Leasehold Services - Sydenham Hill Estate

Guest author Silbury House writes:

Background:
Sydenham Hill Estate looks like a real 'problem estate', which is a shame because it's a lovely place to live: Right on the edge of Dulwich Woods it's leafy, green and quiet and the residents are (mostly) considerate and pleasant.
After buying a flat there I soon discovered the reason it looked the way it did. I got involved with Leasehold Services as soon as I moved in (2005) to enquire about the seemingly obvious defects to the estate, all of which 'should' be repaired, replaced and/or cleaned within the leasehold contract. The one I'm paying for, the one that states: I pay, they do what they promise.

Well as you can probably guess, that's not quite how it works. I've been writing to my leasehold officer (the same one) since 2005 and none of my complaints or reportings have been actioned. Not one. I hasten to add that the list of complaints is long and tedious, so won't go into details here (see future posts), but you'd think they might do something with the money we've all been paying?
It's not cheap after-all. In 2005/6 my actual charges were £448.89. This year they are estimated at £747.36: that's bearing in mind that Lewisham Homes will lose the estate to L&Q by October 2010! It was £882.90 last year (actual).
It's a big rise since 2005, it's doubled, and I can tell you there is no difference to the level of service we receive (picking up crisp packets and, well, that's about it really). And these figures don't take Major Works into account either; another 'grey area' in services provided (see future posts).

Why, oh why do our complaints and critisisms go unheard? I've been told it's not all Lewisham Homes fault, that it's been a long term of neglect by a whole host of management agencies(Dunlop Harwards, Pinnacle, Lewisham Council and Lewisham Homes etc.), but why should this make a difference if we've always been talking to the same 'physical person', a person who has always been very well informed of every instance of neglect reported by us.

It seems it doesn't matter how many letters we write, or complaints we make, the bottom line is there is no accountability for anything. Surely the Leasehold Team should be accountable? Or someone? PLEASE? (not that's it's their contractual obligation of anything...)

Let's hope L&Q can make a better job of it, let's hope they will make a difference. Let's hope our leaseholder services team will action the complaints we make. After 6 years of waiting, I can say I'm dubious, yet allowing myself a little hope...