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Implications for Leaseholders?
The Supreme Court has just ruled that action cannot be taken by motorists claiming that they have been overcharged for undisclosed commissions paid when purchasing a vehicle on finance.
This ruling could have implications for leaseholders making a claim for overcharges for undisclosed insurance commissions as the cases are broadly similar.
We will have to wait and see unfortunately.
This ruling could have implications for leaseholders making a claim for overcharges for undisclosed insurance commissions as the cases are broadly similar.
We will have to wait and see unfortunately.
Posted by The Editor on 02 August 2025
I remember years ago a block in Broadstairs Kent going to court about this very thing!
Posted by the holy mole on 02 August 2025
Judith Runciman was in charge of the Insurance arm of the Peverel Insurance Organisation from 1998 to 2019. Many years ago I managed to get a refund paid into.our Service Charge Account and a reduction in the Commission which was being charged, behind our backs. As far as I can remember commission charged was about 37%. It was not too much of a hassle as I think they realised they had been found out.
Posted by Jane on 02 August 2025
Judith Runciman, well that is a blast from the past! I recall tribunals querying what their insurance arm ever did to justify such large commissions given that most of the work was done by a company called Oval who employed over 1,000 staff whereas Firstport's insurance arm employed around 12 staff.
Tribunals regularly ruled a 10-15% commission was reasonable.
When Janet Entwistle became Firstport CEO she acknowledged that insurance commissions had traditionally been to high and would be reduced those commissions to 14%. That said she flatly refused to repay the previous overcharges to leaseholders.
Tribunals regularly ruled a 10-15% commission was reasonable.
When Janet Entwistle became Firstport CEO she acknowledged that insurance commissions had traditionally been to high and would be reduced those commissions to 14%. That said she flatly refused to repay the previous overcharges to leaseholders.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 03 August 2025
Martin King's response to HCLG Committee
Martin King responded to the Chair of the Housing Communities and Local Government Committee in a letter dated 11 July 2025. The letter can be found on the HCLG Committee gov.uk website under publications and then correspondence.
The more questions the HCLG committee asks the more Martin King has to commit to and the hole he is digging for himself and Firstport get bigger. When is Martin King going to tell the truth and accept reality is very different?
The more questions the HCLG committee asks the more Martin King has to commit to and the hole he is digging for himself and Firstport get bigger. When is Martin King going to tell the truth and accept reality is very different?
Posted by Chris on 30 July 2025
Chris,
It would not surprise me in the least if Florence Eshalomi MP Chair, Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee requests to see copies of those actual KPI reports referred to in Mr King's reply.
It would not surprise me in the least if Florence Eshalomi MP Chair, Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee requests to see copies of those actual KPI reports referred to in Mr King's reply.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 30 July 2025
So many fine words from Mr King that say so very little.
Perhaps when Firstport do they "customer satisfaction" survey they could ask the question "If you were free to appoint a managing agent rather than have us imposed on you would you want to be managed by Firstport?"
Could be interesting?
Perhaps when Firstport do they "customer satisfaction" survey they could ask the question "If you were free to appoint a managing agent rather than have us imposed on you would you want to be managed by Firstport?"
Could be interesting?
Posted by Michael Epstein on 30 July 2025
Michael,
That's a very reasonable question to include in a survey especially when a firm wishes to judge customer satisfaction levels.
I wonder what staff retention rates currently are at Firstport across all disciplines?
Most firms are reluctant to change the way in which
KPI's are measured for fear of being accused of "massaging" the figures to appear better than their actual true performance. This point might be addressed in the near future.
That's a very reasonable question to include in a survey especially when a firm wishes to judge customer satisfaction levels.
I wonder what staff retention rates currently are at Firstport across all disciplines?
Most firms are reluctant to change the way in which
KPI's are measured for fear of being accused of "massaging" the figures to appear better than their actual true performance. This point might be addressed in the near future.
Posted by on 30 July 2025
Firstport Admin Charges.
Every Firstport victim is more than aware of the Firstport Administration charges.
Be it charges for permissions or for late payment.
These charges can and should be challenged.
As a first principle if you have registered a dispute over charges, you should pay what you do not dispute. That dispute should not be subjective or as a matter of opinion over the standard of service supplied.
It needs to be over a service charged for but not provided. If you have been charged for gardening but no gardeners have attended that is a legitimate reason to withhold that portion of the service charges.
Crucially and as admitted to by Nigel Howell the former CEO Firstport, if a dispute has been registered administration charges cannot lawfully be added.
Charges are levied for sub-lets. You will be told that any sub-let requires permission. Actually in the vast majority of cases this is untrue. What is required is "Registration of the sub-let"
The difference between permission and registration is many hundreds of pounds in fees.
So when you register a sub-let enclose a cheque for £50 writing "This is to cover the cost of a junior member of staff retrieving my file, noting the sub-let and returning the file for which I have allowed15 minutes for the process"
Permission requires a referral to a solicitor which is much more expensive.
Late payment fees must also be challenged. If you are involved in any court or tribunal hearings over non payment you can insist that any fees are treated separately to the claim.
That puts the onus on Firstport to prove the charges are justified.
Frequently ignored is the notion that a landlord is entitled to recover any costs relating to enforcing the terms of the lease. Clearly, if costs are incurred due to failure to pay or needing to amend details of the property those costs are recoverable. But those costs are recoverable by the landlord. If Firstport is the appointed managing agent, it is not their charges that they levy on the leaseholder that is recoverable but it is what Firstport charge the landlord.
So any challenge on the lines of "I agree to pay the landlord's costs" as part of a dispute at the tribunal is very likely to succeed.
Be it charges for permissions or for late payment.
These charges can and should be challenged.
As a first principle if you have registered a dispute over charges, you should pay what you do not dispute. That dispute should not be subjective or as a matter of opinion over the standard of service supplied.
It needs to be over a service charged for but not provided. If you have been charged for gardening but no gardeners have attended that is a legitimate reason to withhold that portion of the service charges.
Crucially and as admitted to by Nigel Howell the former CEO Firstport, if a dispute has been registered administration charges cannot lawfully be added.
Charges are levied for sub-lets. You will be told that any sub-let requires permission. Actually in the vast majority of cases this is untrue. What is required is "Registration of the sub-let"
The difference between permission and registration is many hundreds of pounds in fees.
So when you register a sub-let enclose a cheque for £50 writing "This is to cover the cost of a junior member of staff retrieving my file, noting the sub-let and returning the file for which I have allowed15 minutes for the process"
Permission requires a referral to a solicitor which is much more expensive.
Late payment fees must also be challenged. If you are involved in any court or tribunal hearings over non payment you can insist that any fees are treated separately to the claim.
That puts the onus on Firstport to prove the charges are justified.
Frequently ignored is the notion that a landlord is entitled to recover any costs relating to enforcing the terms of the lease. Clearly, if costs are incurred due to failure to pay or needing to amend details of the property those costs are recoverable. But those costs are recoverable by the landlord. If Firstport is the appointed managing agent, it is not their charges that they levy on the leaseholder that is recoverable but it is what Firstport charge the landlord.
So any challenge on the lines of "I agree to pay the landlord's costs" as part of a dispute at the tribunal is very likely to succeed.
Posted by The Editor on 28 July 2025
Apology From About Firstport
Sorry Guys, I had been asked to make a very small edit to a comment by a regular poster to this site. I though I had successfully done this, and then with the greatest regret I pressed the wrong button and all the associated comments disappeared. I apologise to everyone that posted on that particular thread. My mistake, I own up!
Posted by The Editor on 27 July 2025
I am sure you will be forgiven!
Posted by Jane on 27 July 2025
Thanks. For the record we haven't gone all LKPish. A poster asked that a two word typo be corrected.
Posted by The Editor on 27 July 2025
You are forgiven!
Posted by RUTH on 27 July 2025
So is life.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 28 July 2025
There have been some 16671 posts and replies on this page. To view older ones search here.
This only searches posts, not replies.
He or at least his descendants could have ended up on the Persimmon/Firstport managed Palmerston development in Plymouth.
Local Plymouth Derriford MP Fred Thomas has been inundated with complaints about Firstport's poor service not just on the Palmerston development but on several other developments in the Plymouth area as well.
The MP raised his concerns about Firstport's poor record on behalf of residents and arranged a meeting with residents, Firstport and Persimmon.
Residents, Firstport and Persimmon all agreed to attend.
Unfortunately despite being given a multitude of dates all with two months notice both Firstport and Persimmon failed to turn up despite their promises to attend given to the MP.
When the meeting did take place resident after resident complained of excessive service charges and of failures to complete critical building maintenance. They also accused Firstport of failing to respond to a number of their concerns.
Mr Thomas has promised to keep fighting for his constituents whose life has been so blighted by Firstport.
It had been rumoured that William Penn suffered from extreme sea sickness on his voyage to America.
Well William, if you are reading this post in heaven, your sea sickness would be nothing compared to how sick you would have felt living on the Palmerston development!