ArmASURGERY Nuisance neighbours


QUESTION Iamwritingtoyouregarding problemswithmyneighbourswhichhave beengoingonnowforwellovertwoyears. Theissueis thesmell comingfromtheir propertydueto the vastamount of cannabis beingsmokedthereonadailybasis.They have alsosold drugs fromtheproperty whichhasbeenwitnessedandreported to thepolice.Asaresultofthistheflathas beenraidedseveraltimes, their frontdooris brokenandlockedwithapadlock.They are sub-tenants;Ihave writtento their landlord andhehasignoredmyletter.Iamnotwilling toputupwith this issueanylonger.Iam scared,depressedandill.Bothmyhusband andIhavebeeninterviewedbythePolice in caseanyfutureactionis takenagainst these people;sofarasIcanseenoactionisbeing taken. Icannotevensellmypropertyand moveaway fromthisnightmaresituation asno-onewillwant tobuyitwith all these problems.Iwantthemanagingagenttodo somethingabout it.What canhedo?


ANSWER This issue ofnuisanceneighbours comesuptimeandtimeagain inoneformor another.Theoutlineyougiveabove (summarised fromyour original longletter)isaratherextreme casebut bynomeans rare.Youdonotsay whetheryourneighbours feel thesameasyou do.There isauseful leaseholderadvisorynoteon theARMAwebsite (LAN12Anti-SocialBehaviour atwww.arma.co.uk/public/h/advice)whichyou mightfindhelpful.However,essentially you must bear inmindthatamanagingagent can be veryhelpfulbutispowerless to take action throughtheLVTor the courts as the agent isnot partyto the leaseandtherefore the covenants. Thefirst step foramanagingagent is tocheck


with theother peoplesharingyour common staircaseareaand,nodisrespecttoyou,butmake sure of the facts: there are somelesseeswho


A question ofmediation


QUESTIONOurblockismanaged byafreeholdlandlord.We’ve beenindisputewithhimover themanagementandservice chargeseversincehebought itthreeyearsago.Hestarted suingusforrecoveryandthe Courtorderedamediation. We’vebeentoldthatat mediation,itdoesn’tmatterif you’rerightorwrong,you’ll havetocompromiseorgive somethingawaysomewhere. Whatismediationandhowdoes itwork?


ANSWER Mediationis a private method of tryingto resolve disputes or,inlaw-speak:without prejudicenegotiations.Whatever is said,oroffersmade to settle atmediation, cannot be relied uponinCourtifyoufail to agree.


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Themediatorisaneutral person whohasnoauthoritytoimposea decision:his job is to findcommon areasandbuildonthemtofinda resultwhicheachof youiswilling to accept,however reluctantly,but itwill beavoluntaryagreement betweeneachof youif that agreement is reached. Youwill be told that youcan


walkoutatanytimeif youfeelit’s notworking,andthere’snothing else to say.Mediationworks very wellwhenboth partieswantto settleandyouhave a skilled mediator.Mediationdoesnot workwellwhenoneparty,or both,, are using it to explore theother side’sweaknesses or delaytheinevitable,orhas aterrorist’sviewof peace: “ofcourse Iwantpeacebut


are using it to explore


onlyonmyterms...” Remember, lawiswhat is


relevantwhenyougetinfrontofa Judge. Tacticsandmoney arewhat arerelevantatall othertimes, especiallyinfrontofamediator. Dothelesseeshaveaunitedfront anda commonpool ofmoney to paycosts?Does thelandlord really wantthismanagement?Why? Have youclaimed your RightTo Manage?Ifthebuildingorlessees donotqualify forRTM,havethe leaseholders considered applying to theLVTfor amanager to be appointedaspartof anysettlement.


Does your lease entitlethe


Lawiswhat is


relevant when you get in front of a Judge


landlord to chargelegal fees to theservice chargeaccount? If so, he has an advantage.Haveyou served aS.20C applicationtolimit what legalfeeshecan chargeto theservice chargeaccount? If so, youhavereduced hisadvantage. Donotget toohunguponyour perception of rightorwrong.Half thepeoplewho have beentold by theirlawyers that they have a strongcaselose.


What does that tell youabout lawandlawyers?Myadvice: sortout your best tactics, go to mediationanddonotleaveuntil youhave a settlement. Lawyer representationatmediationcan help;myexperience is that,more often, they getinthewayofan agreementwhich,without


them,thepartieswould reach.


Autumn2012 Flat Living


Illegal activity maybe stopped by installing CCTV cameras


unjustly complain abouttheirneighbours for theirownpersonal reasons. Thenext step for themanagingagent is to


telephonetheleaseholderoftheflatandaskwhy noactionis beingtaken.Isay telephone, because it is oftenthecasethatfarmoreinformationwill comeoutofatelephoneconversationthanwill ever comeoutofletters oremails. Youcanalso judge the toneor attitude of


somebodyoverthephoneinaway that isnot possible in lettersandemails.Itisrareforacase suchas youdescribetoreachthispointwithout resolution; it ispossible that theleaseholdowner of theflat is afriendoranother familymember whowants to provideahomefor thesub-tenants butnotwithin theirownhome!Ithappens. Theremay be otherreasons fortheownerof


the flat takingnoaction. Your lease probably provides that youcanoblige your landlord to take appropriateenforcement action,butonly if youpay thecostsofdoingso.Thatisavery highhurdle formost peopletoovercome. If the nuisance is generalandsevere,itissometimes thecasethatdirectors ofamanagement companywill take actiononthe basis of a servicechargecost forwhatevercostscannotbe recovered. Whether thelandlord proceedstoanLVTcase


for a determinationof a breachof lease, or goes to theCountyCourt forforfeiture, evidence is required. You,andanybodyelse sufferingfrom


thenuisancewhowishes it to be resolved,will have tomakeoutawitness statement,whichis theevidenceonwhichaTribunalorCourtwill rely in order tomakewhatever determinationor judgement they domake.There isnoquestion of complaininganonymouslywhenthere is a seriousnuisancetoresolve eventhoughmany peoplewish that therewas. Onthebasis ofwhatwasinyourletter, the


most cost-effectiveroutewouldprobablybefor thelandlord tomakeanapplicationtotheLVT foradeterminationofabreachoflease.Ihave assumedthat, as youhavecomplained to the Police,youhave probably also complained to theEnvironmentHealth Office of yourLocal Council, theHealthandSafetyExecutiveand anyother bodywhichmightbepersuadedtotake someactionfor little ornocost to you.Another wayofeffectivelystoppingorlimitingillegal activities is to persuade thelandlord/managing agenttoinstallCCTVcamerasandrecording equipment. Providingtheequipmentissafefromdamage


andvandalism,it is oftenaneffectivemethodof eitherputtingoffvisitorswithcriminalintent or obtainingevidencetothateffect.Whichever course youorthemanagingagentdecides topursue, somereallyhard evidence orLVT determinationwillthenbeavailabletoput to the leaseholdowner of theflat,hopefullywith far more effect in findinga resolution.


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