Category: The Buzz

In just eight weeks, HorNet has over 100 FaceBook group members and a growing number of newsletter subscribers.  This has all been by word of mouth or through FaceBook, there has not yet been a “launch” involving other organisations.

What do you see as helping us work together to fight the injustice we face?

Some ideas include:

Providing a “toolkit” for campaigning- to include a leaflet to print and template letters. Also press contacts, and sympathetic politicians.

Having volunteers from each area who would be willing to phone or meet people for a less virtual network.

Keeping a database of numbers, locations and management companies, which would be available to members to support their case in campaigns.

A web site forum – would you use it if you can post to FaceBook?

Please either comment on this, or use the contact form to email your views – any ideas most welcome!

 

 

 

The All Party Parliamentary Group looking at problems around build quality for new home buyers/owners has not yet published its full findings, but the Chair has indicated there will be a New Homes Ombudsman – see this article.

This is great news for people trying to get their home defects fixed and should offer an alternative to going to court.

We don’t think the group looked at how the non adopted land is managed, but there is an opportunity to lobby for the ombudsman’s role to be extended to include this.  Please help by writing to your MP – you can use this template letter as a basis.

 

In the Queen’s speech today the government announce their ambition to deliver one million new homes. That is a potential one million new members for us unless some form of regulation is introduced to protect us.  We are advised by a Justice Minister that we may go to court to dispute our contracts, we know that, thank you.  What we are asking for is regulation including a more accessible adjudication process to deal with disputes, not jobs for the legal profession.

Our site and Face Book group has been on line just over a month and over 100 people have joined our network.  This is great – but there must be many thousands out there in the same position. We have created a campaign leaflet to distribute on your development, or even nearby new build estates if you are feeling enthusiastic!  You can download the leaflet here:Campaign_leaflet

What do people feel would be useful resources to encourage and support you to take action?

We are planning to put on our resources page some practical guides from those with experience about :

• Resisting the bullying – processes to follow and what to expect.
• Complaining about your solicitor if you were not informed about the service charge, and/or the implications of becoming a freeholder on a private estate.
• Writing to your MP – would a template letter be useful?
• Submitting a freedom of information request to your local council to find out who was responsible for allowing the development to go ahead as a private estate.

This is for starters – please comment – would these be useful and support you in taking action? Anything else you would like to see??