It has been a great year for HorNet. Our membership has more than doubled to around 2500 and we are sharing and collating information with each other, and importantly the public, media and MPs.
Starting from a point where no one seemed to have heard of our plight, we ended the year with a well informed mention in a parliamentary debate on leasehold abuse from Mary Glindon MP for North Tyneside (read it here). Whilst this debate quite rightly was focused on the abuse of leasehold houses. We know that the perils of the private estate are becoming more obvious as leaseholders on new build estates try to buy their so called freehold, only to find they are out of the frying pan into the fire. One of these folks has coined the very apt term of “fleecehold”.
In the media, we have had three items broadcast by R4 You and Yours and in addition to members’ items in the local press, the issue has been picked up by the Times and the Guardian. We expect there will be more.
We have been working closely with the National Leasehold Campaign, who have done a wonderful job in highlighting the onerous clauses attached to new build leasehold houses, and will continue to campaign, with our support, for the introduction of common hold and the abolition of leasehold tenure. The next big step will be the abolition of private estates!
On the political front, individual members have been engaging their MPs and as an organisation, we have submitted responses to two government consultations. We continue to lobby ministers and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Leasehold and Common Hold Reform.
A huge thank you to everyone who has taken action of any sort – keep it up – we are getting there!
None of this would have happened without the effort and commitment of you, our members.
Moving in to 2018…..
Numbers matter, so get your neighbours to join, engage with other local new build estates, help with our coordinated email campaigns and if you haven’t already done so, please submit your estate details.
Government is slow to act, a change in the law could be forced by a legal challenge – 2018 will be a good year to make this happen with your support.
Excellent summary of where we currently stand, Cathy. Thank you. Justice is on our side, and eventually we WILL put all the wrongs to right. Thank you for creating this website and HorNet’s Facebook page, so that we have been able to unite and to deal with this problem together.