LON/00BJ/LSC/2022/0230 — service charge decision
In LON/00BJ/LSC/2022/0230, decided 1 December 2022, the First-tier Tribunal considered 46 disputed service charge items at 17 Thrale Road, London SW16 1NS and reached a mixed result: 14 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: 17 Thrale Road, London SW16 1NS
Decision date: 1 December 2022
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: HML.
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buildings insurance (2019/2020) | £574 | £574 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2020/2021) | £672 | £672 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2021/2022) | £822 | £822 | Allowed in full | — |
| Buildings insurance (2022/2023) | £950 | £950 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019/2020) | £218 | £218 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2020/2021) | £231 | £231 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021/2022) | £252 | £252 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £290 | £290 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £300 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | — |
| Buildings insurance (2019/2020) | £480 | £480 | Allowed in full | — |
| Repairs & maintenance (2019/2020) | £170 | £156 | Reduced | Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Repairs & maintenance (2020/2021) | £243 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Not payable under the lease |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021/2022) | £189 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Landlord could not evidence the cost |
| Repairs & maintenance (2022/2023) | £300 | £300 | Allowed in full | — |
| Cleaning (2019/2020) | £360 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Cleaning (2020/2021) | £300 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Cleaning (2021/2022) | £650 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Cleaning (2022/2023) | £450 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Legal & professional costs (2019/2020) | £630 | £630 | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2020/2021) | £660 | £660 | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2021/2022) | £660 | £660 | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2022/2023) | £690 | £690 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019/2020) | £425 | £425 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021/2022) | £425 | £425 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019/2020) | £12 | £12 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2020/2021) | £24 | £24 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021/2022) | £24 | £24 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £24 | £24 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019/2020) | £276 | £276 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2019/2020) | £1,068 | £1,068 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2020/2021) | £1,120 | £1,120 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2021/2022) | £1,176 | £1,176 | Allowed in full | — |
| Management fees (2022/2023) | £1,235 | £1,235 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2019/2020) | £5 | £5 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2021/2022) | £1 | £1 | Allowed in full | — |
| Other charges (2022/2023) | £15 | £15 | Allowed in full | — |
| Legal & professional costs (2019/2020) | £300 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Legal & professional costs (2020/2021) | £500 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Legal & professional costs (2021/2022) | £500 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Legal & professional costs (2022/2023) | £500 | £0 | Disallowed entirely | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Other charges (2020/2021) | £6 | £6 | Allowed in full | — |
| Reserve fund contributions (2019/2020) | £2,500 | £2,500 | Allowed in full | — |
| Reserve fund contributions (2020/2021) | £1,500 | £1,500 | Allowed in full | — |
| Reserve fund contributions (2021/2022) | £1,500 | £1,500 | Allowed in full | — |
| Reserve fund contributions (2022/2023) | £38,000 | £10,200 | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Other grounds |
| Major works (2020/2021) | £18,198 | £12,352 | Reduced | Other grounds |
Key passages (verbatim)
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
“The amounts did not seem to us to be unreasonable, and the landlord is entitled to recover the amounts claimed.”
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.