Decision summary

LON/00AF/LSC/2021/0325 — service charge decision

In LON/00AF/LSC/2021/0325, decided 15 June 2022, the First-tier Tribunal considered 26 disputed service charge items at 42 Tony Law House, 1 Betts Way, Penge, SE20 8TG and reached a mixed result: 11 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.

Property: 42 Tony Law House, 1 Betts Way, Penge, SE20 8TG
Decision date: 15 June 2022
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK

What was challenged and what the tribunal decided

ItemDemandedAllowedOutcomeGrounds
Lifts (Jan-Mar 2016)£577£94ReducedNot payable under the lease
Lifts (2016-2017)£2,820£200ReducedNot payable under the lease
Lifts (2017-2018)£3,814£300ReducedNot payable under the lease
Lifts (2018-2019)£3,695£181ReducedNot payable under the lease
Lifts (2019-2020)£3,021£181ReducedNot payable under the lease
Lifts (2020-2021)£4,288£446ReducedNot payable under the lease
Other charges (2016-2017)£2,973£2,973Allowed in full
Other charges (2017-2018)£5,600£5,600Allowed in full
Other charges (2018-2019)£5,600£5,600Allowed in full
Other charges (2019-2020)£3,154£3,154Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2016-2017)£2,164£2,164Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2017-2018)£2,927£2,927Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2018-2019)£3,336£3,336Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2019-2020)£2,873£2,873Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2020-2021)£4,730£4,730Allowed in full
Gardening & grounds (2021-2022)£3,970£3,970Allowed in full
Staffing & concierge (2016-2017)£26,907£26,907Allowed in full
Staffing & concierge (2017-2018)£27,092£27,092Allowed in full
Staffing & concierge (2018-2019)£27,380£27,380Allowed in full
Staffing & concierge (2019-2020)£26,901£26,901Allowed in full
Staffing & concierge (2020-2021)£28,361£28,361Allowed in full
Management fees (2016-2017)£15,447£12,750ReducedFee excessive for service delivered
Management fees (2017-2018)£16,150£12,750ReducedFee excessive for service delivered
Management fees (2018-2019)£16,555£12,750ReducedFee excessive for service delivered
Management fees (2019-2020)£17,099£12,750ReducedFee excessive for service delivered
Management fees (2020-2021)£17,564£12,750ReducedFee excessive for service delivered

Section 20C order: granted.

Key passages (verbatim)

“The tribunal determines that the amounts payable in respect of lift replacement charges, lift service contract, lift inspection and lift repairs is nil. The lift insurance charges shown in the table above are payable.”
On lifts
“the capital cost of lift replacement, the lift service contract, lift inspection costs and lift repairs are the responsibility of the landlord and not chargeable to the service charge. Lift insurance is self-evidently not a repair.”
On lifts
“the capital cost of lift replacement, the lift service contract, lift inspection costs and lift repairs are the responsibility of the landlord and not chargeable to the service charge.”
On lifts
“the capital cost of lift replacement, the lift service contract, lift inspection costs and lift repairs are the responsibility of the landlord and not chargeable to the service charge.”
On lifts
“the capital cost of lift replacement, the lift service contract, lift inspection costs and lift repairs are the responsibility of the landlord and not chargeable to the service charge.”
On lifts
“the capital cost of lift replacement, the lift service contract, lift inspection costs and lift repairs are the responsibility of the landlord and not chargeable to the service charge.”
On lifts
“Head office management and overheads costs are computed at 15% of the service charge. This is common across all of the properties of Anchor.”
Of Anchor Hanover – blanket management overhead charge

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.