Property Matters. IN THIS ISSUE... ATOS ASSESSMENTS CRIMINAL LANDLORDS Perfect Storm Warning. New Committee Members Plea

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1 IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS Housing Benefits (Landlords) Benefits & Council Tax Environmental Health Domestic violence helpline Environmental Maintenance (refuse, pest control, abandoned vehicles etc) Environmental Maintenance (Roads, signs, lighting, footpaths etc) For Electricity suppliers For Gas suppliers Planning Enquiries Private Landlords/Tenants Kathy Hawley Police or (Emergency ) 999 Crimestoppers Transco (if you smell Gas) Princess Royal Hospital or (Shropdoc in Emergencies) Please advise us of any other important numbers you would like listed above. All information and advice in this newsletter is given in good faith. Wrekin Landlords Association and The Borough of Telford & Wrekin, accept no liability for actions or damages Future Meetings at 7.00 p.m. The Salvation Army Hall, Oakengates. April 9th (AGM). July 2nd and October 8th 2013 This years Annual Dinner Friday May 17th CONTACT INFORMATION Representatives of The Wrekin Landlords Association can be contacted on : TENANT REFERENCING CHECK The Chairman, Mr. Bernie Lewis Chairman@wrekinlandlords.com Treasurer, Mr. Paul Spiers or write to WREKIN LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION, The Cornerhouse, 57, High Street, Madeley TF7 5AT Spring 2013 Property Matters The Official Newsletter of the Wrekin Landlords Association The APRIL MEETING 7 p.m. Tuesday April 9th The Salvation Army Hall, Oakengates. It s the AGM again come along and become an active member. Also Find out about the insulation and energy saving deals available from our speaker: Peter Jayne (Domestic & General) IN THIS ISSUE... ATOS ASSESSMENTS CRIMINAL LANDLORDS Perfect Storm Warning. New Committee Members Plea 20 Website:- My life in Property By Paul and Amanda (page 17)

2 CONTENTS AGM Meeting April 9th Cover Chairman s letter 2 ATOS Assessments 3 Perfect Storm Warning 4/5 LHA Rates for 2013 Benefits Office move Criminal Landlords 7 Property Maintenance 8 Renewals 9 Members say/laugh it off 10/11 Annual Dinner 12/13 Did you know? 15 My Life in Property 17 Properties abroad. 18 Classified Ads 19 Contacts 20 Jag of all trades COMPLETE PROPERTY MAINTENANCE SERVICE. KITCHENS, BATHROOMS, PLUMBING, TILING, ROOFING,CARPENTRY, PAINTING, DECORATING, WINDOWS AND PLASTERING ETC. Telephone: Landline : Chairman's letter. Dear Members We had a good start to the New Year with the January Open meeting attracting a lot of people and creating much discussion. We are at a time of great change within our industry, especially for those who take Housing Benefit Tenants. From April many of them will have to contribute toward their own Council Tax. However, the bigger implication of the Council Tax saga is how it will effect landlords with empty properties. All the campaigning, lobbying and attending public meetings that we did last Autumn seems to have amounted to nothing. We have no way of knowing how many of you responded to our requests to voice your concerns at the time but it fell on deaf ears anyway. I personally had the front page of the Journal but to no avail. I have also been very busy writing to my local M.P. (Philip Dunne) with regard to the imminent release of Universal credit. I would recommend others to do the same. It s too late once it has gone through and we realize the implications for us all. Some of you may have tenants who were previously receiving disability living allowance which has now been removed after a visit to ATOS for an assessment. Whilst this will primarily effect your tenant it can have a knock-on effect to you with regard to their rent allowance and so on. Just be aware, keep us informed about the things that concern you. See you soon. Regards Bernie Lewis. ACCOUNTANTS Bates & Co BUILDING Steve Holford Rob or TN Builders CARPET SUPPLY & FITTING AST (Dawley) Mark Atwell fitting CARPET CLEANING Shropshire Carpet cleaners Butlers Dry clean carpets CLEANING Vortex Cleaning Steam Vac & Go Shire Cleaning Services CONDENSATION Enviro Vent DECORATING Williams Friendly Services DTS decorators DOUBLE GLAZING Safeway or ELECTRICIANS Simon Bird or PB Electrics or ENERGY PERFORMANCE CERTS. Tim Gough Phil Bowen Hugh Sopwith FENCING Ben Moore, or FIRE SAFETY Paul Passant or GAS SERVICE Gastec, Dave Emberton M.C. Services Kieth Salter CLASSIFIED ADS GUTTERS Clean or renew Mr Price INSURANCE Alan Boswell Brokers ITALIAN PROPERTY Steve and Helen KITCHEN FITTERS Colin or Kitchen facelift Co.(Martin) LAWN CARE Mal MAINTENANCE Jag of all trades (mobile) Bailey s or E-J Property Services Keith Williams PEST CONTROL Mr Wasp or PLASTERING GS Plastering PLUMBERS Brian Tarr (reliable) PLUMBING SUPPLIES M.R Bathrooms & Fires SEWAGE & DRAINS AA DRAINS or or freefone SPANISH PROPERTY Barry & Linda Steve & Helen STORAGE Bailey s or TIMBER DECKING Chetton Timber or TURKISH PROPERTY Ruth & Stephen WINDOW CLEANING Nathan Selby For Newsletter info or btinternet.com If you have any recommended tradesmen please let us know. 19

3 Italian Farmhouse Home in Le Marche, Italy. It can be viewed with loads of photos on ref: This newly renovated, detached, stone farmhouse, with its own gardens with patios and covered terrace, its own pizza oven, in the magic triangle of Le Marche. Just a short walk into Gualdo, with its weekly market, shops, bars and restaurant. This area is famous for its rolling green hills and valleys with beautiful stone houses, hill top towns, fabulous food and restaurants. Between sea (45 mins) and mountains with fresh water lake( 30 mins) there is something for everyone. Swimming pools are available locally nearest is open air public pool 4 miles away in a wooded park. Ryanair do good value flights from Stansted to Ancona airport about 75 mins away Why not try mixing a visit to Rome, Bologna, Pisa or Venice before or after your stay? Special discount for fellow landlords (10% reduction off the online price) if you call us direct Steve and Helen Williams on: HOLIDAY APARTMENT, LOS ALCAZARES, COSTA CALIDA, SPAIN 2 Bedroom apartment on small complex with communal swimming pool. Walking distance to shops, restaurants and beach. Cheap flights to Murcia airport (10 mins from apartment) flying from Birmingham & East Midlands, Ryanair, BMI Baby, Jet2, Airport pickup available. For more info, pictures, and availability go to Ref: number or contact (WLA members) Barry & Linda Smith or TURKEY Euro exchange rate tough on your pocket? Try Turkey! Need a quiet break away from it all? Then try our new 3 bedroomed ground floor, easy access, air conditioned apartment, just 40 minutes from Bodrum, Turkey. Situated on the outskirts of an unspoilt fishing village, only 100 metres from the beautiful turquoise Aegean Sea. With wonderful sunsets over the bay, it is ideal for families or friends just wanting to get away for a relaxing break. With two bathrooms, three double beds and a sofa bed, it can sleep 6-8 comfortably. The well equipped kitchen and lounge complete the package for culture fans or Sun lovers. A first class Golf Club Vita Park is just 15 minutes away. FLIGHTS: Birmingham, Manchester, East Midlands to Bodrum Airport 20 minutes away. Prices from 200 per week. Booking Spring, Summer and Autumn 2013 breaks NOW! This apartment is owned by WLA members Ruth & Stephen Evans. Why not contact them on: or mobile or E mail on struth8@hotmail.co.uk Or see them at a meeting 18 And FINALLY: Only you are in control of your happiness. ATOS Assessments of DLA As I said in my introduction the shake up of those previously categorised as disabled is well under way. Personally, I find there is something rather disturbing when the Government sees fit to close down all the REMPLOY factories, which had usefully employed hundreds of disabled people for many years, offering them independence and self respect, and putting them back on benefits in the name of saving money. Now they think it s a good idea to pay a private company 390 million pounds to re-assess ALL disabled people in an effort to get them off disability living allowance and back into the job market. One questions What job market? When there are thousands of able bodied people who have been made WLA DISCOUNTED INSURANCE SHEME PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT AND YOUR INCOME.. As one of the largest residential insurance brokers to landlords and landlord associations in the UK ALAN BOSWELL understands your needs. Very competitive premium rates for buildings and contents cover. Discounts for WLA members Occupation by students and housing benefit tenants Cover for multiple occupancy and bedsit properties Loss of rent following damage to your property Cost of re-housing tenants following damage to your property Liability cover of up to 5m Employers liability cover of up to 10m for cleaners/gardeners/caretakers, etc. Cover for unoccupied properties between lets An option to add legal expenses cover at 15 per property ( 40 if rent guarantee cover included) An option to add home emergency cover at per property We also offer generous discounts for larger portfolios 15 properties and over. For a quotation call : Alan Boswell Group, Harbour House, 126 Thorpe Road, Norwich, NR1 1UL landlords@alanboswell.com redundant and are desperate to get back into work and are unable to find employment. Furthermore many of the assessments are shaky, to say the least, as many are being contested. At the latest count over 42% of those cases contested are being upheld, which indicates that it was unfounded in the first place. Each appeal costs even more money which could actually be used to create real jobs in the real world. It is appreciated that there does exist a very small minority of people who are claiming disability under false pretences but there must be a cheaper way to weed them out rather than bullying the genuine cases to apply for jobs that they will never get and potentially lose their rental allowance, their disabled car and even their home. Or click the link on your website 3

4 Perfect Storm Warning. April 2013 is the focus of so many potential changes which will affect, either directly or indirectly, the rented housing market and the future of tenants. Universal Credit. You may say that this will have no affect on you as you do not rent to Benefit tenants, However, the implications are far reaching beyond the mere local housing allowance initiative. It has been taken into consideration by Buy-to-let giant The Mortgage Works as a reason NOT to lend to Landlords who have a benefit tenant (even if the tenant was working when they took on the property and have since become unemployed) this could make it difficult to remortgage a cash bought property for reinvestment. Their decision has since been temporarily rescinded due to the massive outcry from the private rented sector but it does show the strength of feeling and concern for the potential instability of these proposals. Even the credit rating agency Moody's (who down graded our triple A rating) have said direct payments to a landlord are a "credit strength", whereas direct payment of rent to recipients, who then pay the rent themselves, as proposed in the universal credit rules, are a "credit negative". Welfare Benefits Reform. Whilst this includes the above it encompasses so many other areas, which, in turn, have a knock-on affect to tenants. Your tenant may well be working but have been receiving certain subsidies due to level of income or some disability or incapacity. Many tenants have become reliant upon these to survive and pay their rent. There is a strong possibility that many of these former benefits will be removed or re-assessed and leave some tenants unable to continue as before. I know there is strong feelings among many Private Landlords not to take on benefit tenants but this is not helpful when you consider the following: Bedroom Tax. The correct term is Under Occupancy Tariff and is only imposed by Councils or Social landlords (Housing trusts etc). However, the impact that this is having at present is that there thousands of tenants frantically trying to downsize to avoid having to find rental shortfalls of fourteen to twenty odd pounds per week. Typically they are looking for one and two bed places. The Governments justification of this move is that there is a gross shortage of larger properties available to accommodate the many overcrowded families in need. I ask myself If this is the case and there is such a demand for these families why do the Housing Trusts sell off the larger houses as soon as they have managed My Life in Property: By Paul and Amanda We started in rental property in 1997, when sadly Amanda s Father passed away leaving us with a big Georgian House on the outskirts of Northampton and not knowing what to do with it. A friend suggested that we turn it into flats and rent it out through an Agent. It sounded like a good idea at the time but we didn t appreciate how much work was involved, especially as we were living in Telford and the trip down there took a couple of hours, so we could only work on it at weekends. However, when it was finished, after about six months, we easily rented it out and were very pleased with the return. As we were both working the rental income was all extra money so we began to think about buying another property closer to home. In 2001 we found one on Stirchley which needed a lot of work doing to it but it seemed to be in a nice position, so we went ahead and bought it, putting down a sizable deposit and a small BTL Mortgage which meant the rent more than covered the mortgage payment. We found that although the rent was a lot less than from the flats there was much less hassle, so we could manage it ourselves.by sheer coincidence, some people in the same road were interested in selling their property but didn t want to move out of it. We sat down with them and considered our options, we looked at the age of them, they were both in their late sixties, and the condition of the house, it was immaculate, the price they were asking (below market value). So we drew up a contract with our Solicitor, they were quite happy to proceed, we even arranged a meeting with their Daughter and her Husband to make sure that we could not be accused of taking advantage and so on. We secured a loan against the Northampton property and went ahead with the purchase, I am happy to say that they are still there today, paying a fair market rent and we have had no problems to speak of. We have, since bought a flat for our Son and his Girlfriend as they were finding it impossible to get anything that they could afford, A friend suggested that we get them to pay their rent into a savings account to form the basis of a deposit for their own place and make a record of regular payments to prove their fiscal stability. It s a bit of a twist on the Bank of Mum and Dad but hopefully it will teach them a bit of financial responsibility, as I explained to them If you can t pay your rent you ll never pay a mortgage. We love the Wrekin Landlords Association and the help and support we have received. We have met some fascinating people and are looking forward to going to our first Annual Dinner in May, we missed last years as we were away on a Cruise for our 30th wedding anniversary. We are counting on our properties to see us into a comfortable retirement. 4 Thank you for sharing your story Paul and Mandy. If anyone else has a story that they feel they would like to share with our members please ring Bernie on

5 16 Advertising is free to members M.C. Services (uk) Ltd. Central Heating Repairs Installation of new boilers, Landlords Certification and servicing of gas and oil fired boilers etc. Tel/Fax Telford (01952) Mobile Plumbing work carried out. Fellow member of the WLA. Refer to our website:- mcsb.co.uk E-J Property Services Grass cutting, garden tidying, clean up after a tenant Wall patching, plastering and decorating Carpet cleaning. Odd jobs done. Minimum fuss. Ring Ed on : Or e mail on: e-j-property-services@hotmail.com GASTEC BOILER REPAIR CALL Dave Emberton (Member of Wrekin Landlords Assoc) FOR ALL YOUR GAS REPAIRS, SERVICES, BREAKDOWNS, SAFETY CHECKS, ANNUAL LANDLORDS CERTIFICATES,INSTALLATIONS ETC. Corgi registered Tel: (01952) or (mobile on) Vortex Cleaning - End of tenancy cleans - Carpet cleaning - Graffiti removal - Sanitizing/deodorizing - Wheelie bin cleaning Phone Ashley on or to move out the previous family? In my experience there appears to be a shortage of smaller properties. It is also unfortunate that this move is destroying communities, it is set to create a future of transient tenancies that is governed by family size and affordability, thus encouraging a two tier society. Council tax. This has been rumbling on since last Autumn when we went into consultations with the Council when they were faced with the Government cuts of Millions off their Tax Benefits Bill. At that time we put forward all the salient points regarding the potential affect on Landlords and the implications of removing the Class C exemptions for landlords with empty properties, either pre -tenant or between tenants. This included the removal of incentive to invest in new property, the lack of time to reinstate a property, the problems of tenants who leave without notice and so on. However, faced with the lack of alternative financing ideas the Council have had to announce the removal of all subsidies for landlords and in addition have been forced to introduce a Council Tax contribution from Tenants on certain Benefits who had previously been exempt. Disability Living Allowance. This is to be re-named Personal Independence Payment and is tied in with the re-assessments of the disabled by ATOS as featured on page three. However, the knock on affects of these re-classifications will not be fully realised for a few months as people begin to realise that certain things, that were previously provided free, are now chargeable. Employment Support Allowance. Where one of the above is deemed as being capable of work and is a recipient of ESA it is likely that a 12 month limit will be introduced on ESA recipients, who suffer from a serious illness, including cancer, will be means-tested after receiving ESA for 12 months. One can sympathise with anyone affected by any of the above changes but it is not just about sympathy it is about what will happen when all these things come together as a Perfect Storm and change the face of the current rental market beyond all recognition. The media are predicting mass evictions of tenants due to non-payment of rent. Who will re-home them and what is the potential cost to the Country of such a situation. I personally have written to the papers and to my M.P. voicing my concerns but we need to present a united front and show that we are all concerned with this situation. Someone said Change is good but when too many come together Change is chaos. Act NOW! 5

6 LHA RATES for (Telford & Wrekin Area) April 2013 Category Max. Weekly Max. Monthly Shared Accommodation Bedroom Bedrooms Bedrooms Bedrooms The above are the maximum Local Housing Allowance rates used for calculating Local Housing Allowance. The number of bedrooms is based on the tenant s family make-up and age and not on the number of actual bedrooms in a property. For more information please visit the LHA pages at: or contact Telford and Wrekin Council s Customer Services on Housing Benefits have moved. Please take note that the Telford Housing Benefits office is still available on the usual numbers but the postal address is now as follows:- Telford and Wrekin Council, Addenbrooke House, Ironmasters Way, TELFORD, TF3 4NT. This building is located down the same road as The Park Inn but is on the other side of the road just opposite the Windsor Life building. You can still e mail them on :- benefit.service@telford.gov.uk Did you know? Economy and Safety in numbers. Alan Boswell Insurance offer a substantial discount for Landlords with more than 15 rental properties. When you phone through make it clear that you are a member of Wrekin Landlords Association AND ask for the multiple property discount. Ring on the usual number Green Deal Don t be fooled into thinking you can get a FREE BOILER on Green Deal. The capital outlay for the Boiler etc., is initially paid by the Green Deal Provider, and is then attached as a loan to the electricity bill of the property. Therefore, whoever pays the utility bills; pays back the Green Deal loan. This is because, even if it is a landlord s property, the tenant, is the one reaping the benefit of the Green Deal improvements. The Government use the phrase whoever benefits, pays. The Green Deal therefore completely removes the split incentive of the landlord pays and the tenant benefits as generally, the tenant is the one paying the utility bills.. An entirely portable Charge As the Green Deal Charge is attached to the electricity meter of a property, it is effectively an entirely portable, unsecured loan. If a tenant changes tariff or moves utility companies, the loan moves to the new utility company. As tenants change, the Green Deal Charge passes automatically to the new tenant. If the landlord sells the property, the Green Deal Charge passes to the new property owner. Landlords will be required to notify prospective tenants/buyers of and get them to agree to pay the Green Deal Charge, before they sign the tenancy agreement (AST). This could make it difficult to rent or sell as you are effectively selling an outstanding debt with the property. Find out the facts at our AGM on the 9th April. Need an EPC? Speedy delivery of your EPC...Professional and personal service Liaise with agent/tenant, if required...wla trusted supplier since 2008 Contact: Hugh Sopwith Tel: Mob: It s that simple! 6 Home energy efficiency (Wales) Home Heat Helpline Energy Efficiency Partnership for Homes Visit- 15

7 SIMON BIRD ELECTRICAL SIMON BIRD ELECTRICAL SIMON BIRD ELECTRICAL SIMON BIRD ELECTRICAL 24 HOUR EMERGENCY CALL OUT SERVICE Simon Bird Telford s Live Wire Domestic * Commercial Industrial Electrical Installations and Maintenance Part P building Regulations Approved Periodic Inspections and Testing Portable Appliance testing telfordlivewire@hotmail.co.uk Proud to work with Wrekin Landlords Telford Criminal Landlords A Landlady pleaded guilty at Chester magistrates Court to not providing a gas certificate and failing to comply with an HSE notice. She was fined 400 and ordered to pay 1000 towards the costs. In Highgate Magistrates Court a fine of 23,000 plus costs of 2,890 was imposed on a Landlord in respect of an HMO property which was unlicensed and was found to have 78 items of disrepair, including fire safety failures, security issues, damp and mould, broken windows, electrical faults, filth etc. In Sandwell Magistrates Court a Landlord, convicted in his absence, was fined 1,600 plus costs of 896 after a case brought by the Council regarding dilapidated kitchen units, penetrating damp, broken paving slabs, security issues and non-compliance with an improvement notice. Also in Sandwell another Landlord, also convicted in his absence, was fined 1,600 plus 894 in a case regarding saturated kitchen units, severe damp, loose gas pipes, insecure windows and doors and failing to comply with an improvement notice. In Bradford Magistrates Court a Landlord who left his tenant without heating or hot water for months due to a faulty boiler and had failed to obtain a gas safety inspection certificate since 2007 was found guilty. The Court imposed a community order requiring him to perform 200 hours of unpaid work and that he should contribute 1,500 towards costs. SO BEWARE The Kitchen Facelift Company Kitchens upgraded or completely refurbished. Re-vitalize a tired-looking kitchen with new doors and worktops at a fraction of the cost of a complete new kitchen. Full range of appliances and accessories also available. Free survey and quotation. Call: Jobs large or small. Martin Robinson on: (W.L.A. Member). kitchenfacelift@hotmail.com Fax mobile Energy Efficiency Grants:- Energy Savings trust advice line grants (England)

8 Introducing new advertiser Keith Williams and Garry Price have done excellent work for some of our members. They have a wealth of experience in the building trade for over 25 years and have the appropriate qualifications. They offer a complete service to Landlords for property repair and maintenance. Repairing void properties to ensure a fast turn around and thus avoiding the inevitable Council tax. They will work to a Landlords specified budget and offer emergency call out within 24 hours. Whilst the mainstay of their work is carpentry and joinery (internal doors, skirting boards etc) they will undertake all types of work from fitting kitchens, tiling, decorating, minor plumbing, fencing, glazing and so on. Competitively priced, prices start from 10 per hour per man, max 3hours, the first hour is charged at 25 but they are more than happy to provide a written quote if required or verbal over the phone if time is of the essence. Any subcontracted work like gas and electrical is billed direct. There are no up front payments for labour, this will only be invoiced when you are totally satisfied with the job. Finding a tradesman you can trust to do the job correctly and actually finish it on time, in this day and age is difficult enough so I hope this will help. Keith Williams and Garry Price (City and Guilds Advance Craft Carpenters and Joiners) CAPENTRY AND JOINERY Property Maintenance & Repair Landlords properties a speciality: Damaged Properties, Voids, quick makeovers etc. Replacing doors, decorating, glazing, locks, handles, tiling Repair or replace kitchens, sinks, taps etc to your budget. If it s not listed just ask 8 Prices start from 10 per hour Please call for a free, no obligation quote: Tel: keithwilliams34@msn.com 10th WLA ANNUAL DINNER DON T MISS IT. FRIDAY MAY 17th THE PARK INN (Radisson), FORGEGATE, TELFORD One person goes FREE in each paid up membership, additional Guest/Partner pays only Three course meal, choice of menu, coffee, wine, (see opposite for menu) and FREE prize Draw. Your entertainer is Mark Rees. Free drinks reception 7.15 to 7.50 To add to the atmosphere black tie is optional. Book early to avoid disappointment ring Pat now on

9 12 MENU FOR ANNUAL DINNER STARTERS Pea and mint Soup or Fan of melon (V) MAIN COURSE Chicken with Chasseur Sauce and oven roasted Tomatoes Red Snapper with Stir Fry Vegetables and Noodles Roast Topside of Beef with a Creamy Mushroom Sauce Goats Cheese Tartlet (V) DESSERTS Zesty Lemon Tart Profiteroles topped with a Chocolate Sauce 1 Bottle of Red Wine & 1 of White. Complimentary to each Table. Freshly brewed Coffee/ Pots of Tea plus After Dinner Mints. Join the Committee As you are aware we have the AGM coming up on April 9th we invite you to not only attend and put your views forward but also to put your selves forward as potential committee members. We welcome fresh faces on the committee as they bring with them new ideas and perspectives on matters that may have become mundane to us seasoned members. It is essential, by it s very nature, that a committee is made up of diverse personnel, we may not always agree but it does offer us other points of view that we may not have considered previously. We ask that you attend, up to. four meetings per year which usually in the 90 minutes preceding the meetings so you would not normally be making any additional trips. By being on the committee you will have input into the running of the Association, the meetings, any additional future events and so on. You may have knowledge or abilities that other members don t and be able to contribute to something totally new that we are missing out on at present. At this time, especially, it is vital that we keep a vibrant and active organisation if we are to be taken seriously by Local Authorities and National Government. Remember we are representing your businesses and your interests so it is important that we are in a position to make an impact and change future policies in favour of our members. Your Annual renewal. To all of you who renewed so promptly we thank you for your co-operation in helping keep subscriptions low. If you have not renewed ( and joined before October 2012 ) PLEASE SEND IN YOUR TEN POUNDS NOW! TO: WREKIN LANDLORDS ASSOCIATION, CORNERHOUSE, 57, HIGH STREET, MADELEY, TF7 5AT We are relying on your co-operation to cut down on our costs and thus avoid increasing membership fees. Many thanks! OR pay by direct banking into the: Wrekin Landlords Association RBS Bank account No sort code Please use your membership number and name as a reference STUBLEYS WAREHOUSE Large selection of Beds/Mattresses and household furniture Ideal for buy to let and group homes Bespoke service available if required i.e. Build any flat packed items/ unpack, remove rubbish and set up beds on site. All orders gratefully received - big or small. Please call in and see us at our shop :- CHURCH STREET, WELLINGTON, TF1 1DD VISIT Tel:

10 Members Say Dear Bernie Is there nothing we can do about the Council decision to remove the Council tax relief, it will cost us dearly and affect our decisions on future properties and tenants? Regards Michael Dear Michael Have a look at my article on pages 4 and 5, We did put up a good case in the Autumn in this regard but the Council say they were left with little alternative as they have to find the shortfall ( about 4.1 Million as I recall) from somewhere. The Shropshire Council incidentally are making special awards for class A and C exemptions from 0 to 100% (average 25%). If you are concerned at the future costs you may look at purchasing outside the Telford and Wrekin jurisdiction. However, my own findings have been that properties are not only dearer, elsewhere but you often cannot command the same rent, nor is the demand as high. I would be interested in finding out what others have found Regards Bernie Dear Bernie I was impressed by Dimensions at the January meeting and I may have a property that would suit their needs, what do I do? Please advise P.J. Dear P. J. Yes, they were excellent. Please send your property details to me and I will forward it to them. Regards Bernie 10 BAILEY S PROPERTY SERVICE *Tenant ready service, *Kitchens and Bathroom fitting. *Wall and floor tiling *Painting & decorating * Laminate flooring Plumbing and Carpentry Call Kevin on: or Bates & Co Chartered Accountants Numerous rental and property investor clients. TEL: , Park Plaza, Battlefield Enterprise Park, SHREWSBURY, SY1 3AF E Mail: enquiries@bates4business.co.uk LAUGH IT OFF Reversal of Policy Michael Gove has changed his mind on the English Baccalaureates for Students.. He thought they would be better learning to Back a Lorry up. Creepy My girlfriend calls me a stalker. Well, I say girlfriend, She doesn t actually know yet. Newspaper Headlines Transport Minister does U turn on new road. Tenants Say I told you I wanted a two bedroom flat so I ve knocked the one wall out. Just say stop. My friend drinks brake fluid. He says he s not addicted, he reckons he can stop anytime. Dig this. Four gravediggers wandering aimlessly around a cemetery for hours on end. Quite honestly I think they d lost the plot. Every little helps. Statistically, six out of seven Dwarfs are not Happy. Sign of the times. A poor old lady fell over. I presume she was poor, she only had 1.35 in her purse. Shire Cleaning Services Ltd Your complete cleaning solution We specialise in all applications of cleaning -End of tenancy cleans -Property clean outs -Carpet cleaning -Oven and Appliance cleaning Please get in touch for a no obligation quotation and see how competitive our rates are. Tel: Mobile: cleaning@shirecleaningservices.co.uk wayne@shirecleaningservices.co.uk M.R. Bathrooms & Fires 10B Park Street, Madeley, TELFORD, TF7 5LA FULL Range of plumbing & heating products: Boilers, radiators & Bathroom Suites Copper tube, fittings (inc TDC plastic adaptors) tools, showers, surrounds, taps, wastes etc. We also have a range of fires and fire surrounds available in our showroom. Tel: