LON/00AU/LSC/2025/0820 — service charge decision
In LON/00AU/LSC/2025/0820, decided 21 November 2025, the First-tier Tribunal considered 4 disputed service charge items at Ground Floor Flat 140 Drayton Park, London, N5 1LX and reached a mixed result: 3 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: Ground Floor Flat 140 Drayton Park, London, N5 1LX
Decision date: 21 November 2025
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other charges (2016/2017–2022/2023) | — | — | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2022/2023) | £396 | £250 | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
| Administration charges (2024) | £650 | £75 | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Administration charges (2024) | £650 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Demand formally invalid, Other grounds |
Section 20C order: granted.
Key passages (verbatim)
“they are therefore satisfied that the service charges demanded in respect of the years set out in paragraph 7(i) above were reasonable and payable.”
“The Respondents did not engage with the statutory consultation process prior to making this demand, and consequently the amount recoverable from the Applicant is capped at £250 by virtue of section 20 of the 1985 Act.”
“The fee of £650 demanded by the Respondents as a fee for completing the LEP1 form is an administration charge … It was not reasonable … We consider that a fee of £75 would be reasonable.”
“the sum of £650 appears to have been 'plucked from the air' by the Respondents … the demand for payment was not accompanied by a statement of rights and obligations required by paragraph 3 of Schedule 11 of the 2002 Act. For all these reasons the charge was not payable by the Applicant.”
“While we strongly disapprove of the Respondent's attitude to disclosure in this case we have considered the demands send in respect of each of the above service charge years.”
“the sum of £650 appears to have been 'plucked from the air' by the Respondents when the Applicant requested that they complete the LPE1 form without which he could not sell the property.”
“it is hard to discern any rational basis for the amount of money they demanded as interest and as a fee for the LPE1 form.”
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.