Local Residents Win Victory Over Landlord

Five figure fine for unfair service charges in Acton Lane

A group of leaseholders at a property in Chiswick have won their battle against what they claimed was excessive service charges by the company managing their flats. The tribunal has awarded a fine of £48,000 against the management company.

The owners of five flats at Old Timber Court, above McMillan Williams Solicitors in Acton Lane took their management agent to the tribunal for overcharging.

The London Residential Property, First Tier Tribunal, Property Chamber instructed that £48,000 be repaid to the residents. The company has until 7th August to appeal against the decision.

The leader of the residents group, Tara Doyle, says it took courage to go up against the agents, one of whom, Colum Smith, is the Chief Executive Officer of McMillan Williams Solicitors Limited, whose company owns one of the seven flats above.

The tenants pay a management fee. The service charges were made on top of this for the upkeep of the building. Examples quoted included a sum of £12,960 to repaint and reseal the windows, and £1,492 for replacing emergency lightbulbs, which the tribunal judged excessive.

Tenants said they were not given the invoices from the contractors’ invoices, only the management company’s own invoice for work done, sometimes for an ‘overspend’ without itemised details. The tribunal examined three years worth of bills and instructed the agents to repay £48,000.

Councillor Ranjit Gill said it was "a very brave move by Tara and her success needs to be celebrated."

September 28, 2018