Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Second building on Green Lanes in need of emergency repairs
Following the recent incident when masonry fell from the top of Rose Bakery on Green Lanes,
another building, third time in Grand Parade was found in need of emergency repairs during inspections.
Haringey Council conducted an emergency review of all the buildings along the road, and had to call in the fire briagde after one house needed “emergency attention”.
Councillor Alan Strickland, who ordered the urgent survey, said all homeowners have been contacted along the busy shopping parade warning them of their repsonsbility to maintain the buildings.
He said: “The maintenance and repair of buildings is the responsibility of the owners, but where we deem a building to be imminently dangerous, we will take emergency action to remove the danger and will charge the owner for that action."
Tags for Forum Posts: accident, buildings, green lanes
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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Wow!
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I'm no building inspector but .........
I have just walked down Green Lanes from Homebase to Warham Road and back again. I spent much of the journey looking up at the rooftops. It is quite amazing just how terrible a state of disrepair some of the building are in. Although I am sure most are quite safe, there is one in particular a few doors down from the building in this post towards Homebase that looks in a really poor state. Many others have Buddleia growing out on the masonry and roofs. Buddleia is a real danger to buildings as the root system tears apart the bricks an mortar. Well it did that to my house!
I wonder if some of this is down to landlords living overseas. Although I have no concern about that, surely the agents managing the buildings need to be more responsible. Over to you Hane, PS, Alpha Let, Winworkth, AP, Brian Thomas, yadayadayadayada.
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Permalink Reply by Sam on
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Well. Either they live abroad, or they are just plain complacent when it comes to repairs. I had terrible experience with a landlord while living on Grand Parade. He would completely refuse to carry out repairs to our dangerous electrics, leaking roof, blocked fire escape etc. If there are any other landlords like him on the street (and anecdotal evidence would suggest there are) then it does not surprise me at all that many of the buildings are crumbling.
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Permalink Reply by MariaD on
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I own a leasehold property on Grand Parade - a flat in one of the previous ones involving falling masonry. and have been trying without success to get the freeholder to carry out repairs on it for over four years. This, despite having involved Harringey Council (at the helpful suggestion of Harringay online). Eventually, I did manage to get the freeholders to fix some guttering above my windows which was causing water to seep in and resulted in significant damage from penetrating damp - but the only way I managed that was by finding out the freeholders' home addresses and writing to their wives (I am not making this up).
The problem is absentee freeholders who don't care and won't carry out any work, added to which the Council was actually pretty ineffectual in the end because it couldn't follow up on the orders to carry out work that it issued itself. There was absolutely no appetite to prosecute.
Frankly, I wouldn't take Councillor Strickland's comments too seriously in this context.
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See this previous post: http://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/salisbury-roadgrand-par...
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Have you and your fellow leaseholders considered taking over the management of the free hold? Look here and act The Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act 2002 is legislation which provides an opportunity for the flat owners, to run their own affairs and to make their own decisions about the management and upkeep of their flats, including the insurance, repairs, service charges etc. by means of The Right To Manage - 'RTM'.>>
See here and elsewhere...
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Unfortunately most of the other leaseholders are also absent and couldn't care less. Essentially, the law doesn't cater much for a lone responsible leaseholder ...
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I have the same problem - trying to sell my flat while the building falls apart around me and my property value plummets. I think I read on the Leaseholders Advisory Service that you can apply to have them take over the management if you can't get the other leaseholders to agree. Maybe I was dreaming, as I just quickly tried to find that info and could not - but I really need to get back to work... I think you may find the information under the bit on RTM
I feel your pain though. I think there is probably a lot people around suffering with this (well according my the estate agent trying yet failing to sell my flat).
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Found it
http://www.lease-advice.org/information/faqs/faq.asp?item=105 click on "Application to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal: The appointment of a manager" and it says:
Where the management of a property by the landlord is considered unsatisfactory by the tenants, and the tenants are unable to exercise the right to manage and there is no other remedy available to the tenants which is likely to achieve any improvement, they may apply to the LVT for the appointment of a manager.
Whether or not you can do that without getting the other leaseholder involved I don't know.
Back to work...
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Yes, I believe I saw that when I first looked into the various options, and I also believe that you have to have consensus from all the leaseholders. But it may have changed, I certainly intend to look into that again - so thank you.
If it's any consolation, not only can I not sell the flat because of the poor state of repair, but 4 years ago the freeholder decided to do a survey and insists on telling everyone who has any interest in buying the flat that he plans to do major works - while never actually doing them! It's catch 22.
But good luck to you in your endeavours.
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I thought I had the (absent) freeholder from hell... that is so awful, I really feel for you.
Best of luck to you too - there must be a solution and hopefully one of these advisory services can find one for you.
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Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
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Lucky someone wasn't killed. One brick falling from that height would be enough; a collection of bricks ... I wonder if the passers by heard it coming.
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