By Anna Whittaker, Local Democracy Reporter
People living in part of Rushcliffe left shocked at being told they will have to pay for £20,000 works to their homes have spoken of the “mental anguish” of their fight with a housing association over the cost.
A group of residents who live in properties across three streets in Edwalton have been told by landlord Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing (MTVH) that a series of improvement works are needed for their homes including new roofs – some at a cost of £20,000 each.
The residents, across parts of Alford Road, Greenacre and Wood View, say they are prepared to pay for repair costs as per their leasehold agreements – but are not happy with the large sums of money being requested.
A spokesperson for MTVH said no official bills have yet been sent and it sympathises with the residents’ situation, adding its aim has been to “ensure best value” for them while offering help to organise how they will pay.
Letters were sent by MTVH earlier this year through a ‘Section 20’ Qualifying Long Term Agreements (QLTAs) – whereby the owner of a property enters into an agreement with the landlord to pay for the upkeep of their home.
One letter received by a resident says some of the cost could be covered by a sinking fund – a fund containing money set aside to cover future costs.
But MTVH has so far not provided further details when asked what this could mean for final bills.
MTVH manages around 38,000 homes across the country.
A group of residents have got together to fight the plans, which would see them being asked to pay the money within a year once the works are completed.
Leasehold resident Wendy Purdy, 59, who works at a pharmacy, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the process has left her “anxious, tearful and exhausted”.
She bought her home on Alford Road as she was heading for retirement with the hope of eventually being mortgage-free.
She said: “I can’t see a way out of this. It is causing immense mental anguish.
“I am quite prepared to pay a reasonable amount because my roof is leaking. If they asked £5,000 tomorrow I would give it to them.
“But I could plan for the next 20 years and I wouldn’t be able to afford £20,000. It is unrealistic.
“It has been rumbling on for a while and we are still trying to fight but some of us are running out of steam.
“It is awful. We go through phases of trying not to think about it but I haven’t been sleeping recently. It’s always there.
“We are the little man and they are the huge corporation.”
University of Leicester scientist Dr Sarir Sarmad has lived in her flat on Greenacre since 2018 and said she received a £40,000 bill in June 2021.
She said MTVH later admitted in an email that the £40,000 was a “miscalculation” and she will instead also face a £20,000 payment.
She said: “It was totally unexpected. They ruined my life as it affected my work too. Even £20,000 is outrageous but £40,000 was a big shock to me.
“I am a scientist and I am doing it for the love of science, there is no money in it. I was really stressed and it affected me because I couldn’t think logically.”
The 48-year-old, who lives with her teenage son, said her disabled neighbour who lives beneath her flat also received a £40,000 bill.
She said this has since been reduced to £20,000 after MTVH admitted it had initially sent the wrong amount.
She said: “I had an independent roofer to give me a quote and they said for our building if he replaced the roof it would be £9,500.
“We don’t have any objection if there are repairs to be done but it should be realistic.
“It has made me so down and miserable in myself.”
Another resident who did not wish to be named said: “I’m now seeing help from my doctor and am taking beta blockers for the constant stress and anxiety it’s causing.
“Lack of sleep has made me ill, I work nights and five days without sleep has taken its toll.
“Hundreds of phone calls to Metropolitan and no solution.”
Rushcliffe Borough Councillor Penny Gowland (Lab), who is supporting the residents, said: “You assume they are on the side of the residents not to give them a nightmare like this.
“It is unacceptable, they should understand what people can and can’t afford and not send bills like that out of the blue.
“These are people living in ex-social housing, it is not natural justice.”
A spokesperson for MTVH said: “We fully understand the frustrations of the residents in Edwalton, and sympathise with their situation but we do have to undertake improvement works both in line with our legal obligations and to ensure all our homes are safe, warm, and dry.
“MTVH have undertaken a series of detailed inspections and surveys, and several properties in Edwalton require improvement works to be completed, including new roofs. We recognise the importance of keeping everyone informed so we have suggested several dates to residents in January 2022 to meet again to work through these proposals and the options available to them.
“The background to this is: We contacted residents in September 2020 to advise them that we were beginning the process of identifying contractors to carry out this work. This notification included informing leasehold residents, who own their homes, that in keeping with the terms of their lease the costs for major works are recoverable from them.
“We understand these costs may be high, but we are legally required to recover these from leaseholders for works to their homes. We have written to residents to update them on the estimated cost of these works after estimates from several contractors had been received. Our aim has been to ensure best value for all residents.
“Currently, no bills for leaseholders have been issued and these will not be sent until after the works have been completed. We have tried to spread these costs over a long timeframe so leaseholders will have 12 months to repay the costs. This will be on an interest free basis.
“Unfortunately, current financial regulations prevent housing associations, including MTVH, from offering repayment plans over a longer period. So we urge any resident with financial concerns to contact us as soon as possible so that we can discuss what options may be available to them, and we plan to do what we can to help them through these improvements.”
