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Clash of lifestyles upsets battling Beryl
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| Battling pensioner: Beryl Pearce. |
ANDOVER council tax rebel, Beryl Pearce, aged 86, is considering returning to court to take legal action against something she maintains is robbing dozens of pensioners of their peace and quiet.
Beryl who lives at Coldharbour Court says young people are increasingly taking over the leases of homes on the complex - which was specifically built for the old and sold to them on that basis in 1983.
She says younger people currently occupy a dozen of the 41 homes at Coldharbour Court and their lifestyles are incompatible with those of the retired.
All she needs to fight the case, she says, is financial help.
Her request for legal aid has been rejected. "I want a stop put to this," she said.
"Some young people are noisy or work unusual hours but the older residents want peace and quiet at our time of life."
She says nothing can be done unless the matter goes to court and even then it could be a long and expensive battle.
Other residents, who did not wish to be identified, said they had suffered sleepless nights, had problems with parking and seen cigarette butts scattered around.
However, one of the twentysomethings, Charles Gibbs, who has lived in the complex for six months, hoped things would improve.
"We have been a bit noisy but have apologised and promised to be quieter in the future," he said.
The homes, built by Swattons, were opened to much acclaim in 1983, and advertised as luxury flats designed specifically for retirement complete with warden, a post now redesignated as manager'.
The Retirement Lease Housing Association (RLHA) acquired the freehold of Coldharbour Court in 2000, after being chosen by the overwhelming majority of leaseholders.
"If RLHA were to seek to impose an age restriction on occupants in any block other than Block E, we would be infringing the rights of those leaseholders," said Ben Young, chief executive.
"We could also be laying ourselves open to a claim for damages from sellers who could say they were being hampered in their effort to sell at the best possible price.
"Mrs Pearce purchased her flat from another leaseholder in 2001, and prior to purchasing we gave her RLHA's comprehensive information pack which explained that her block has no age restriction."
4:48pm Friday 2nd May 2008
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CommentPosted by: Derek, andover on 3:33pm Sat 3 May 08
I feel sorry for her and al the other pensioers in the block who deserve to have some peace and quiet.
The powers that be should get their act together and deal with this problem but mealy mouthed excuses are all you get these days.
Very sad, but I wonder what the world will be like in 30 years' time.
I feel sorry for her and al the other pensioers in the block who deserve to have some peace and quiet.
The powers that be should get their act together and deal with this problem but mealy mouthed excuses are all you get these days.
Very sad, but I wonder what the world will be like in 30 years' time.
Posted by: Sarah, Andover on 6:51pm Sat 3 May 08
What we need is a massive social housing building program to replace everything that was sold off by Thatcher and to ensure that people of all ages are catered for properly and given the chance to live in affordable homes once again.
Public housing needs to be public, run by local authorities not housing associations which are undemocratic.
If a local authority mis-handles its housing stock the community can complain through the ballot box at election time, however if a housing association fails to deliver then all people like Beryl have access to is a fairly protracted complaints proceecure and a toothless housing ombudsman...
What we need is a massive social housing building program to replace everything that was sold off by Thatcher and to ensure that people of all ages are catered for properly and given the chance to live in affordable homes once again.
Public housing needs to be public, run by local authorities not housing associations which are undemocratic.
If a local authority mis-handles its housing stock the community can complain through the ballot box at election time, however if a housing association fails to deliver then all people like Beryl have access to is a fairly protracted complaints proceecure and a toothless housing ombudsman...
Posted by: Tim, Andover on 8:20pm Thu 8 May 08
[quote]"Mrs Pearce purchased her flat from another leaseholder in 2001, and prior to purchasing we gave her RLHA's comprehensive information pack which explained that her block has no age restriction."[/quote]
So no age restrictions means people over the age of 40? 50? 60? 70?
No it means Any age.
Young people need to live somewhere as well. Some people have to work unusual hours, because its there job, are you saying that people can only live there if they got a 9am to 5pm job?
"Mrs Pearce purchased her flat from another leaseholder in 2001, and prior to purchasing we gave her RLHA's comprehensive information pack which explained that her block has no age restriction."
So no age restrictions means people over the age of 40? 50? 60? 70?
No it means Any age.
Young people need to live somewhere as well. Some people have to work unusual hours, because its there job, are you saying that people can only live there if they got a 9am to 5pm job?
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