LON/00AU/LSC/2024/0621 — service charge decision
In LON/00AU/LSC/2024/0621, decided 3 February 2026, the First-tier Tribunal considered 21 disputed service charge items at 3 Dolphin Court, 42 Carleton Road, N7 0ER and reached a mixed result: 7 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: 3 Dolphin Court, 42 Carleton Road, N7 0ER
Decision date: 3 February 2026
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Utilities (2021) | £41.37 | £28.75 | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Utilities (2022) | £24.57 | £24.59 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2021) | £191.93 | £191.93 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2022) | £218.27 | £218.27 | Allowed in full | — |
| Cleaning (2021) | £83.11 | £83.11 | Allowed in full | — |
| Cleaning (2022) | £144.76 | £144.76 | Allowed in full | — |
| Gardening & grounds (2021) | £115.38 | £50 | Reduced | Poor standard of work |
| Gardening & grounds (2022) | £234.20 | £234.20 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021) | £10.50 | £10.50 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022) | £10.50 | £10.50 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021) | £82.39 | £82.39 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2022) | £462.75 | £462.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2021) | £62.25 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Not payable under the lease, Duplication of charges |
| Legal & professional costs (2022) | — | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Not payable under the lease, Duplication of charges |
| Other charges (2021) | £70.63 | £70.63 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022) | £72 | £72 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2022) | — | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Duplication of charges |
| Major works (2022) | £590.25 | £590.25 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022) | £63.75 | £63.75 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2021) | £349.76 | £51.73 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Apportionment error |
| Management fees (2022) | £445.71 | £182.10 | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Apportionment error |
Section 20C order: granted.
Key passages (verbatim)
“The Tribunal for the year ending 31 December 2021 finds the amount in the section 20b notice was £230.00 rather than the £330.00 which was eventually charged. The Tribunal finds the amount limited to the £230.00 provided for in the section 20b notice. The Applicants share being one eighth and so the Tribunal determines £28.75.”
“The Tribunal finds the amount limited to the £197.00 provided for in the section 20b notice. The Applicants share being one eighth and so the Tribunal determines £24.62.”
“The Tribunal finds that insurance was in place and that in the absence of alternative quotes that the amount charged is reasonable, £191.93 is payable.”
“The Tribunal finds that insurance was in place and that in the absence of alternative quotes that the amount charged is reasonable, £218.97 is payable.”
“The Tribunal finds in the absence of substantiated challenge reasonable and determines £83.11 is payable.”
“The Tribunal finds in the absence of substantiated challenge reasonable and determines £144.76 is payable.”
“what tips the scales firmly in favour of making an order is the fact the Respondent ignored a previous Tribunal decision and continued to seek to impose a quantum of management charges which they knew they were not entitled.”
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.