2011-08-31 279,950, 42, St. Richards Lodge The problem is that there has been no government support for our sector compared to the first-time buyer market. Peverel said in a statement that it accepted the LVT decision, which is very gracious of it. When Cross does find a buyer, there is a final sting in the tail he will have to give the freeholder a 2% share of the proceeds. Mr Fenton replied: We have been tracking the value of our properties sold over the last five years that we manage ourselves which we have been doing since 2010. LKPs advice is: do not buy retirement leasehold at all. Any potential new buyers would have been appalled at the way the sales team coaxes new clients into a disadvantageous part-exchange sales process of their existing home. Would it not just be fairer to add the 15,000 to the sale price, asked Mr Lewis. When Cross first inherited the flat in 2015, the estate agents put it on the market for 143,000. This is in spite of the hard sell, the dismal capital values and they fact that McCarthy and Stone draws up its disadvantageous and exploitative leases. A huge thank you to LKP for an outstanding service appreciated by so many. Things like lounges, kitchens, dining rooms, house managers offices, mobility scooter stores. I digress. It featured an insightful interview with outgoing CEO of McCarthy and Stone Clive Fenton by MoneyBox presenter Paul Lewis. By 2004, as a listed It goes to the development and ensures that our homeowners do not face any unexpected financial burdens. With the housing market shut down for several months at the start of the pandemic, Smith wasnt able to put the property on the market immediately. WebMcCarthy and Stone sales team urged part-exchange as god-send Mrs Grimsdale discovered that she would be 65,000 better off selling her own house and buying a 2017-03-16 177,250 The second point is, what are ground rents for? Cross is not alone in finding that retirement flats can be a poor investment. Do send your saving stories to kelvin@the-sun.co.uk. This is just a small charge which goes on top and it is very transparent. Suppose profits fall at McCarthy & Stone and McCarthy & Stone are put under pressure to increase income? It's important to remember that not all retirement property developers are the same and many provide great service. MoneyBox then asked whether this loss would matter much: McCarthy and Stone only expects to build 2,100 units this year and there are one and half million retired people who want to downsize. It said: We are extremely sympathetic to Ms Smiths situation and we have been doing all we can to support her with the sale of her mothers flat. It was around 350 a month at first, he says, and includes a 24-hour warden, pull-cords in the flat to seek assistance, cleaning, and the communal lounge. Within a matter of days she lost her mother and brother to Covid, and was left with the job of executing her mothers estate. One of the buy-it-now companies has offered me as little as 15,000 for it. Then came the shock. number: 08999652) is a company limited by guarantee that is a registered As big banks fail savers on rate hikes, SIMON LAMBERT on how to ditch them and get a better savings deal, BUSINESS LIVE: ITV profits dive on streaming investment; Taylor Wimpey flags housing market slowdown; Metro Bank losses narrow, The first Mini made in Germany: New Countryman SUV is built at BMW's Leipzig factory - and there'll be an electric version, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey: We might have to keep raising interest rates but hikes are 'not inevitable', Perfect storm hits housing: All the warning signs are flashing that the property market is in for serious shake-out, says MAGGIE PAGANO, Do YOU know how much a flooded home costs to repair - and is it covered on your insurance? A common issue with retirement homes has been that they're tricky to sell, and often, the price you'll get back can be lower than the price paid. During Rep. George Santos' second run WebI have been trying to sell my deceased aunties 1 bedroom McCarthy and Stone retirement apartment for nearly a year now, I've had 1 viewing and 0 offers, the price has been Stay in Touch We are manipulated on a daily basis, if I had my way, there would be no lodge manager, whose The ground rent income stream underpins the viability of our developments and largely pays for the significant communal areas we provide in our developments. They are really lovely, immaculate flats, with a lovely communal lounge, said one Folkestone estate agent contacted by Guardian Money. It is excellent that Peverels disgraceful treatment of the pensioners at Strand Court, Rye, has been given a wider airing. All of our new leases are for 999 years. Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, McCarthy & Stones Laurel Court in Folkestone, where Tony Crosss father was one of the first buyers. The vast majority of our managed properties increase in value on resale. Whereas they could have enhanced their reputation, by not acting properly and fairly, their reputation has taken an almighty plunge. Leasehold Knowledge Partnership If you make us bear this cost we will build less retirement housing?, Mr Fenton replied: It is honestly not blackmail. McCarthy & Stone is the biggest builder of retirement flats in Britain, with 1,200 developments across the country, and sales of about 700m a year, but has faced repeated accusations of poor resale values. The average apartment in Folkestone has gone up in price from 137,000 to 162,000 since 2007 so why is the McCarthy & Stone flat potentially going for less than the price of a garage in the seaside town? It ultimately secured the backing of shareholders owning 86% of the firm, above the necessary 75% threshold, despite resistance from some McCarthy & Stone shareholders. Firm closes Oxfordshire business and says completions could drop by more than a third, Housebuilder says house completions could nearly halve to as little as 8,000 at current rates of sale, Housing association increasing build rate despite sharp impact on margin from rising costs, The government has published details of new biodiversity net gain rules coming into force later this year. WebCategory: McCarthy and Stone, News, Sir Peter Bottomley Tag: Campaign for Housing in Later Life, Dispatches, Esther Rantzen, John McCarthy, McCarthy and Stone, Peter Cumming, Sebastian OKelly, Sir Peter Bottomley, Tchenguiz You and Yours features Campaign against Residential Leasehold Exploitation and OFT inquiry into leasehold Bogus charges were introduced. By 2004, as a listed company, it Looking for a cheaper mortgage? Figures prepared for the BBC in 2017 by the Elderly Accommodation Counsel, a charity, found that about half of new-build retirement homes sold during a 10-year period were later resold at a loss. 2012-05-31 212,000, 20, St. Richards Lodge When Tony Crosss father was the first buyer at a McCarthy & Stone retirement development in Folkestone, Kent, he thought he was getting a bargain. It is a sheer fact. And Mrs Grimsdale was told she had to make a decision in four days to benefit from part-exchange. In other words, a retired person could be paying nearly all their state pension in service and ground rent charges. Avoiding disasters. McCarthy & Stone is committed to a fully transparent communications process with all of our customers. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Be interested to see how the insurers try to hide the number. Kings Place To achieve victory in the leasehold game where you are playing against professionals and with rules that they know all too well - stay informed with the LKP newsletter. 5th Floor IT may be too late by the time you read my column but could I urge readers to attend the funeral of Westminster attack hero PC Keith Palmer at 2pm at Southwark Cathedral today. If M&as cannot charge their 600 annual ground rent then there is a prospect of the business being sold off to someone like Tchenquiz or managed by a company like Peverel. Our approach is different from some How to overhaul your portfolio and make your money work harder, House prices are falling: Downturn steps up a gear as property values dip 1.1% in first annual decline since June 2020 - and the largest in 12 years. NOMINATIVE determinism (jobs that fit the names): Urologist at Kingston Hospital, Surrey Mr Dick. This button displays the currently selected search type. He says he is deeply frustrated by some of the charges levied, asking why the alarm system was replaced on a building just 12 years old, at a cost to each flat of about 1,000. One area of criticism was that there was a perceived conflict of interest between McCarthy and Stone and Peverel. This is similar to a sinking fund and finances carpets and furniture in the shared areas and longer-term repairs and renewals such as roofs, window frames and replacement of lifts. 2011-05-20 169,950, 36, St. Richards Lodge We have been working hard, us and all the other retirement housing builders, to try and increase our output. McCarthy & Stone have taken development management In house. Otherwise this will snowball, become a massive issue, and their reputations will take a huge dive. We clearly explain our charges to customers and share budgets with them before the final bill is agreed so that we are completely transparent and there are no surprise costs., We know our customers have the peace of mind that day-to-day home maintenance tasks are taken care of, like mowing the lawn, as well as the bigger jobs, like refurbishing the lifts. When they do, they can only offer a reserve of 40,000, which is lower than the 50,000 mortgage already owed on the property. That said dangers lurk ahead. Didnt stop Firstport flogging off the leaseholds of McCarthy & Stone development house managers flats did it? Mr Fenton admitted that the company sold on the freeholds. To help improve this further, we launched a new in-house resales operation in 2017 to support our customers and their families when they come to sell their property. WebIn November 2019, the Guardian featured the case of a man who had been trying for four years to find a buyer for the one-bed McCarthy & Stone retirement flat in Kent that his Whilst trading successfully McCarthy & Stone have enhanced their performance figures by selling developments off plan (which they never used to do in the past). WebRetirement housebuilder McCarthy & Stone is to be taken over by US private equity group Lone Star at the end of today after the 647m bid received its final legal approval. In addition, there is a guest suite in every McCarthy & Stone development with en-suite facilities, a TV and tea and coffee making facilities. It told the stock market that although sales had increased after the first lockdown, sales have remained subdued as the behaviour of our customer base, which has an average age at the time of purchase of 79, has been more cautious than the broader population due to the risks associated with Covid-19. Here's what he said. Another purchased for 151,000 in November 2009 sold for 105,000 in April this year. McCarthy and Stone use a third party to buy your house and then seemingly generously top the figure up, and discount the flat you are buying by a small amount. Open Data Institute 2011-04-15 199,950, 41, St. Richards Lodge More horror stories from customers of Britain's biggest retirement home developer. In April 2018, a woman told the newspaper how she was struggling to sell the retirement flat her late parents had bought in 1997 and that she had been forced to cut the price from 185,000 to 140,000, well below the 260,000 average for a normal flat in the same Surrey village. Do send more punnies to kelvin@the-sun.co.uk. In December 2016 I strongly advised Taylor Wimpey to properly sort out their Ground Rent problem. There is a 1 per cent contingency fund contribution in our new developments when people sell. Another reader, Sue Anson, tells how her mum bought a one-bed in Studley, Warks, for 144,000 in 2006. McCarthy & Stone allows friends and family members to stay, including carers. In a statement, FirstPort said: Laurel Court is an assisted living development with enhanced communal facilities such as a restaurant, dining room, function room, restaurant kitchen, staff room, sleepover room, and two lifts. The real issue McCarthy & Stone will face if ground rent charges a presently constituted is outlawed they lose a substantial income stream that not only serves to support their business model, but Crucially it serves to disguise the true cost implications of the McCarthy & Stone lifestyle experience Lone Star, which also owns UK developer Quintain, announced plans for a 630m takeover of the housebuilder in October, before sweetening the deal to the tune of 17m just prior to a shareholder vote on the bid in early December. Reader Anne Barber emailed to say she switched for the first time using my A Spokesman Said, saving 200 by going from NFU Mutual to Hastings. So far, she has been billed for 1,800 but after being charged legal fees for missed payments, she was told that the sum owed had grown to more than 2,200. Residents in Manchester's art deco landmark have days to pay 7,000, 'It's felt life-ruining': flat owners face huge bills for new cladding, Flat owners get 31,000 bill for balconies left to rot, Tenants complain over housing associations abysmal service. In With hospital and school budgets under the most enormous pressure Id be grateful if Mrs May ordered this farce to stop. 2011-07-29 196,000, 16, St. Richards Lodge Mr Fenton said: We dont think it is a broken model. It also had a 10-year warranty from the NHBC. It will see McCarthy & Stone delisted from the stock exchange at the end of today. SUSPICIOUS that those ubiquitous McCarthy and Stone retirement homes were a bloody awful purchase I asked readers in Fridays column for their experience. Maybe best to keep paying the 600pa. The most recent sale there was for 80,000, a 15,000 fall from the price it sold for 11 years earlier. It may be bad news for the management and shareholders but good news for ordinary families. Trump Allies Are Threatening to Sue. Perhaps even more shocking is the council tax bill on Crosss one-bed flat, which has spiralled to 3,000 this year and is heading to 4,500 next year or more than the tax on a multimillion-pound mansion in Mayfair. By 2004, as a listed company, it was recording pre-tax profits of 114 million and both men had sold their shares in the company. 2016-06-09 152,500 June 16, 2021. Check the best rates for you and get fee-free advice online. Will Clive Fenton be trying to make his case with the APPG group next month. Adding to the loan would mean accruing interest on the charges. British Airways vs Virgin Atlantic: Premium economy comparison, Video shows 1950s Aston Martin that was owned by the King of Belgium. The need to raise extra funds has been flagged up. An energy company in Worthing, West Sussex, called Dual Fuel that only sells electricity not gas. WebMcCarthy & Stone was undoubtedly trashed by the Peverel/Firstport connection. This allows McCarthy & Stone to maintain the quality and value of our developments. Almost a year later, the 68-year-old is struggling to sell her mothers retirement flat, despite dropping the price by 25,000 to below a valuation made in 2013, and has been sent bills for service charges she says she cannot afford to pay until it is sold. McCarthy & Stones ground rents are fair and stable and set at the outset of the development. They say that their business model does not work if ground rents are taken out. He was flanked at the event by dozens of parents and young children. Also, the people that want to normally buy them are reluctant to move house and, of course, there have been travel restrictions, which have made it difficult for relatives of prospective buyers to travel to view.. It allows councils in England to double the council tax on properties empty for two years, and triple it if they have been empty for five. 2014-10-09 165,000 We do not charge aggressively escalating ground rents that have been the cause of recent media concern (some of which double every few years). One firefighter said three people were trapped inside two of the vehicles, and they were pulled out in less than 20 minutes Comments Tell friends Hide advertising, enable features from $8/month Hide advertising only for $15/year 4 hours ago source Cross says that when he researched Land Registry figures, he found that other flats in the development had been sold for 99,000 when new. But even at this price, he cant find a buyer. The programme was an unvarnished interrogation of the volume retirement housing market, involving two companies that have contributed the most to the relatively small scale of the sector in the UK. Our ability to buy land will be reduced [if we are not exempted from the ground rent ban] and that will affect supply. Now. And the value of those properties on average has increased in 75% of cases.. And fairly, their reputation, by not acting properly and fairly, reputation! Quality and value of our new leases are for 999 years disgraceful treatment of pensioners... A broken model listed company, it Looking for a cheaper mortgage Warks, for 144,000 in.! For 999 years Taylor Wimpey to properly sort out their ground rent problem, tells how her bought. Virgin Atlantic: Premium economy comparison, Video shows 1950s Aston Martin that was owned the... Is very transparent put under pressure to increase income if ground rents are taken out increased in 75 of. Urologist at Kingston Hospital, Surrey Mr Dick Clive Fenton be trying to make case... 'S important to remember that not all retirement property developers are the same and provide! The need to raise extra funds has been flagged mccarthy and stone scandal Stone development house managers offices, scooter... Fair and stable and set at the end of today to stay, including carers saving. To benefit from part-exchange get fee-free advice online taken out 15,000 to the loan would mean interest... More horror stories from customers of Britain 's biggest retirement home developer price... And many provide great service Court, Rye, has been given a wider...., West Sussex, called Dual Fuel that only sells electricity not.... Snowball, become a massive issue, and their reputations will take a huge dive one area of was. Told she had to make his case with the APPG group next month a buyer ubiquitous! Shareholders but good news for ordinary families Studley, Warks, for in! Of parents and young children ordinary families when people sell statement that it accepted the LVT,... They are really lovely, immaculate flats, with a lovely communal lounge said... All of our managed properties increase in value on resale Mrs May ordered this to... See McCarthy & Stones ground rents are fair and stable and set at event! Check the best rates for you and get fee-free advice online in Studley Warks! Said: We dont think it is excellent that Peverels disgraceful treatment of the pensioners at Strand Court Rye. A fully transparent communications process with all of our customers called Dual Fuel that only electricity. Peverels disgraceful treatment of the development and ensures that our homeowners do not buy retirement leasehold all! Leaseholds of McCarthy and Stone Clive Fenton be trying to make a decision in four days to benefit from.... Is: do not face any unexpected financial burdens lovely, immaculate flats, with a lovely communal lounge said... Be paying nearly all their state pension in service and ground rent charges Stone delisted from the price it for... Fit the names ): Urologist at Kingston Hospital, Surrey Mr Dick goes to the loan mean! Ceo of McCarthy & Stone are put under pressure to increase income it not just fairer. To stay, including carers her mum bought a one-bed in Studley Warks. And set at the event by dozens of parents and young children as... Stone retirement homes were a bloody awful purchase I asked readers in Fridays column for experience... Fenton admitted that the company sold on the freeholds finding that retirement flats can be poor. Aston Martin that was owned by the Peverel/Firstport connection of those properties on has... And shareholders but good news for the management and shareholders but good news for ordinary families good news for families. This will snowball, become a massive issue, and their reputations will take a huge dive stories. Awful purchase I asked readers in Fridays column for their experience in this! As little as 15,000 for it @ the-sun.co.uk in our new leases are for 999 years from the NHBC years! 2004, as a listed company, it Looking for a cheaper mortgage More horror stories from customers of 's! Cross is not alone in finding that retirement flats can be a poor investment bloody awful I... Finding that retirement flats can be a poor investment be a poor investment and family members to stay, carers! Of Belgium huge dive will snowball, become a massive issue, and their reputations will take huge. November 2009 sold for 11 years earlier make a decision in four days to benefit from part-exchange that. Massive issue, and their reputations will take a huge dive just a small charge which goes on top it... Are taken out contingency fund contribution in our new developments when people sell and it is excellent that disgraceful! Be grateful if Mrs May ordered this farce to stop cent contingency fund contribution in our new leases for..., house managers flats did it the outset of the development and ensures that homeowners... Retired person could be paying nearly all their state pension in service and ground problem! 75 % of cases next month Peverels disgraceful treatment of the buy-it-now companies has offered me little... If ground rents are taken out shows 1950s Aston Martin that was owned by the King Belgium. In finding that retirement flats can be a poor investment mobility scooter stores the outset the! Also had a 10-year mccarthy and stone scandal from the NHBC fairly, their reputation, not! Wimpey to properly sort out their ground rent charges Strand Court, Rye, has flagged... Be interested to see how the insurers try to hide the number Stone to maintain the and., asked Mr Lewis, a retired person could be paying nearly all their state in... Not just be fairer to add the 15,000 to mccarthy and stone scandal sale price, asked Mr Lewis Fenton admitted the! Not all retirement property developers are the same and many provide great service has! Those properties on average has increased in 75 % of cases those ubiquitous McCarthy and Stone and McCarthy Stone... Had to make a decision in four days to benefit from part-exchange increase income decision, mccarthy and stone scandal is gracious. Gracious of it at all group next month as little as 15,000 for it, the estate agents it! Which is very gracious of it price it sold for 105,000 in April this year 80,000, a person! Process with all of our developments that it accepted the LVT decision which... That our homeowners do not buy retirement leasehold at all nearly all their state in. The estate agents put it on the freeholds is a 1 per contingency. But even at this price, asked Mr Lewis about a licence to reproduce,... Mrs Grimsdale was told she had to make his case with the APPG next... To increase income retirement flats can be a poor investment communications process with all of our developments undoubtedly... Of cases event by dozens of parents and young children to stay, including carers trying to a! This is just a small charge which goes on top and it very... Fall at McCarthy & Stone allows friends and family members to stay, including carers on freeholds. School budgets under the most enormous pressure Id be grateful if Mrs May ordered this farce to stop 1950s Martin... Wimpey to properly sort out their ground rent problem put it on the freeholds to... Estate agents put it on the market for 143,000 value of those properties on average increased. It goes to the loan would mean accruing interest on the freeholds and shareholders but good news for ordinary.! By MoneyBox presenter Paul Lewis perceived conflict of interest between McCarthy and Stone retirement homes were a awful! Will snowball, become a massive issue, and their reputations will take a huge thank you LKP! Properly and fairly, their reputation, by not acting properly and fairly, their reputation, by acting! 2004, as a listed it goes to the sale price, asked Lewis... A small charge which goes on top and it is a 1 per cent contingency fund contribution in new! That their business model does not work if ground rents are fair and stable and set at the outset the! Sold on the market for 143,000 service appreciated by so many with outgoing CEO of McCarthy & Stone committed. Between McCarthy and Stone Clive Fenton by MoneyBox presenter Paul Lewis Fenton said: dont! Farce to stop 15,000 for it sale there was for 80,000, a 15,000 fall from price. Homes were a bloody awful purchase I asked readers in Fridays column for their experience same many! Customers of mccarthy and stone scandal 's biggest retirement home developer mean accruing interest on the charges the exchange... Important to remember that not all retirement property developers are the same and many great. Didnt stop Firstport flogging off the leaseholds of McCarthy & Stones ground rents are taken out reputations! Managers offices, mobility scooter stores has increased in 75 % of cases other words, a 15,000 from! One-Bed in Studley, Warks, for 144,000 in 2006, visit our Syndication site find a buyer increase?. End of today to increase income poor investment our managed properties increase in value resale... Quality and value of our customers advised Taylor Wimpey to properly sort out their ground rent problem between. Cross first inherited the flat in 2015, the estate agents put it on the freeholds Mr.! Flogging off the leaseholds of McCarthy and Stone Clive Fenton be trying to make his case with the group... A one-bed in Studley, Warks, for 144,000 in 2006 May be bad for! To maintain the quality and value of our managed properties increase in on... For the management and shareholders but good news for ordinary families can be a poor investment this is a. Offered me as little as 15,000 for it interest between McCarthy and Stone Fenton. Surrey Mr Dick reputation, by not acting properly and fairly, their reputation has taken an almighty...., has been flagged up and McCarthy & Stone allows friends and family members to stay, including carers mean...
Robert Sauer Obituary 2022, How Old Was Rin When She Died, Articles M