Camden News
Publications by New Journal Enterprises
spacer
  Home Archive Competition Jobs Tickets Accommodation Dating Contact us
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
Camden New Journal - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Published: 1 May 2008
 
When the ultimate price is losing your home

• CONCERNING your story (Builders ‘rigged prices’, April 24), council tenants, no less than leaseholders, are vulnerable to paying “the ultimate price” with the loss of their homes if subjected to price fixing cartels in matters of repairs and refurbishments.
To wit: the “unaffordable” refurbishment of council homes then chosen for auction to developers at this time of growing housing need.
Grossly inflated costs and inefficiency leave council tenants in “lack of repair” misery in their daily lives.
Many, especially in street properties, resort to funding repairs themselves without experiencing the return leaseholders may enjoy for their investment.
In his capacity as chairman of the leaseholders’ forum Dr Peter Wright, quite rightly, reminds the council of their “fiduciary duty” towards leaseholders and taxpayers.
Equally, it behoves him to offer this sentiment on behalf of those tenants he represents as the chair of Holborn District Management Committee.
The council point out that all parties are innocent till proven guilty, though you report guilt has to some extent been admitted by a number of the firms in question.
District management committees, lease-holders forums, all tenant participation groups and council taxpayers might now usefully unite to require that the council be a little less relaxed about these matters.
Rather than passively wait for an indication that they have entered into these questionable contracts over many years, they need to investigate with vigour as well as “duty”.
After all… there are homes as well as money being lost.
Kathleen O’Donoghue
Calthorpe Street, WC1


Send your letters to: The Letters Editor, Camden New Journal, 40 Camden Road, London, NW1 9DR or email to letters@thecnj.co.uk. The deadline for letters is midday Tuesday. The editor regrets that anonymous letters cannot be published, although names and addresses can be withheld. Please include a full name, postal address and telephone number. Letters may be edited for reasons of space.

Comment on this article.
(You must supply your full name and email address for your comment to be published)

Name:

Email:

Comment:


 

 
spacer














spacer


Theatre Music
Arts & Events Attractions
spacer
 
 


  up