Residents in a tower block claim they face ‘bankruptcy’ and homelessness after a council demanded they pay part of a £1.1 million bill for new windows.
They have been told to pay thousands of pounds for the windows, which an independent surveyor said were unnecessary.
A group of them are contesting the ‘insane’ bill from Labour-ran Hammersmith and Fulham council.
Twenty-five leaseholders, including nurses, midwives, teachers and the elderly are being asked to fork out between £17,500 and £21,5000 for the windows.
Many living at Verulam House say the bill equals their annual salaries and it will mean defaulting on mortgage payments and mean they are forced to leave.
Diego Bertoni, chairman of the Tenants and Residents Association, described the situation as ‘madness’
Verulam House where twenty-five leaseholders, including nurses, midwives, teachers and the elderly are being asked to fork out between £17,500 and £21,5000 for the windows
Many living at Verulam House say the bill equals their annual salaries and it will mean defaulting on mortgage payments and mean they are forced to leave
The authority is the freeholder of the 1970s block, where 25 of the 59 properties have been sold under the Right to Buy scheme. They will have to meet the cost of the window replacement.
Other projects include in 2022 the council writing to leaseholders to say they were installing scaffolding to remove cladding – which still remains in place two years on – causing ‘chaos’.
And it ‘blindsighted’ residents by saying it had decided to replace uPVC windows installed 26 years ago because they were nearing their ‘end of life’.
Diego Bertoni, chairman of the Tenants and Residents Association, described the situation as ‘madness’.
The 40-year-old said: ‘The council is on a mission to bankrupt leaseholders and leave taxpayers with a colossal cost to replace windows that do not need replacing.
‘It’s extraordinarily incompetent. It makes absolutely no sense.
‘I cannot get my head around it. It’s been managed appallingly. There is absolutely no need for new windows, they are fine and of good quality.
‘It just feels like another opportunity to make money from leaseholders. It is seriously wrong. We are very upset.’
Mr Bertoni said residents had been hit with a ‘wall of silence’ when they demanded answers from the authority as to why the windows were needed.
He added: ‘The costs are higher than the net salaries of some key workers who live here. How on earth is that fair? What sort of message does that send out?
‘It’s going to force them out of their home.
‘We have had no answers. No explanation or anything. Just a wall of silence. It’s so frustrating. People are really worried about this.’
One woman, who did not want to be identified, said: ‘I fear being made homeless. Where do they think I am going to find the money?
‘It feels like a punishment. All I do is work hard to try and provide for my family in very tough times. And then we get hit with this. It’s crazy.
‘The cost is insane.’
The authority is the freeholder of the 1970s block, where 25 of the 59 properties have been sold under the Right to Buy scheme. They will have to meet the cost of the window replacement
Other projects include in 2022 the council writing to leaseholders to say they were installing scaffolding to remove cladding – which still remains in place two years on – causing ‘chaos’
Mr Bertoni said residents had been hit with a ‘wall of silence’ when they demanded answers from the authority as to why the windows were needed
NHS worker Annabel Diaz, 39, accused the council of showing ‘no sympathy’ for those impacted.
She said: ‘The cost is ridiculous.
‘They do not care. The impact of this could be huge. People will be forced out for something which does not need to happen anyway.’
A Hammersmith and Fulham spokesman said: ‘We have a legal duty as a landlord to ensure our buildings are safe and kept in good repair for all residents.
‘Building safety works are already being undertaken at no cost to leaseholders and they are only being requested for a 49 per cent contribution to the total costs of the work to Verulam House.
‘To assist and support homeowners, the council offers sympathetic repayment options.’