Persimmon fatcat says he isn’t going to hand over freeholds at Bluebell Meadow
… Even though taxpayers through Help To Buy subsidised these flawed purchases, which also helped make him a multimillionaire
Persimmon CEO David Jenkinson, who received a controversial bonus of £45 million which saw his predecessor sacked, has said he will not be handing over the freeholds to houses sold as leasehold at Bluebell Meadow in Bradwell, Norfolk.
In a letter to former local MP and housing minister Brandon Lewis – who is standing for re-election, Mr Jenkinson addressed the deluge of correspondence from Bluebell Meadow leaseholders who want the freehold to their homes.
“… your constituents request us to ‘return’ the freehold reversions to their leasehold homes to them free of charge.
“The basis for this appears to be that we are alleged to have in some way mis-sold the homes by withholding certain information.
“The email alludes to a recent case in Cardiff in which a few of our leasehold house owners did receive the freehold reversion to their homes.”
Gary Streeter MP: Hand over the freeholds at Saltram Meadows, Persimmon, or else lose Help To Buy …
Mr Jenkinson tells Mr Lewis that leasehold houses “provided a good way of reducing the price of houses and helped many more first-time buyers get onto the housing ladder”.
Only because of Help To Buy did Persimmon decide to stop selling the houses at Bluebell Meadow, says Mr Jenkinson.
Others might say that the national scandal over leasehold houses, revealed by the Leasehold Knowledge Partnership which was taken up in all national media and in Parliament, actually made house builders abandon this lucrative racket.
The horror stories of people who have bought new Persimmon homes
People living in Persimmon-built estates have experienced all manner of problems after moving in to their new homes. From the house with walls so bad that he neighbours laughed to the U-turn by Persimmon in giving away leaseholds for free, homeowners have told us the reality of their dream home is more like a nightmare.
Mr Jenkinson indicates that 134 houses at Bluebell Meadow were sold leasehold in phase 1 of the scheme. But that the 621 subsequent houses will be sold freehold.
The leasehold houses at Bluebell Meadow pay out £150pa in ground rent, reviewed with RPI every 10 years, and the leases are for 999 years.
“Persimmon refutes any allegation that the leasehold houses on this development were somehow mis-sold.”
Mr Jenkinson references “independent legal advisors” – the solicitors recommended by Persimmon – who “would have made it quite clear that their client was acquiring a leasehold home”.
The full correspondence, including Persimmon’s response to the Bluebell Meadow leaseholders, is attached below. And their response to Persimmon is below that:
PersimmonSaysNoBluebellMeadows
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Do Jenkinson expect us to believe that certain benefits offered by leasehold would only benefit purchasers in certain parts of the country where they built leasehold homes.
Persimmon ceased selling leasehold homes when government sent lthe letter in Dec 2017..
I question why they haven’t sold freeholds since 2014 to interested 3rd parties. When they were selling off freehold they claim it was because their core business was building and not as a ground rents collection company.
Jenkinson promotes the 999 year lease with a ground rent of £150 in this example, yet at the Select Committee he couldn’t provide evidence when then their leases stopped being of zero value and started being an income producing asset.
Persimmon, an immoral company in the highest degree.
I have little doubt that the Persimmon panel solicitors did point out that the homes were leasehold.
But did those solicitors make purchasers aware of what the implications of leasehold were?
And did they suggest that because the lease was for a 999 year term it was like a virtual freehold?
Did a single panel solicitor advise a purchaser not to go ahead with the purchase?
Help to Buy should be removed from Persimmon and the other developers until the freeholds are returned to house buyers.
As the spokesperson for Bluebell Meadow on this., it is absolutely disgraceful that they can get away with it. No real responses made to the long letter I sent pulling their letter to Brandon Lewis apart.
Brilliant work by you. And sympathy to all leasehold house victims at Bluebell Meadow. Make the candidates lives hell until they address this.
And this is how Persimmon responded to Paul:
Dear …
Thank you for your email of the 28 September written in connection with your leasehold home.
We strongly refute any suggestion that you were mis-sold a leasehold house for the reasons we have already stated. We would expect any solicitor to advise his/her client of the terms of a lease; if you feel your solicitor did not properly or fully advise you on the terms of the lease then you should consider making a complaint to their governing body (the Law Society or the Council of Licensed Conveyancers). Investigations show that the reservation agreement and the reservation checklist (that you signed) both dated 27 August 2016 indicate the leasehold tenure of your home.
Some time ago, we listened to often unjustified concerns about leasehold tenure and, in consultation with the government, stakeholders and our customers, we decided to stop selling leasehold houses. We made this decision quickly. At the time of reservation of your home we had not made that decision to change from leasehold to freehold and therefore there can be no suggestion that this company misled you. That said, we stand by our house lease; it is granted for an extremely long term and reserves a low ground rent with a fair review mechanism. In order to best serve our customers, we have also given all our current leaseholders the right to buy the freehold at a competitive price that reflects market value without the customer having to apply to a Tribunal.
You also mention that you are unhappy with some of the covenants being applied to the title of your home. Covenants are commonly imposed by developers and this is done to preserve the aesthetic quality of an estate and for the mutual benefit of residents. The covenants that have been imposed are not unduly onerous. This company does not use covenants as a source of revenue. There are very modest administrative fees for checking plans for more major alterations works but many minor changes do not require the payment of any fee at all.
We are genuinely sorry that you still feel aggrieved by the situation. However, having investigated this matter thoroughly, we do not feel that you have been misled into the purchase of a leasehold house and have answered the questions and points that you have raised. We have sold you a house at a market price that reflected market conditions and its tenure and on reasonable leasehold terms. We now believe this matter is now closed.
Yours sincerely
Persimmon Homes Limited
Dear Persimmon Homes Limited,
You may now believe this matter is now closed.
However, your customers, your potential customers,social groups MP’s, local Councillors and the media may not quite agree with you?
As time goes by, you will discover that it is your customers that close the matter not you?
The Persimmon letter is correct : look at the fine print of
any Property purchase : it isn’t a jar of Coffee on sale.
Ask questions at the Show House , ask to see a copy
of the Lease or Freehold before paying any deposit.
Leasehold House buyers should
stop moaning & complaining.
Stefano. Actually it’s not correct. If you read my letter with completely accurate legal points, then look at the generic response you will see the issue. Unless you are David in disguise?
Admin fees are not in the fine print. Doh.
Leaseholders have been cheated, to use the colourful words of our PM
Has anyone ever been shown a copy of a lease in any show house?
No Michael we had to pay our non refundable deposit before the plot would be reserved and it wasn’t until we went to see the Persimmon recommended solicitor after paying did we find out it was a leasehold property.
Paul is representing us well with this and we also used help to buy for our property, so maybe the government should also be partly responsible.
Well, the Conservatives have committed – for the fourth time – to banning leasehold houses on which taxpayers have wasted a packet to help people buy, so start beating up Brandon Lewis. All would-be MPs need to be onside with this.
That fellow Stefano is just a sector troll, but more coherent today than usual.
Thanks for the info on “Stefano” Admin..
Childish idiot – Stefano, soon as I saw your posts I was reminded of the words from a Ronan Keating song
“You say it best
When you say nothing at all”
admin & Trevor Bradley : What idiots you both are : THICK MORONS.
You BOTH have no arguments for DAFT people buying DAFT Leases and
paying HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS.
HOW STUPID IS THAT ! Olympic GOLD MEDAL STUPID.
Trevor Bradley is not so Clever , more like a 2 year old with 2 brain cells
Go listen to your Ronan Keating song, Bloody Arse.
Brian Epstein says
Has anyone ever been shown a copy of a lease in any show house?
Read THE TEXT : GET 650 MPs TO Change the Law
How many time do I have to tell you Leasehold
moaners & complainers – OTHERWISE SHUT UP
Lord Help Us.
WWWAAAHHH !!! I want my Ground Rent Money Back – I need Petrol for my Car ….
and my Nappy changed WWWwwwaaaAAAhhHHH . Where´s My Mum !!
I don´t want to pay Service Charge . WWWwwwaaaAAAhhhHH ..
That´s what you people sound like.. Give it a rest.
——————————————————————-
whinge whinge whinge whinge whinge whinge whinge
/wɪn(d)ʒ/
Learn to pronounce
informal•British
verb: whinge; 3rd person present: whinges; past tense: whinged; past participle: whinged; gerund or present participle: whingeing; gerund or present participle: whinging
complain persistently and in a peevish or irritating way.
“stop whingeing and get on with it!”
Cherrie Hall says to her Husband Albert Hall ……
All you people that waffle about Property Law is
because you changed you mind about something that you signed and have to pay for:
Contract Law doesn´t apply to you : GO INVENT TIME TRAVEL if you are CLEVER ENOUGH !
Nobody in the NEW BUILD Sales Office or Estate Agent coerced YOU TO SIGN ANYTHING.
What don´t you understand ?
You people are like the critics of VAR on Match of the Day and Sky.
You moan & moan & moan & moan & moan about it and yet YOU have forgotten for the
last few decades everybody crticises the ref´s decision after the match because of
Slow Motion replays Duh !! Duh!! Duh !!!
650 MPs have done almost nothing about Leasehold manipulation and abuse
BUT STILL LEGAL because it is a CONTRACT
650 MPs are going to do almost nothing to help the hundreds of IDIOTS
who are STUPID enough to sign those Contracts.
When 650 MPs return to the Commons.
Elsewhere on these pages and articles I have suggested a few New Laws
and Procedures in the Sales Offices for new build Flats & Houses that are
Leasehold and Freehold.
I might add one addition : where the Buyer has raised issue concerning the
Build Quality and Workmanship , the Buyer can CANCEL the Transaction
for a FULL REFUND .
The LKP can collate my comments under a New Heading for discussion.
——————————————————————————
Where any property has had the Transaction CANCELLED for FULL REFUND
the HISTORY of the Dispute between the Builder and the Buyer
HAS TO BE DISCLOSED to any NEW POTENTIAL BUYER.
Any Remedial work and Repairs to the property has to be DISCLOSED
and Included in the TITLE DEEDS and any MARKETING of the Property.
This means NO MORE SECRETS from the Sales Office & Property Company.
e.g. walls that have only HALF the INSULATION (to save money)
e.g. walls built with 10% of the required cement (to save money)
e.g. internal doors made of flimsy timber & hardboard (to save money)
e.g. windows that leak because of no sealant (to save money)
If these details now repaired are NOT DISCLOSED then the Land Registry
or Property Ombudsman or Land Tribunal shall issue a SUBSTANTIAL
Fine or Penalty to the Sales Official and the Property Company.
—————————————————————————–
The Sales Official has to be Qualified , Licenced and Authorised with
suitable experience and responsibilty for the work.
That means a formal REGISTER with Formal Training and Indemnity Insurance
for Sales Office Staff : this also means no more
´Dodgy Wide Boys Here Today & Gone Tomorrow Spivs´ or
´Mums with a bit of Spare Time before the Kids Come Home From School´
They now have to be ACCOUNTABLE.
It isn´t Rocket Science.
In say chaps, you have some rum people commenting here, and that is not including Stephen.
Once again I say, the staying power of those campaigning against leasehold – and the crooks involved – is amazing.
David McArthur & Brian Epstein you dumb arses :
They are my suggestions : 650 MPs have been disreacted by Brexit for 3 years ,
I pressed on ´Post Comment´ for my other comments and the stupid Web interface
lost my text. I´ve been emailing the alleged experts at the LKP for years and they
ignore my emails – so now I post my Almighty Wisdom about Leasehold & Freehold
reform direct.
Why don´t you two brain boxes suggest NEW Laws in the next Parliament ?
There is NO LAW against RICH or POOR people buying Freehold Title at Auction.´
There is NO LAW against Husban d& Wife arranging HUGE MORTGAGES to buy
hundreds of houses in Ashford Kent , decades ago.
Unless Property Law is changed to STOP MULTIPLE BULK HOUSE & FLAT purchases
the lower paid will never be able to afford. Personally I find the concept
of Buy To Let Investments unpleasent –
but some people – THE TENANTS – are stupid : THEY RENT !
It would take a Labour Govt to have strong Leasehold & Freehold reforms.
WE JUST HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN THE UK
QUICK & EASY PROPERTY LAW REFORM for you Dumb Arses who MOAN & COMPLAIN
I first heard about Lemon Laws from the USA (quite a few) decades ago.
And I thought : Why don´t we have those Lemon Laws here in the UK?
The reason is ….. 650 MPs.
All it needs are amendments to the Sale Of Goods Act to cover
NEW BUILD LEASEHOLD & FREEHOLD FLATS & HOUSES and
NEW & USED Cars here in the UK.
What could be simpler when BREXIT is finally sorted ?
Lets have the updated Lemon Laws effective 2025.
——————————————————————
I emailed a FEW MPs and Newspapers with the above
message just 3 minutes ago
STAFANO or “Stephen” – ed. methinks we should be informed !
It is not me,
I advance arguments that I hope are thought provoking I most certainly do not use foul language to get my point across
That rings very true.
Your posts are very polite.
May disagree with your points, but appreciate how well (and the effort you make) to articulate yourself.
I don’t think any regular reader or poster would think for one moment that it was you Stephen.
I would agree with what Tony has said
Of course, above should read STEFANO.
I put a fiver on it being Chas!
No it won’t be Chas, the posts are no where near long enough!!!
I’ll take the bet it’s not Chas
Stefano is a Big Pseudonym
Please can we remind people not to be rude. Comments will be edited or removed.
Please don’t pretend to be someone else and please don’t pick fights with other posters