Down in Deptford we leaseholders on Crossfields Estate are also facing a 50% hike in service charges.

Annoyingly I noted that Lewisham Homes tenants are being protected from a 6.2% rental increase by a grant from the government.
http://www.lewishamlibdems.org.uk/news/0...eases.html

I also note from Lewisham Homes' website (www.lewishamhomes.org.uk)
in the minutes of the Board Meeting in March 2009 on page 99 http://www.lewishamhomes.org.uk/editpics/1434-1.pdf, a page of accounts which show that they get ?75million in rental income and ?3m from leaseholders.

In the Audit Commission's report on Lewisham Homes (February 2009) they identify the following as Key Weaknesses:
- Service charges for leaseholders had previously been incorrectly calculated or inaccurately identified.
- Leaseholders had not been charged for all the services from which they derive benefit and future bills will rise as a consequence.
(See: http://tinyurl.com/AuditComLewHomes - particularly pages 40-43)

The Audit Commission, whilst identifying literally hundreds of Key Weaknesses in Lewisham Homes' performance, with this wording, seems to have given them carte blanche to charge what they like.

We're not sure what to do, other than only pay what we paid last year, until we have received credible answers as to why the charges have gone up so extortionately...a policy that may get us all in trouble with the law, since we'd be breaking our contracts.

Let's pool resources on this. Write to your councillors and MP, and to Lewisham Homes board members...

I'd be going to the press but I hate them (and I'll never forget my mother's campaign against Thames Water back 2002 that saw her on the front page of her local rag, knee deep in sewage - they won their case eventually and it precipitated Thames Water rolling out a huge sewage renewal programme - but I don't wanna be on any front pages!)....