Just a reminder to all leaseholders that there is a meeting with Urang and the unelected RTM company directors tomorrow, Mon. 15th Sep 6.30 pm – at Pestana or Online Despite RTM, you… Continue reading
The UK Government’s July 2025 Leasehold Reform Consultation claims to outline major changes to empower leaseholders and end outdated, unfair leasehold practices in England and Wales. Built on the foundation of the Leasehold… Continue reading
Following Rendall and Rittner’s appearance before MPs in May, which I attended as an observer, they have now been called on by the Housing, Communities and local Government Committee to answer some key questions… Continue reading
Urang and the RTM directors need to answer these questions: So much for Urang’s ‘new era of transparency’. If you would like to leave a review for Urang on Trustpilot (good or bad) the… Continue reading
From my 2023 CBWRA Chair Manifesto: ‘Retendering the management contract’ has in my view been a waste of up to £15,000 of residents’ money and a lot of time. It could only have… Continue reading
Rendall and Rittner are no longer prepared to deduct the Chelsea Bridge Wharf Residents’ association fees at ‘source’ i.e. added to the service charge. Since the end of 2021 they have been making all leaseholders members of CBWRA by default (i.e. without consent) and adding £20 membership to the service charge. Leaseholders can opt out but moist would be unaware they were added as members unless the read through the very small print in service charge billing.
There are many areas of CBWRA governance which need reform, including the constitution, election processes, transparency on finances and resident consultation but above all we need to detoxify the CBW app. I have spoken to many residents who are genuinely afraid to ask even the most basic questions for fear of being attacked or having their app account closed: this must stop. Please see my manifesto for detailed proposals. The unfair running of the 2023 Chair elections show how much we need to change to become a normal democratic residents’ association. A 140% membership fee increase without explanation says everything about the culture of current CBWRA regime – remote, hierarchical, apparently not too interested in residents’ views.
. We should of course be recognised but we also need to get our house in order and start behaving like a normal residents’ association. A Residents’ Association which is not behaving in a democratic way – which has never held elections for committee and which has to be dragged into elections for Chair (while insulting the residents who are asking for elections) has never held a valid AGM, may have some issues to address..
This is the voting form for the 2023 Chair election, which is currently open. Does anyone see anything wrong here? Has the result been announced already? :). It should of course say joint… Continue reading
While I am forced to be absent from the CBW app, the soon to be former Chair (Mr Stephen Thompson), has repeatedly made defamatory statements about me which are completely untrue and unevidenced. I consider these wild and groundless statements to be a smear campaign, and make a fair election impossible. My solicitor has written to Mr Thompson (5.2.23) and offered him the opportunity to draw a line under these matters by a simple retraction and apology on the CBW app – unfortunately Mr Thompson has refused to do that and hence I am writing this letter and discussing further action with my solicitor. Mr Thompson enjoys legal insurance as the Chair of CBWRA, which residents are paying for, and which in my view is being seriously misused.
Below I reply to numerous instances of what I consider to be defamation by Mr Thompson Since May 2022
The voting opened in The CBWRA Chair elections today. The process has been characterised by what one might politely call a number of ‘irregularities’. The email containing the voting link also announced that the RA subscription fee has gone up from £20 a year to £48 an increase of 140%. No explanation is given. I have been saying for the best part of 18 months that the CBWRA should publish a statement of income and expenditure and this is need now more than ever. Why would such a huge percentage increase be needed? Has there been massively increased expenditure? If so, what on? Where has all the money gone?
Residents will not choose new agent – Berkeley Homes will be in charge of the process
Rendall and Rittner will be allowed to bid and may be reappointed
Right to Manage at the very least delayed by many months and may not happen at all (unless you vote for me!)
No resident consultation on this decision
It is clear that once again CBWRA/BH have at the very least kicked Right to Manage a long way down the road, and without any resident consultation, and the timing of this announcement suggests at the very least a disregard for the Chair election process.
I have nominated myself for Chair of CBWRA in the 2023 elections because I wanted to improve the governance of the CBWRA and to ensure that all that was possible was being done to achieve Right to Manage, following what have been (in my view) two wasted years as far as RTM goes
Close on the heels of Liam Spender’s win against First Port property management, whereby £100,000 in building insurance commissions is to be returned to residents, Michael Gove has announced plans to ban such… Continue reading
