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A Big Win For Leaseholders!
We have all heard the promises made to reform leasehold that always seem to be delayed.
That said it is probable that the conduct of Firstport was a "last straw" moment for the Government.
In a move that will delight leaseholders, housing minister Mathew Pennycook is bringing forward legislation tomorrow that will make Right to Manage actions much easier and cheaper for leaseholders. So concerned is the housing minister at the gaming by managing agents/freeholder such as Firstport that the initial legislation will be enacted as soon as March 3rd.
Freeholders/managing agents will no longer be able to claim for their legal costs defending a Right to Manage action, which will bring a halt to the no cost to the freeholder/managing agent gaming of the RTM process that they use to thwart RTM's. This will save residents carrying out an RTM thousands of pounds.
Making it easier and cheaper to carry out an RTM is going to cost Firstport many of their management contracts.
A scheme is going to be trialled which will substantially reduce Firstport's income.
As long term Firstport victims know to their cost when selling a Firstport managed property residents can pay £500 for an information pack that never arrives or if it does arrive is missing vital information causing the sale to be lost.
The idea is to digitalise the information instead of relying on paper documentation. If successful both buyer and seller will find the information readily accessible for a small fee.
That takes away a valuable revenue stream for Firstport.
Further good news later in the year for homeowners on a new build development is that they will be granted the same rights as leaseholders.
About Firstport much appreciates the efforts of Harry Scoffin on behalf of leaseholders.
Posted by The Editor on 09 February 2025
Dear Mr Editor
Great news and another nail in FirstPort's coffin!
Thanks to Mathew Penny Cook and Harry Scoffin and also to you for all your campaigning .
Posted by RUTH on 09 February 2025
Editor,

Excellent news and progress towards the demise of Leasehold.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 09 February 2025
Dear Mr Editor.

Good news indeed. Pennycook also “promised “ Labour would end leasehold by the end of this Parliament….We shall see…Labour will certainly not get a 2nd term if it doesn’t ….

It should be noted that over at LKP TOWERS / aka Pravda . Seb o malley crows that one of its accredited companies URANG have got a gig as RTM manager at a large Tchenguiz block near Chelsea.. The same URANG that is affiliated with WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL LTD….

In 2020/21. The CEO of Westbury Residential Ltd Paul Rayden resigned…and the majority shares in WR were transferred to URANG.I have found no evidence that WR share were sold to URANG. Maybe URANG Is just keeping them warm for the original owner?Who knows? Although I do find Sebs crowing rather concerning for obvious reasons…. I mean, , Westbury Residential Ltd was found to,have lied to,an upper Tribunal. The RICS are still deliberating whether to,take action against WR. URANG should choose its bedfellows carefully in my view.

Thank gawd leaseholders have Harry Scoffin is all I can say…
Posted by Kim on 10 February 2025
When considering the appointment of any managing agent residents should be wary of "paid for" accreditations of any kind. It is indeed ironic that campaigning groups such a LKP and NLC fight for managing agents/freeholders to be open and transparent whilst not being transparent themselves. Recently for example an NLC worthy expressed her support for the changes the government made to the qualification period to extend a lease, forgetting to mention that not only was she a member of the Labour party but she was an elected Labour councillor as well. As regards to Seb at LKP it remains to be properly explained as to how he ended up pocketing £100,000 of charity money?
Posted by The Editor on 10 February 2025
Dear Mr Editor,

I would like NLC to publish its accounts to show evidence of the thousands of moolah I donated to it. Waiting…


Posted by Kim on 10 February 2025
A Hitchin in Firstport Customer Service.
Harrison Court is a pleasant retirement development situated in the picturesque Hertfordshire town of Hitchin. The Editor
of the About Firstport website particularly recommends the Caffe Elite next to Sainsbury's.
Unfortunately Harrison Court suffers from being managed by Firstport having been appointed by the previously connected company Estates & Management. Over the last couple of years by banding together residents have challenged the cost and necessity of works proposed by Firstport and have saved themselves £80,000! In one case involving roof repairs Firstport informed residents the cost would be £20,000. A local highly reputable contractor quoted just £2,000. The local Hitchin MP Alastair Strathern has given his unqualified support to the Harrison Court residents and praised them for their actions. He encouraged all other Firstport managed development residents to copy their example and challenge Firstport on everything.
Referring to Firstport Mr Strathern spoke of "rogue unaccountable managing agents" and promised to do all within his power to give residents control over their own developments.
Currently Harrison Court residents have asked E&M to appoint a replacement managing agent but thus far E&M are reluctant to do so.
Posted by The Editor on 08 February 2025
More Woe For Firstport In Kent!
Coming so shortly after losing the management contract at Faversham Lakes in Kent comes more woe for Firstport at the nearby Taylor Wimpey development Shorncliffe Heights in Folkestone.
Shorncliffe Heights is a typical new build development with a mix of freehold houses and leasehold flats. Originally Taylor Wimpey awarded the maintenance contract to Chamonix,and whilst far from perfect the management was reasonable. And then disaster struck for the Shorncliffe Heights residents. Chamonix was bought out by Firstport.
Service charges rocketed and service levels dropped dramatically. From a service charge demand of £382 in 2024 the demand for 2025 came in at an astonishing £634! One leaseholder was issued with a demand for £1,688. Naturally no accounts were ever produced by Firstport to justify these charges.
Following the intervention of the local Kent newspaper, Taylor Wimpey and the local MP Firstport have identified what they term to be "becoming aware of inconsistencies" and have put residents accounts on temporary hold. Naturally the residents want Firstport gone from their development and will do all within their power to make that happen.
Posted by The Editor on 05 February 2025
Wishing them well in their search for new managing agents.Things are getting exciting, hopefully FP will disappear!! That would be a blessing for so many.
Posted by RUTH on 05 February 2025
Dear Mr Editor,

Respect for the folks of Shorncliffe Heights”. Firstport will soon be gone I’m sure , however, in my view they must beware of appointing the Folkstone based Co ‘ LH PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LTD ( 12796801) This
Company is in run by WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL TD and is one of several management companies operating under the WR umbrella ☂️
Posted by Kim on 06 February 2025
I wouldn't use LH or Westbury no matter how much LKP/NLC supported them!
Posted by Michael Epstein on 06 February 2025
Michael E,

On that we agree….
Posted by Kim on 06 February 2025
Property Institute Suspends Firstport!
As reported on FRAG The Property Institute who act as a veneer of credibility for Firstport have handed Firstport a three month suspension due to their very poor performance in regard to handing over development service charges after RTM.
Normally funds would be handed over immediately to the RMC as soon as the RMC took over save around 10% of the funds that would be held back for a few months to cover any outstanding invoices after which all the funds should be passed over.
In the case of Firstport they have failed to hand over the funds in a timely manner, the amount of money they pass on is often less than should be in the development account, accounting records are inaccurate and it has been found that in cases where residents owe their service charges, Firstport have simply deducted what is owing and using the reserve funds to balance the books.
It is a legal requirement for any managing agent to be part of an ombudsman scheme in order to operate. It appears Firstport left the previous ombudsman service under a cloud, now this one has suspended them.
It remains to be seen as to whether the suspension leads to expulsion, but Firstport have many other issues that merit expulsion so we await events.
In the meantime this comes at a bad time for Firstport coming as it does in the wake of 80 MP's scathing attacks on the way Firstport operates.
Whilst the rules of the ombudsman dictate that before a complaint is made to them, the Firstport complaints process must have been gone through, it would do no harm at all to copy in the Property Institute and your MP when raising issues with Firstport.
The contact for the Property Institute is: info@tpi.org.uk
Let's keep the pressure up. A motto that works well for dealing with Firstport is that "When you have them by the balls, that is the time to start squeezing very hard!"
Posted by The Editor on 04 February 2025
To clarify matters, a slight error occurred in the previous post for which About Firstport wish to correct. Firstport have been suspended by the trade body The Property Institute, who are not Firstpprt's ombudsman service.
That said it must come as a huge embarrassment for Firstport to be suspended since the former Chief Executive of The Property Institute Nigel Glen took on a highly paid role with Firstport's parent company Emeria Resi UK.
If that were not bad enough for Firstport Mark Varley head of Firstport Health & Safety is currently a director of The Property Institute. Oh! what fun it must have been to suspend the company you work for!
Posted by The Editor on 05 February 2025
THANKS FOR ALL THE COMMENTS RE;MANAGING AGENTS,IT SEEMS LIKE A BIT OF A LOTTERY.

B
Posted by B on 06 February 2025
And it will remain a lottery until their is statutory regulation of managing agents. The best way to achieve such regulation would be the collapse of the UK's largest property management company, Firstport.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 06 February 2025
RTM
Dear Mr Editor, we are just at early stages of going RTM and would like to ask if anyone has any experience of either Red Rock or Churchill managing agents of their Blocks?
Regards B
Posted by B on 01 February 2025
B
There is a Churchill managed block very near to us, the service charge is a lot more than ours. Personally, I would not touch Churchill with a barge pole.
Posted by RUTH on 01 February 2025
Hi B.

Red rock is accredited by LKP so I advise you to not consider that company. The review of Red Rock Trustpilot are interesting. Many ‘good” reviews but the bad reviews seem more genuine. Your choice but I would steer clear.

Churchill. Run away.
Posted by Kim on 02 February 2025
We went RTM years ago. Always take your time doing your research on Managing companies, Ask as many RTM blocks as you can for their advice and reviews , especially monitoring systems!
Posted by the holy mole on 02 February 2025
Hi B
I should also add, in case you do not know, Churchill are owned by a McCarthy family member, formerly director of the discredited McCarthy & Stone They were part of the presentation arranged by E and M when we decided to go RTM, and they did not get a single vote.
Posted by RUTH on 03 February 2025
In the industry Churchill are nicknamed “FirstPort light”.. I echo what others say

If you are in a development where E and M are the freeholder make sure the new managing agent is not on E and M’s approved list, as Churchill for example are.

Try Arrow Leasehold Management who are completely independent and look after leaseholders interests.
Posted by CirencesterDave on 04 February 2025
Cirencester Dave,
I am willing to bet that like me you have had a pint at the Thameshead pub!
Posted by Michael Epstein on 04 February 2025
Even More Stress For Leaseholders!
Posted on 29 January 2025
RTM
Posted on 23 January 2025
What is it About Bournemouth?
Posted on 16 January 2025
Nice Work If You Can Get It!
Posted on 10 January 2025
Stunning Victory For Residents!
Posted on 08 January 2025
Well Done Bellway!
Posted on 06 January 2025
NEW YEAR
Posted on 01 January 2025
Caution in 2025!
Posted on 27 December 2024
NEW RTM COMPANY
Posted on 26 December 2024
Heating Allowance Meaningless!
Posted on 21 December 2024
Monitoring company
Posted on 17 December 2024
Firstport CEO on the Naughty Stool!
Posted on 12 December 2024
Firstport Admin Fees
Posted on 09 December 2024
Vetting!
Posted on 07 December 2024
RTM
Posted on 07 December 2024
FP meeting with Lib Dems....
Posted on 06 December 2024
Philippe Salle
Posted on 05 December 2024
Ouda Saleh
Posted on 05 December 2024
RTM Replacement
Posted on 27 November 2024
What happens when a RTM closes?
Posted on 26 November 2024
BBC West Castigates Firstport!
Posted on 23 November 2024
It's not just about quality of service
Posted on 23 November 2024
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