep, Laura Berman – leasholder/Heston block rep, Rosie – leaseholder Florence Terrace

Welcome and reminder to leaseholders that their Residents Association dues are now £7 per year

Agreed minutes 21 May 2019

Matters arising – there were no amendments, but all agreed that it is helpful to make the distinction between leaseholders/owner occupiers, tenants, private tenants etc.

Update re venue: Committee have approached John Kanerek, L Homes, re use of Deloraine 2nd floor Drying room as a meeting place for the committee, or store room, Cllr Stephen Penfold has been supporting this request. L Homes have said yes, committee will help with clearance of old furniture and cleaning. JK suggested it would be possible to install some services eg light and water.

Main Agenda Item – Decent Homes

At the AGM of 11/7/19, James Shaw (L Homes Dir Property Services) provided an update, (notes provided), leaseholders received the Bills at the end of July, many have already stated their intention to challenge some or all of the items on the grounds that the work was poorly done, not done, should not have been done etc.

Nuala reported that she attended the ‘drop-in’ organised by L Homes, not many residents had attended but it had been organised at short notice in a holiday period.

General discussion re;

  • Class action/individual action or both
  • paying by interest free instalments
  • time period for Section 20 notices to be sent – ie within 2 years. Bills were sent but costs weren’t detailed
  • L Homes have made a written commitment (by ex CEO Andrew Potter) to fund the cost of Tribunal if no agreement

Nuala: Section 20 is hard to contest but I’m going to

Vicky: FOI request?

Beverley: I was told by a Solicitor that there were no o/s Bills when I bought the flat

Robert: we could enlist the support of our MP Vicky Foxcroft

Attendees grouped according to the block or Street to list the DH items that they are challenging.

ACTION each block or street to send individual and/or group emails challenging the DH Bills

AOB

  • L Homes repair to Moses window (Deloraine) means we can’t open the window but a robber can! It’s a fire hazard Cllr Stephen: there’s a leaseholder advisor service, you can book a free 15 min phone call ACTION – Naomi will email the link to the shared One Drive folder
  • LB Lewisham Tenants/Survey to improve conditions for private tenants and enforce good practice by landlords – ACTION Cllr Stephen to send info for Barry to put on TRA Web site

Meeting closed 8.45pm