LON/00AU/LSC/2025/0660 — service charge decision
In LON/00AU/LSC/2025/0660, decided 16 July 2024, the First-tier Tribunal considered 25 disputed service charge items at Flat 1, 147 Highbury Grove, London N5 1HP and reached a mixed result: 9 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: Flat 1, 147 Highbury Grove, London N5 1HP
Decision date: 16 July 2024
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: Vestra Property Management.
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings insurance (2015) | £180.89 | £180.89 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2016) | £91.02 | £91.02 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2017) | £210.70 | £210.70 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2018) | £89.46 | £89.46 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2019) | £196.02 | £196.02 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2020) | £208.08 | £208.08 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2021) | £193.54 | £193.54 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2022) | £224 | £224 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2023) | £718.62 | £718.62 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2024) | £539.21 | £539.21 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2015) | £45.15 | £45.15 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2016) | £68.80 | £68.80 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2018) | £578.75 | £250 | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation, Dispensation refused |
| Repairs & maintenance (2020) | £249 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Not payable under the lease |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021) | £60.75 | £60.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2022) | £137.44 | £137.44 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2023) | £140 | £140 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2024) | £500 | £299.50 | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
| Management fees (2015) | £59.55 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Management fees (2019) | £150 | £20 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Estoppel or prior agreement |
| Management fees (2020) | £150 | £20 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Estoppel or prior agreement |
| Management fees (2021) | £150 | £20 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Estoppel or prior agreement |
| Management fees (2022) | £150 | £20 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Estoppel or prior agreement |
| Management fees (2023) | £150 | £20 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Estoppel or prior agreement |
| Management fees (2024) | £80 | £80 | Allowed in full | — |
Section 20C order: refused.
Key passages (verbatim)
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“in each of the service charge years the costs of insurance are payable”
“six of the demands received as attachments to the respective emails have written 'By email only' on them. We do not accept that all of these words were written or typed by mistake.”
“The Respondent told us that the Flat is the only property of his let on a long lease, otherwise he lets out his flats on short term leases. This may explain his being unaware of the dispensation powers of the Tribunal.”
“Unfortunately, relations between the parties have reached a low ebb. These proceedings are only a part of the litigation between them.”
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.