LON/00BF/LSC/2019/0370 — service charge decision
In LON/00BF/LSC/2019/0370, decided 9 February 2021, the First-tier Tribunal considered 2 disputed service charge items at Flat 3, Ravensbury Court, 17 Ringstead Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4SQ and found largely for the leaseholder: 2 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: Flat 3, Ravensbury Court, 17 Ringstead Road, Sutton, Surrey SM1 4SQ
Decision date: 9 February 2021
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: Ravensbury Court Residents Association.
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other charges (2013-2016) | £2,800 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Demand formally invalid, Section 20B 18-month time limit |
| Major works (2014) | £10,800 | £250 | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
Key passages (verbatim)
“No service charge demands have ever been made by the Applicant. Accordingly the sum of £2800.00 unpaid by the Respondent during the period August 2013 – January 2016 is not payable.”
“The tarmacing of the driveway was repair/maintenance work which cost over £250 for any one contributing leaseholder. As the consultation procedure has not been undertaken, the landlord cannot recover costs over £250 per leaseholder.”
“the association is in breach of both the lease and the law in respect of service charges.”
“It is not an attractive prospect to penalise the association under these circumstances. However, the association is in breach of both the lease and the law in respect of service charges.”
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.