05-12-2008

    News

    Financial Advice Day for Leaseholders

    Financial Advice Day

    The Financial Advice Day for Leaseholders was held on Monday 27 October 2008 at the Assembly Room, Hackney Town Hall. A number of welfare and debt advice agencies such as Age Concern, Citizens Advice Bureau and Debt Advisory Agencies attended to help out residents who had queries.
    If you would like advice on paying your service charges or other bills, you can contact the Customer Services Team on 020 8 356 2299.

    NEW service: service charge documents online

    You can now request your service charge documents online.

    Major Works Admin Review

    We have reviewed the major works administration fee. The fee is currently calculated at 10% of the cost of major works charges and covers the cost incurred by Hackney Homes for major works consultation, billing and recovery. We have sought best practise by consulting with other local authorities and ALMO’s to find out the methods being used to recover major works administration costs. We have assessed the information and have established a number of options.
    We are currently in consultation with leaseholder representatives from the Borough wide Leaseholder and Freeholder Forum and the North East Leaseholders Association on the options available to recover major works administration costs.  Following this exercise we will advise leaseholders of the new method.

    Leaseholder Satisfaction Survey 2008 Results

    We will be testing leaseholder satisfaction with the services provided by Hackney Homes. Ipsos MORI, an independent research and polling organisation, will be carrying out the survey this summer on behalf of Hackney Homes.
    The survey will be sent to a random selection of Hackney Homes leaseholders, so please fill it in if you receive it. Your feedback is important to us and we want your views so we can continue to improve our services.  All the information received will be treated in the strictest confidence.

    Reserve Fund Survey: 2008 Results

    We conducted a survey with all leaseholders to find out whether you wanted Hackney Homes to operate a reserve fund on your behalf to pay for major works. Thank you to those who did respond.
    The results of the survey include:
    • 76% of respondents said they understand how a reserve fund works;
    • 86% of respondents said they hadnotpreviously contributed to a reserve fund whilst8%said they had of which 4% said they found it useful;
    • 64% of respondents felt that a reserve fund was not a good way to pay for major works whilst 23% felt that it was a good method;
    • We also asked which option leaseholders preferred to be recharged for major works, 54% respondents wanted to be invoiced when works are carried out compared to 15% indicating their preferred method is to make regular payments into a reserve fund.
    The results indicate a very low demand and that it is not the preferred option of leaseholders forHackney Homes to operate a reserve fund on their behalf.  Therefore,leaseholders will continue to be invoiced when works are carried out.

    Leaseholders and Freeholders News

    This is a bi-annual newsletter designed to keep you updated with developments and improvements to services and important and useful information relevant to you.
    Download the latest newsletter - July 2008.

    We welcome your feedback

    Did you find this newsletter useful? Do you have any suggestions or comments for future editions or an article that you would like included?
    Please email or write to us at LHFHnews@hackneyhomes.org.uk or LHFH Newsletter, Freepost RLRL-HJUX-RKTS, 298 Mare Street, London, E8 1HE.