Decision summary

LON/00AH/LSC/2022/0248 — service charge decision

In LON/00AH/LSC/2022/0248, decided 12 March 2023, the First-tier Tribunal considered 24 disputed service charge items at Flat 2, 15 Fairholme Road, Croydon, Surrey and found largely for the leaseholder: 24 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.

Property: Flat 2, 15 Fairholme Road, Croydon, Surrey
Decision date: 12 March 2023
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK

What was challenged and what the tribunal decided

ItemDemandedAllowedOutcomeGrounds
Buildings insurance (2020)£202.66£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Utilities (2020)£35.37£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Management fees (2020)£50.70£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Legal & professional costs (2020)£41.18£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Reserve fund contributions (2020)£58.31£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Buildings insurance (2019)£236.01£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Utilities (2019)£131.20£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Management fees (2019)£70.08£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Legal & professional costs (2019)£40.79£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Buildings insurance (2018)£262.05£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Utilities (2018)£120.79£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Management fees (2018)£72.43£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Legal & professional costs (2018)£40.39£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Reserve fund contributions (2018)£83.29£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Other charges (2018)£91.66£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit, Other grounds
Buildings insurance (2017)£165.30£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Utilities (2017)£36.30£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Major works (2017)£1,103.93£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit, No Section 20 consultation
Management fees (2017)£210.83£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Legal & professional costs (2017)£40£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Reserve fund contributions (2017)£242.45£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Other charges (2017)£322.80£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit, Other grounds
Utilities (2016)£77.22£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit
Other charges (2016)£112.27£0Disallowed entirelySection 20B 18-month time limit, Other grounds

Key passages (verbatim)

“all costs incurred prior to July 2020 are time barred... the sums due for 2020 are also not due as they have not been justified.”
On buildings insurance
“the sums due for 2020 are also not due as they have not been justified.”
On utilities
“the sums due for 2020 are also not due as they have not been justified.”
On management fees
“the sums due for 2020 are also not due as they have not been justified.”
On legal & professional costs
“the sums due for 2020 are also not due as they have not been justified.”
On reserve fund contributions
“all costs incurred prior to July 2020 are time barred. This necessarily excludes the charges for 2016 to 2019.”
On buildings insurance
“The Respondent has taken no part in the proceedings despite apparently receiving the directions sent by the tribunal.”
Of Respondent (Althea Johnson)

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.