Homeowners, tenants and ex-employees of the GHA have come forward to get help and advice relating to possible exposure to asbestos. They have been put in touch with expert legal help. If you, or any of your family, believe that they have been exposed to asbestos, then please phone Sean Clerkin on 07948-010959.
We will be meeting with the Scottish Government on Wednesday 12 October to discuss final aspects of the brief for the independent survey into overcladding and re-roofing done by the GHA since 2005. This survey will look for, and find, any sub-standard work that was carried out by GHA. If you have had sub-standard work carried out by GHA, then please come along to our next meeting on 20 October.
This Campaign has been representing hard-pressed homeowners in Glasgow for the past 6 years and has achieved the following positive results:-
1) The reduction of VAT from 17.5% to 5% for overcladding and re-roofing, an average saving for each of the 26,000 factored homeowners of £1,000. This represents a total saving of £26 million for Glasgow homeowners.
2) Homeowners were being pressed to pay their bills within one year and, after a long, hard campaign, we won this fight to the extent that homeowners now have a maximum of 5 years interest-free to pay their large bills for overcladding and re-roofing.
3) Winning the Scottish Government around to hold an independent survey of overcladding and re-roofing to establish the full extent of defective work and to remedy that work accordingly.
4) We won many victories in Glasgow Sheriff Court that saved homeowners from financial ruin in relation to large bills to be paid to the GHA.
In conclusion, this collective Campaign of factored homeowners will continue to battle and win substantial rights for said homeowners.
As you will have noticed in the press over the last two weeks, Edinburgh City Council Property Conservation Department is under investigation by the Police and by forensic accountants for corruption in relation to overpayments for sub-standard work of tenement properties. Edinburgh City Council have ben issuing Statutory Notices to force homeowners to have refurbishment work carried out. In addition, all homeowners have each been issued with a 15% commission on the total value of the work carried out, to be paid to Edinburgh City Council.
We warned in February 2009 that giving Councils such draconian powers in relation to hard-pressed homeowners could lead to such corruption. In fact, only Edinburgh City Council and Glasgow City Council have used these draconian powers. Glasgow City Council has followed the Edinburgh model, charging homeowners the full price of all the works and getting 15% commission on top. This state of affairs in Glasgow could very well lead to the very corrupt practises that have now been identified in Edinburgh. If you are a homeowner in a tenement who has been subjected to a Statutory Notice and 15% commission payment demands, we want to know, so please come to our next meeting on 20 October at 7 p.m., Jury’s Hotel, Jamaica Street, Glasgow.
 | Glasgow Homeowners C… on info@gsohc.co.uk |
