INVOICES demanding as much as £8,000 have been sent by Berneslai Homes to residents of flats to pay for the replacement of lifts and repairs to balconies - including several who live on the ground floor who don’t even use the lifts or have a balcony.
Almost 30 households including many pensioners and elderly people have received the bills demanding about £4,000 after work to replace the lifts at the three blocks of flats off Sheffield Road was carried out last year.
Some of those who have received the bills have also been charged similar amounts on top for work to repair the exterior of Albion House and Buckley House, particularly the balconies, taking their bills to just over £8,000 in some cases.
It affects residents who have bought their flats but retain some responsibility as leaseholders for the communal areas and the building as a whole.
Jean Swift, 83, of Buckley House, lives on the ground floor so has no balcony and does not use the lift.
She has now received a reminder for her bill of £8,375.16 - more than the £7,500 she paid to buy the plat in the first place.
It says: “Failure to make payment within the next seven days will result in further action being taken to recover the overdue amount.”
“I’ve lived in this flat for 27 years and I have used that lift once when I was helping an elderly lady to get back to her flat upstairs,” she said.
“I have no need to use the lifts. Why should I have to pay nearly £4,000 for lifts I never use, and more than £4,000 for a balcony I don’t have?”
Berneslai Homes has since offered the option of adding the bill as a ‘charge’ against the property, meaning it would be payable only when the property is sold or passed on to someone else.
There is also the option to take out an interest-fee payment plan.
But Mrs Swift still says it is not fair. “I’ve never owed anyone anything in my life. I don’t want to leave it for my son and daughter to pay when I’m gone.”
Her son Dave is concerned the distress is affecting her health and could even shorten her life.
“I’m going to be speaking to them and telling them not to contact her about it again,” he said.
“The two letters she’s had already have put her in hospital on both occasions. She’s deteriorated so much since this started already. She used to be a confident and independent woman. Now she daren’t leave the house.
“They’re killing her with this.
“I’m a homeowner. If I can’t afford to have work done at my house, nobody comes round and does it anyway, then sends me a bill for it. It’s absolutely disgusting.”
Graham Hanson, 70, who lives on the top floor of Albion House, said one of the most frustrating facts was that Britannia House residents only have to pay for lifts - they already had the exterior repairs done a few years ago for free because it fell within the first ten years of the lease agreements.
“They were built at the same time, they should have done all the repairs at the same time.
“I just don’t see we should have to pay it, not when they've had the same work done for free.
“How can they expect people to have this sort of money available straight away? It’s mostly pensioners living here.”
Beryl Dakin, who lives on the ground floor at Albion House, received her letter just days after the death of her husband. “It was just devastating to get that letter,” she said.
“They said we could pay it over four years. That’s over £150 a month. Then they said six years, but that’s still over £100 a month. How do they expect people to find that out of a pension?
“Those that rent don’t have to pay anything.”
Coun Doug Birkinshaw lives in Albion House and is one of those affected.
He said he believed the option of loading the charge onto the property should be made available to all those affected, not just those who can prove they can’t afford it.
“It should not be means tested,” he said. “That way it doesn’t affect the living standards of people living in these flats.”
A spokesman for Berneslai Homes confirmed there are 29 leaseholders in total in Albion House, Buckley House and Britannia House.
The spokesman said: “These homeowners have a legal obligation under the terms of their lease to pay for their share of the costs when major works are undertaken to their block.
“All of the charges being made fall within the terms of the lease. We appreciate that the costs of major works can be high and may come as a shock to some if they have not made any provision for such bills.
“To assist homeowners in the blocks, a six year interest free payment arrangement is available. Homeowners who don’t have the means to pay have been offered the alternative option of a charge being made against the flat which would be recoverable on its assignment.
“Any combination of these options is also available. Where requested council officers have arranged home visits to discuss the arrangements available on a one-to-one basis.”
