LON/00BK/LSC/2024/0229 — service charge decision
In LON/00BK/LSC/2024/0229, decided 24 April 2025, the First-tier Tribunal considered 15 disputed service charge items at Apartments 2, 4 and 5, 14 Park Crescent and Apartment 1, 8 Park Crescent Mews East, London W1W 5AE and found largely for the leaseholder: 11 items were reduced or disallowed. Full decision on GOV.UK below.
Property: Apartments 2, 4 and 5, 14 Park Crescent and Apartment 1, 8 Park Crescent Mews East, London W1W 5AE
Decision date: 24 April 2025
Full decision: Read on GOV.UK
Managing agent named in the decision: Bruton Street Management Ltd (to Sep 2023); My Home Surveyor (London) Limited (from Oct 2023).
What was challenged and what the tribunal decided
| Item | Demanded | Allowed | Outcome | Grounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other charges (2021-2023) | — | — | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)), Other grounds |
| Utilities (2021-2023) | — | — | Reduced | Costs unreasonably incurred (s19(1)(a)) |
| Utilities (2022) | £76,035.12 | £6,000 | Disallowed entirely | Section 20B 18-month time limit, Demand formally invalid |
| Management fees (2021) | £12,626.46 | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
| Management fees (2022) | £20,796.92 | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
| Management fees (2023) | £18,883.04 | — | Reduced | Fee excessive for service delivered, Standard not reasonable (s19(1)(b)) |
| Utilities (2021-2023) | — | — | Disallowed entirely | Landlord could not evidence the cost, Apportionment error |
| Major works (2021-2024) | — | — | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
| Staffing & concierge (2021) | £21,926.40 | £21,926.40 | Allowed in full | — |
| Staffing & concierge (2021) | £22,971.87 | £22,971.87 | Allowed in full | — |
| Cleaning (2021) | £10,790.40 | £10,790.40 | Allowed in full | — |
| Gardening & grounds (2021) | £1,020 | £1,020 | Allowed in full | — |
| Lifts (2021) | £5,052.55 | — | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021) | £4,106.40 | — | Reduced | No Section 20 consultation |
| Repairs & maintenance (2021) | £960 | £473.43 | Reduced | Apportionment error |
Section 20C order: conditional.
Key passages (verbatim)
“it is right to give an allowance of £10,000 for income which should have been received from third parties for use of the Club by those third parties in each of the service charge years in dispute.”
“a saving of the order of 5 to 10 per cent could have been made. Doing the best we can we reduce the electricity contribution payable by the tenants by 7½ per cent.”
“the notice of 28th June 2023 did not state that any electricity costs had been incurred. Electricity costs cannot be considered to be 'office sundries'. That in our judgment is fatal to the landlord being able to recover electricity costs more than eighteen months after the costs had been incurred.”
“Bruton's fee stands to be reduced to £10,000 plus VAT per annum (suitably pro rata'd in 2023). We will not allow any separate fee in respect of the administration of the Club.”
“Bruton's fee stands to be reduced to £10,000 plus VAT per annum (suitably pro rata'd in 2023). We will not allow any separate fee in respect of the administration of the Club.”
“Bruton's fee stands to be reduced to £10,000 plus VAT per annum (suitably pro rata'd in 2023). We will not allow any separate fee in respect of the administration of the Club.”
“The complete failure to do so is lamentable.”
“We consider it particularly remiss of Bruton not to operate the standard system of raising interim service charges and then to fail timeously to calculate the balancing charge or credit once the final accounts were prepared. The accounts have still not been formally served on the tenants; certification was long delayed.”
“it is right to draw some adverse inference against the landlord from its failure to produce documentary evidence of the issuance of fobs.”
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.