This site grew out of the E17 Warner Residents Association which was formed in 2013. There are about 4,000 Warner-style flats in Waltham Forest and most are managed by Freehold Managers. At the time, questions about high insurance bills were sent to the local MP, who organised a meeting addressed by FPRA (Federation of Private Residents Associations) and the Lease Advisory Service. They advised setting up a Residents Association.
At that time I heard a story that stayed with me about an elderly woman who’d received a wildly inflated bill for a roof repair. She didn’t know who to turn to and attempted suicide. I set up the website because no-one should have to face that kind of shakedown alone.
In due course the site was receiving queries from leaseholders in all kinds of properties, and a few years ago, expanded into Facebook as Waltham Forest Leaseholders. Going forward the site aims to arrange more advice sessions with solicitors and to provide updates on the movement for reform of leasehold, and hopefully, the introduction of commonhold.
Gerri Ellis