£1m ‘down the drain’ as danger flats set to close

BBC, two dangerous apartment blocks to try to stop the closure of 1 million pounds of tenants and taxpayers were spent.

Mersexide, beech rise and willow rise in Kirkby would be closed on Monday – and all inhabitants are homeless – due to serious fire safety problems.

Straight owners, repair, asbestos lifting and other costs spent extra money, the value of their property falls “years of hell” said they lived.

Local deputy Annelise Midgley said that they are the victims of a “broken rental system”, but they are responsible for the care and management of the host residents of the buildings.

160 Flat former Council blocks were renewed in 2007 as “luxury living” apartments and sold up to £ 100,000.

Tenants, as the fire safety problems are determined by the fire brigade, they said that payment fell to them to try to correct them.

Knowlley Council had to spend close to £ 400,000 for safety patrols, which guaranteed that residents do not have to leave their homes.

72 -year -old Dave Hemmings, when the BBC moved to the beech house, “His only thought, how would they take my coffin to the elevator,” he said, because he was waiting to live there for the rest of his life.

He said: “It was great when I walked in. A lot of areas, beautiful landscapes. But in seven years there are four management companies here, and frankly they didn’t use the money as they needed.

“The elevators do not work, smells, the building has fallen, my service fees are now moved from £ 1,100 to £ 4,000 a year and I have been released.”

In 2011, the original developer sold the “head rental of buildings to a company operated by businessman Michael Gubbay, who has hundreds of free and rental portfolio registered to various companies on the British Virgin Islands.

Companies or companies connected with relatives or business partners were appointed to manage the blocks on behalf of the management company of residents.

42 -year -old plain owner Mike Jones, fire doors and other fire safety work to pay £ 330,000 to pay, professional management fees thousands of pounds added, he said.

However, he said that the work was in a weak standard and that the building was worsened.

In 2019, head rentals for buildings were transferred from one of the open sea -registered companies of Mr. Gubbay to the one of the high -profile London -based investor Robert and Vincent Tchenguiz, who was once reported to have about 250,000 free Frehold.

Mr. Gubbay prevented him from being involved in the buildings in 2021 and learned that establishing a fire alarm system paid with an £ 40,000 government grant had to pay for a subsequent 10 -month delay, Knowley Council’s 24 -hour safety patrols at a cost of £ 380,000.

Mr. Jones said that he and his tenant Elaine Shaw participated in the board of directors of the administrative committee of the residents in 2023 to bring new management agents and bring things back to the way, but it became an impossible task to try to correct the problems of the buildings.

In April, they resigned when it was understood that the fire department would not allow extra time to try to solve the fire safety problems of the building.

“While these companies earn money from these buildings, they became increasingly insecure.” He said.

“The elevators had an elderly, vulnerable lease with health problems that had to sleep in their car because they didn’t work, and could not get up the stairs.

He continued: “He was still chased for money and begging me to help him go bankrupt because of stress, but he died before he helped.”

“We were dragged from Hell and we touched everyone and everyone for help, but they all fall into deaf ears.”

Mr. Gubbay told BBC that he was “on holiday” and did not respond to the requests for comments.

Rockwell FC100, the company of Tcchenguiz Brothers, despite the host of buildings, even though it renters rent to rent holders, it does not have buildings directly.

They owned it to a company called TR Marketing until 2022 as a part of Freehold, who is still held by LIVV residence.

The Salford -based micro -based micro company paid £ 5,000, which BBC could not communicate with.

LIVV Housing said that he sold the land after a “official valuation” and that his long -term strategy did not include “higher -storey blocks because it does not include plans to build or manage higher floors, so it is not necessary to hold the land.”

In 2007, Elaine Shaw, 68, bought her apartment in Willow Rise for £ 66,000 for a plus fee.

He said that he hoped that the rent income would give him a more comfortable retirement after being widow, but now he was on antidepressants and suffered from acute anxiety.

However, he was afraid that his investment was worthless to close the building.

Ms. Shaw said she didn’t know what free sales mean for other rent holders.

“I have an anger, anger and disgust to systems and bodies that allow this situation to develop.

“But the hardest emotion is desperate. All this burned my life.”

The money of the authorized owners and taxpayers “was wasted” said: “We have been completely evacuated for years.”

Mersexide Fire and Rescue Service, “Fire safety deficiencies to eliminate the deficiencies of the appropriate plans in the absence of buildings to order the closure of the building is no other option,” he said.

The fire department said that the problems that force the closure of buildings were not fully specified, and the original developer LPC Living has received the BBC that “all the necessary approval and certificate”.

Speaking after the emergence, Flats will have to be abandoned after the end of the last 3,000 £ security patrols of Knowsley Council per day, Deputy Midgley said, “Historical owners and management companies have been away from their responsibilities,” he said, “Basic fire safety could not do, they could not repair the broken elevators and said that they could not fix these houses.”

“Despite the latest directors and the efforts of a new management company, the failures that have been exposed are very large,” he said.

He described the situation as “failure of the broken rental system”.

The government described the wider leasing system in England and Wales as a “feudal” and “fell less than the dreams of the landlords”.

However, it is currently faced with a high court war against plans to completely eliminate the rent system, and large freelancers argue that changes may cost millions of pounds.

Rockwell FC100 spokesperson, BBC’ye residents’ management company “management and service to collect the service and spend money money money,” he said.

The spokesman said the Rockwell FC100 was investigating that “leads to the current situation”.

And he added: “The situation in these buildings shows the real risks and consequences that will encounter more and down in the country, regardless of whether they want to fulfill these responsibilities if the government forces professional free owners to leave the market and forces them to bring responsibilities to control buildings instead.”

Rental owners Mr. Hemmings, Mr. Jones and Mrs. Shaw said that the changes that could stop the implementation of non -profit professional management companies by hosts could not come soon.

Shaw said: “Although the rates are stacked against us, we will fight to the end of the pain.

“There is no such thing as a flat playground for ‘ordinary people’ and there is no justice unless you smell rich.”