The lemming syndrome.

In the Spring of 2021 the entire staff at Accent Housing involved with leasehold resigned.

It began with the resignation of Darren Whitfield Head of homeownership and was swiftly followed by his entire team.

Reviews left online by employees speak of a culture that includes bullying, discrimination and disrespect.

Michael Long (homeownership officer) confirmed this culture of 'Them and us' when he repeated what a colleague had said on having to refund overcharging

- 'DON'T YOU JUST HATE IT WHEN THEY ARE RIGHT'.

Michael Long appeared oblivious to the implications of such a statement.

RESIGNATIONS

The list below only includes higher management involved with leasehold. It does not include the multitude of resignations that involved administration staff, contact centre staff, and tenant officers.

I was informed by a whistleblower working at Accent that the person appointed (E) to replace Darren Whitfield had been warned off taking the role due to the toxic culture of the organisation. This was why 'they' failed to turn up on the first day.

Cara Jackson head of sales had to be appointed purely through neccessity.

Residents now have the Director of Sales and the Head of Sales in charge of homeownership rolesharing.

 

Robert Bloom - the great pretender

Director of Sales (and Homeownership).

Robert Bloom's role at Accent since 2019 was as Sales Director.

Robert Bloom proudly announces he has 'more than 20 years experience of successfully selling' - he is a salesperson.

In the words of Michael Long (homeowner manager);
Robert Bloom 'knows nothing of leasehold'.

That is fine until you discover Robert Bloom was put in charge of homeownership and leasehold.

Robert Bloom states that he 'has nothing to do with the day to day management of leasehold', and yet he continues to reply on behalf of senior executives in response to problems raised by residents.

He appointed an external consultant, Simon Senior, to evaluate why the management of leasehold had failed so dramatically and what could be done to revive it.

 

Cleaning promises

Lambert Court are charged £133 per hour for basic communal cleaning. That fact is not disputed.

The cleaner is paid minimum wage approximately £9 per hour.

Lambert Court repeatedly approached Accent Housing contesting, what are clearly unreasonable charges. Robert Bloom replied with a number of solutions one of which was;

'To clean each block once per month and an annual carpet clean at a cost of £32.50 per hour'. - a reasonable charge and accepted by residents.

NEVER ACTIONED

 

Accent Housing, to compound matters, made a purposeful decision to take a retirement community to a tribunal to defend that charge of £133 per hour.

During the hearing Robert Bloom, Cara Jackson and Michael Long all sat back knowing this offer had been made while Accent Housing defended a charge of £133 per hour for basic cleaning.

THAT IS INDEFENSIBLE.

 

After much questioning of charges across all service provision Robert Bloom attempted to provide answers in a series of emails.

Full email here:

 

He began with the lease.

The lease is the most important document governing leasehold. It determines what services have to be provided and whether a charge can be applied to a service.

'As per the lease agreements at Lambert Court Accent are obliged to repair and maintain in the first instance and replace components when no longer viable to continue with repairs.'

It is disturbing when the Head of Homeownership, Robert Bloom, quotes from a lease unconnected to Lambert court.

The lease actually states :

5.3 'The Landlord shall maintain repair redecorate and renew when and as necessary appropriate:

Two completely different meanings. It would appear Robert Bloom is confused over what lease he is referring to.

His confusion continues in that same email in regard to residents meetings.

'We also allow residents the opportunity to feedback and comment at Annual General Meetings.'

Accent Housing do not allow residents an Annual General Meeting.

His confusion is further compounded...

'We actively welcome challenge to accounts and try to show them as transparently as possible.'

Accent Housing refuse to present a single invoice unless the statutory process is followed.

..and his confusion over accounting practices is evident..

'Our Accounts are checked internally and then subjected to Audit by independent auditors each year.'

The accounts are not subject to an audit. They are 'self-certified' and then subjected to an agreed upon procedure from which a statement of factual findings is produced. No 'internal' check has ever revealed a single item of overcharging despite Lambert Court being repeatedly refunded for overcharging uncovered by residents.

His confusion becomes certifiable when he touches on invoicing.

'Although it is accepted that there may have been some occasional errors in relation to invoicing'

42 invoices produced to the tribunal. Not one was genuine.

and on he goes...

'Furthermore, the errors were rectified as soon as soon as possible after they became apparent.'

Two years after the problem was raised not a single invoice was refunded. It took the decision of the tribunal to enforce an 81% refund on all repairs. A further 50% is being refunded going back SIX years.

'It was a case of miscoding rather than there being any malicious intent.

Once again an employee of Accent Housing produces a statement without any factual basis or evidence to underpin that statement. It is presented as being definitive and not open to question. It is simply an attempt to minimise damage to the reputation of the organisation and to close down further enquiries.

Julie Wittich employs the same tactic in claiming the systematic overcharging by ESH Construction was not fraudulent without any explanation or evidence to the contrary.

 

Robert Bloom defending management charges.

'The work carried out on the Lambert Court scheme is fairly extensive with 27 properties..and a variety of facilities. As such, Accent believes that the current management fee is a reasonable sum.'

Lambert Court have no faciities.

However the 'magnum opus' of Robert Bloom for which he will always be remembered will be his defence of ESH Construction.

Robert Bloom without stepping foot on Lambert Court explained in one sentence why Lambert Court were charged £946.73 for changing 12 ordinary lightbulbs.

'you will appreciate that there is more to it than just changing a lightbulb'

As it turned out there is, actually, nothing more to it than just changing a lightbulb.

This money was refunded as part of the recognised systematic overcharging on repairs by ESH Construction.

One thing Michael Long has said which has shown to be true is that Robert Bloom really 'does know nothing about leasehold'.

...and he has a personalised number plate....says it all.

 

It is equally as disturbing when Julie Wittich applies the same disingenuous approach in her defence of ESH Construction.

Robert Bloom and Julie Wittich (Chief Operating Officer) represent the level of integrity that permeates down through the organisation. This is the calibre of people residents have to deal with on a daily basis.

 

FTT Not fit for purpose