MP speaks out on behalf of 'fleeceholder' residents

LIBERAL Democrat MP for Glastonbury and Somerton, Sarah Dyke, spoke out in Parliament to highlight cases of local leaseholder residents who have been hit with extortionate service fee hikes, or locked into opaque and punitive contracts they can’t escape.

- DANIEL MUMBY Local democracy journalist [e-mail]

Speaking in a debate on estate management companies, Sarah Dyke described the case of Anne, a resident at Cavalier Way in Wincanton.

Because the 50 properties are leasehold, owners and tenants are generally obliged to pay service charges for their homes and the grounds they stand on. Most residents are “more than happy to pay reasonable charges’ but this year they've seen the charge “hiked up” - by thousands of pounds in some instances.

“Anne moved into a flat on Cavalier Way in Wincanton a year ago, having budgeted for a manageable service charge of £750,” the MP said. “Within the last few months, she's been hit with a shocking £7,000 invoice from RMG, the management company, to cover stairwell repairs without any consultation whatsoever.”