The old lady in question re Bin Chambers Doors of earlier post is facing charges this year of over ?1000, whilst other blocks are around ?700-?800 (all varying). She told me charges are worked out by software (that is obviously flawed) which is why no one can answer our questions.

I read in some LH Board minutes (on their website) that they haven't been very happy with their IT supplier (Sunguard)...

Meanwhile, me and another leaseholder went to see Joan Ruddock in her surgery yesterday. She said it wasn't really a parliamentary question and she couldn't do anything. We should go to our local councillors. But said she would write a letter to Lewisham Homes raising the points we had written on the form we were given to fill in before we saw her, and copy us in. A bit disappointing really, since the mess that is Social Housing Leaseholds is a parliamentary matter, the problems associated with it stemming from poor government policy. But hey ho, we didn't go in approaching it from that angle...(I'd love to like her but I still haven't forgiven her for supporting the Iraq war!)

We said we were paying for Resident Involvement which included forums, one of which is about How Actual Charges Are Calculated, to be staged in July - a bit bloody late, we said, since we have to pay up by end of April...She told her secretary to write: "Whilst the leaseholders are aware of their legal responsibilities, I understand some are not minded to pay the new charges until a dialogue is achieved between them and yourselves."

I have organised a meeting for Crossfields leaseholders on this Monday 20th. I did this via email, a list I compiled from those I already know and from (the rather poor) attendance records of our TRA...So I'm having to supplement this with a notice to go at the foot of the stairs of each block. Those who come will be coming to vent anger and frustration - but I fear it will be difficult to get them to follow through with any positive action that will inevitably involve rather a lot of letter writing...and I doubt if they'll be prepared to contribute financially to a group LVT application...

Any ideas, Just?