CHI/00UH/LSC/2022/0086 — service charge decision
In CHI/00UH/LSC/2022/0086, decided 22 March 2023, the First-tier Tribunal considered 10 disputed service charge items at Ground Floor and Second Floor Flats, 12 Thorn Road, Worthing, West Sussex and reached a mixed result: 5 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: Ground Floor and Second Floor Flats, 12 Thorn Road, Worthing, West Sussex
Decision date: 22 March 2023
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: JW Watson Property Management.
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management fees (2016) | — | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Historic neglect |
| Management fees (2017) | — | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Historic neglect |
| Management fees (2020) | — | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Historic neglect |
| Management fees (2021) | — | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Historic neglect |
| Management fees (2022) | — | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Historic neglect |
| Buildings insurance (2016) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
| Major works (2019) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2019) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
Section 20C order: partial.
Key passages (verbatim)
“the Tribunal reduces the Respondent's management fee for the property (ie all three flats) to £300 per annum for each of the years to which this application relates (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022)”
“the Tribunal reduces the Respondent's management fee for the property (ie all three flats) to £300 per annum for each of the years to which this application relates (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022)”
“the Tribunal reduces the Respondent's management fee for the property (ie all three flats) to £300 per annum for each of the years to which this application relates (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022)”
“the Tribunal reduces the Respondent's management fee for the property (ie all three flats) to £300 per annum for each of the years to which this application relates (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022)”
“the Tribunal reduces the Respondent's management fee for the property (ie all three flats) to £300 per annum for each of the years to which this application relates (2016, 2017, 2020, 2021 and 2022)”
“The Tribunal accepts this explanation.”
“the landlord's agent is situated more than 250 miles distant from the property and on its own admission the Respondent agent only inspected the property once each year relying on a local agent to report to them on matters which arose in the interim.”
“the Respondent had no long term maintenance plan in force for this property and that, other than routine health and safety and similar works, only minimal works were carried out seemingly only when a crisis arose.”
“it does not condone their general lack of planning, foresight, communication and general care and attention to the property and its residents.”
This summary is assembled from the structured record of the published decision; amounts appear only where the tribunal stated them. Always rely on the full decision itself.