Dear Sheila, Re: NFoPP


The correspondence in your recent issue endorses my reasons for resigning from the NFoPP Board in August 2009. Hugh Dunsmore- Hardy’s letter sums up everything very succinctly. I was NAEA President 2007/8,


the first to be answerable to the NFoPP Board. The Board was devised to be a non public facing organisation, dealing with policy, finance and strategy only. ARLA and the NAEA would maintain the frontline image of estate agency and lettings. It became clear in the first six months that some members of the Board did not wish to maintain this non public face. Following the merger with ARLA, licensing quickly became an important topic. In the absence of any government directives the Board felt that self policing would be an idea worthy of pursuit, and after member consultation, ARLA’s licensing proposals were drawn up and the scheme commenced in 2008. Discussions also took place


in the Members Advisory Forum (MAF) regarding licensing for the NAEA membership. My council was in agreement as to how the scheme should proceed, but were unable to secure support from NFoPP’s Board or Arbon House senior management, as it was ‘not possible’ to administer two different forms of licensing. The licensing system that is now in place is NOT what the NAEA Council originally put in place. It is what NFoPP and the senior management wanted. I have been branded a


‘troublemaker’ by many of the NFoPP Board and Arbon House senior management since my resignation. There was a determined effort by some of the Board and some of the senior management to pursue what they believed was best and this was one of the main reasons for my resignation.


The NAEA licensing scheme is confusing and, in my opinion, not


‘The NAEA licensing scheme is not in my opinion, fit for purpose.’


Stewart Lilly


fit for purpose. Membership is decreasing (down by 30% in four years),


the average age is rising from mid 30’s to mid 50’s. Such a reduction cannot be blamed simpy on the state of the market. I am all for progress, but the membership was not fully advised of the true proposals on licensing. By speaking out I may be


accused of unprofessional conduct or even bringing the Association into disrepute, but I have always believed in the freedom of speech. I sincerely hope that the Board


and Arbon House will review their current stance and start to listen to members’ needs. Without members there won’t be an NFoPP or an NAEA and this is something the NFoPP Board needs to remember. Kind regards


Stewart AG Lilly PPFNAEA (Hon) AUKSPT


Dear Sheila, Re: Grant Shapps on housing


booms (JUNGLEdrum newsletter)


What a great article. It only goes to show why we


have to get away from a system of professional politicians. They know nothing and spout


rubbish. I think we can all agree that in


an idyllic utopia we would all have meaningful, fulfilling jobs, have a roof over our heads, food on the table and money to spend. Life is not like that, too many


people want to have all those things – but don’t actually want to have to do the job or put themselves out in order to have the roof over their head, food on the table and money to spend, they just expect those in work to provide it for them. So can we start to give the


politicians reality classes? Can we be radical and encourage some individuals who have been in the real world to become the sort of politicians who do not have the desire to make politics their career!


Grant Shapps


The best line I saw recently


from a political basis was: “David Cameron has announced


that he intends to make it more difficult to claim benefits. From next week all the forms will be printed in English.” Have a good day and keep writing up the articles they do cause a chuckle in the office when we see such balderdash from those in power! Kind regards


Jonathan Dunne, Property & Financial Director, Charles Higgins


Dear Sheila, Re: UK homes are overpriced by


30% (JUNGLEdrum newsletter) I couldn’t help but reel back from yet another doom-mongering prediction of the UK housing market from those experts at Capital Economics (CE). How many times over the last


10 years have CE been predicting a doomsday scenario and just got it plain wrong? I for one would like to see a comparison chart of what did actually happen to UK house prices over the last 10 years, using data from the Land Registry House Price Index versus the CE predicted version. I have a feeling it would look very bad for CE and their predictions!


This economy does not need CE style crystal ball gazing with the only outcome being that the public is filled with negativity. Kind Regards


Peter Scott MNAEA Director, Bramptons


Dear Sheila, Re: Squatters (JUNGLEdrum


newsletter)


Surely the law (regarding squatters) as it stands is weak and ineffectual, I would have thought the best way forward would be to compel the ‘Squatter’ to prove beyond doubt, in Court, that they had not broken into the property or arranged for a so called ‘handyman’ to do the job. They know it’s not their property so why use it? A shortage of housing is a lame excuse; get a job so you can afford to pay rent! Squatting is a crime against


society and is generally enacted by those who are bone idle lazy and don’t want work and don’t want to be responsible for their own


‘The best thing to do with squatters is to put them in a chain gang!’


action. They despise those of us who do act within a lawful and moral climate. All they want is benefit after benefit so that they can laugh at us for letting them get away with it. As far as I’m concerned the


best thing for them is to arrest them and chain them up in to a chain gang and make them do something positive for society, then we would see an end to so called squatting. Flogging is too good for them. Radical I know but what do


we have to do, what action can we take? Yours sincerely


Ken Wilson, Priory Estate Agents


Dear Sheila, Re: Desperately seeking Susan


Readers may remember that way back in August, I asked for help in finding a new home and Bed & Breakfast in the West Country. Having searched everywhere,


we even attempted to enlist the help of Phil and Kirsty (Location Location actually offered us a ‘slot’ the day after we made our offer on our new house!). We were at the end of our property search tether but the little piece in your magazine produced some great response from your estate agent readers, who sprung into gear to propose several places. I have to say that although


estate agents are constantly criticised, we have had excellent service, both from Chancellors in Lightwater, Surrey who sold our house (back in August!) and many of those in the West Country, including Savills, Jackson Stops and Staff and a lovely lady from Fulfords. It’s been a long haul but we


have now found the home of our dreams and hope to move in in the next couple of weeks. I’d just like to say thank you to


Propertydrum for publicising our plight so effectively and to all the agents who worked so hard to help us! Susan (full name and address supplied).


PROPERTYdrum APRIL 2011 13


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