Coppen estates home insurance penalties?

[bigrbuk 10]

On 08/02/2019 at 16:45, geared said:

Have you plugged some numbers into any of the online estimators to get an idea of how much you'd be looking at paying??

 

It might be less than you'd thought (and significantly less than Coppen could have quoted you)

 

https://www.freeholdcalculator.com/freehold.php

I have, we're looking at around £2.5k plus solicitors costs, not the kind of money I have lying around.

Edited February 12, 2019 by bigrbuk

[kporter229 10]

I am now in shock.  Coppen have answered the phone!!   I spoke to a guy called Robert but didn't really get anywhere.   He told me their procedure  was to continue billing for the insurance charge despite receiving the notice, and when they property comes up for sale they look to check the validity of the notices! He told me I was in order to continue just paying the ground rent and that the admin charge of £6 was a mistake and would be taken off the account.   He is going to email me a revised invoice.   I didn't go into the fact that the invoice was invalid because it was not laid out correctly.

 

I then raised the point that they ignored every communication I had had with them, to which he had no answer.   I particularly raised the point about them ignoring my counter offer to buy the freehold reversion last year (I'm not sure that's the correct phrase there!) .   He said he could see the offer on file, but the actual freehold was owned by another individual and they were the middle man and only followed instructions.    I pointed out that it was one of their directors (Alan Pennington I think) that was named as the owner of the lease, but he claimed not to know he was a director!

 

 

[iwbsheff 10]

" He told me their procedure  was to continue billing for the insurance charge despite receiving the notice, and when they property comes up for sale they look to check the validity of the notices"

 

and then try to convince your buyer that there's some kind of outstanding charge to pay and generally hold up the sale to the aggravation of all involved?  

[Cyclone 10]

20 hours ago, kporter229 said:

I am now in shock.  Coppen have answered the phone!!   I spoke to a guy called Robert but didn't really get anywhere.   He told me their procedure  was to continue billing for the insurance charge despite receiving the notice, and when they property comes up for sale they look to check the validity of the notices! He told me I was in order to continue just paying the ground rent and that the admin charge of £6 was a mistake and would be taken off the account.   He is going to email me a revised invoice.   I didn't go into the fact that the invoice was invalid because it was not laid out correctly.

 

I then raised the point that they ignored every communication I had had with them, to which he had no answer.   I particularly raised the point about them ignoring my counter offer to buy the freehold reversion last year (I'm not sure that's the correct phrase there!) .   He said he could see the offer on file, but the actual freehold was owned by another individual and they were the middle man and only followed instructions.    I pointed out that it was one of their directors (Alan Pennington I think) that was named as the owner of the lease, but he claimed not to know he was a director!

 

 

If they don't own the freehold then can they invoice you at all, even on behalf of the actual freeholder?

[geared 316]

6 hours ago, Cyclone said:

If they don't own the freehold then can they invoice you at all, even on behalf of the actual freeholder?

Yes, but only if they follow correct procedure, which apparently Coppen don't do anyway.

 

 

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

On 06/02/2019 at 08:22, Cyclone said:

Isn't a fake invoice (ie one for which they know there is no legal basis) fraud?

 

For example if I just invoice Copen now (I have nothing to do with them, no relationship at all), for some made up item (perhaps time spent discussing their antics on this forum), then am I not committing fraud?

Yes. Fraud Act 2006.

 

On 13/02/2019 at 08:24, Cyclone said:

If they don't own the freehold then can they invoice you at all, even on behalf of the actual freeholder?

 

On 13/02/2019 at 14:56, geared said:

Yes, but only if they follow correct procedure, which apparently Coppen don't do anyway.

 

On 13/02/2019 at 08:24, Cyclone said:

 

An Agent can submit an invoice on behalf of a principal, under common-law agency rules.

Edited February 17, 2019 by Jeffrey Shaw

[Jeffrey Shaw 90]

On 12/02/2019 at 11:55, kporter229 said:

I am now in shock.  Coppen have answered the phone!!   I spoke to a guy called Robert but didn't really get anywhere.   He told me their procedure  was to continue billing for the insurance charge despite receiving the notice, and when they property comes up for sale they look to check the validity of the notices! He told me I was in order to continue just paying the ground rent and that the admin charge of £6 was a mistake and would be taken off the account.   He is going to email me a revised invoice.   I didn't go into the fact that the invoice was invalid because it was not laid out correctly.

 

I then raised the point that they ignored every communication I had had with them, to which he had no answer.   I particularly raised the point about them ignoring my counter offer to buy the freehold reversion last year (I'm not sure that's the correct phrase there!) .   He said he could see the offer on file, but the actual freehold was owned by another individual and they were the middle man and only followed instructions.    I pointed out that it was one of their directors (Alan Pennington I think) that was named as the owner of the lease, but he claimed not to know he was a director!

 

 

Family tree:

Alan Copley Pennington [COP-PEN, you see] is the grandfather.

Shaun Alan Pennington is his son.

Robert is his son.