Hidden extras cost leaseholders dear

11:16am Wednesday 7th May 2008

LEASEHOLDERS claim that they are being charged extra for items which would normally be covered by council tax.

Enfield Council has included the replacement of lampposts and the inspection of public playgrounds on its list of rechargeable repairs for leaseholders in Lytchett Way, Enfield.

However, these items which are normally covered by money from council tax.

One resident, who does not wish to be named, said: "Has this been charged just on my bill? Because if not, is the council making a profit from this?"

"This is poor service. I never queried bills before - we trusted them to produce bills correctly.

"From now on I will be keeping a watch on it."

He contacted the council to query the issue and when he received a reply he was told that he had not been charged for the all the items invoiced.

One charge for February 2006 to February 2007 included £28.75 for the replacement of a faulty lamppost in a car park, £100.20 for a forced entry and replacement keys to a store room and £50.88 for the removal of a gate which the bill claimed "serves no purpose".

Although the council claims the store room has now been reinstated for community use, the resident in question says he has not been given access to it.

A council spokesperson said: "If the council carries out repairs to the common parts of an estate then all of the leaseholders in blocks in that estate pay their share of the cost of those repairs."

Chris Bond, councillor for Southbury, who raised the issue at a council meeting, said: "There's no reason for it; it doesn't make sense. This should be covered by council tax.

"This resident won't be the only one who has been charged for this. Other people have either just paid it or not looked at the sheets properly. It's ridiculous."

Of roughly 390 residents on the 14-block estate, 170 are leaseholders.

Cllr Bond added: "It's a complete and utter mess, a serious error. Hopefully people will look at their bills more closely now."