Worried about paying your annual service charge... and other leasehold costs?

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1 Worried about paying your annual service charge... and other leasehold costs? atters money matters money matters money ma matters money matters money matters money m atters money matters money matters money ma matters money matters money matters money m

2 If you have any difficulty understanding this document we can arrange for it to be explained to you by an interpreter or have it translated for you. Please call us on: You will need to tell us your name, address, telephone number and the language you speak. Arabic: Farsi: Kurdish: Polish: Jeśli masz trudności ze zrozumieniem tego dokumentu, możemy go przetłumaczyć na język polski, albo zorganizować pomoc tłumacza, który go wyjaśni. Jeśli potrzebujesz pomocy tłumacza, zadzwoń: Musisz podać swoje Twoje imię i nazwisko, adres, numer telefonu i język, w jakim życzysz sobie tłumaczenie. Portuguese: Se tiver alguma dificuldade em compreender este documento, podemos contactar um intérprete que lho explique ou mandá-lo traduzir para si. Telefone para o número: Iremos precisar que nos diga o seu nome, morada, número de telefone e qual a língua que fala. Urdu: If you require an audio or large print version of this leaflet or assistance with a language or Braille translation, call: or translation@crosskeyshomes.co.uk This is a free service.

3 Worried about missing a payment? This could include your annual service charge, your ground rent or an invoice for works to your property. Whatever money worries you are experiencing right now, the chances are we can help you. Do not ignore the problem, it won t go away If you get in contact with us quickly we can: Listen to you Help you to access support and advice Help find out if you are entitled to any benefits Negotiate a suitable repayment plan We will ask you how much you can afford to pay and assess this against your income. We will try and agree with you a reasonable payment plan. What will happen if I ignore my leasehold charges? As a leaseholder you have an obligation to pay promptly under the terms of your lease. If payments are not received and we are able to satisfy a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal that the charges are properly due and reasonable, then we can begin forfeiture proceedings by applying for a court order. The court has wide discretion where forfeiture is concerned, but if forfeiture is approved by a court, this can lead to us repossessing your property. Alternatively we may seek a county court judgment for payment. If the court grants us judgement, payment can be enforced in a number of ways. These include enforcement by an attachment of earnings through your employer or the seizure of goods by the court bailiff. You will have to pay legal costs and any court fees. If you ignore the order of the court, you and your family could lose your home or possessions and may have difficulty being housed by a social landlord in the future.

4 Dealing with your debts If you are having money problems they won t just go away. The longer you wait the worse the situation will be. Don t panic - help is available, a list of organisations offering free and confidential advice are listed in this booklet Act quickly - as soon as you are unable to make payments contact the people who you owe money to and agree a repayment offer with them Get impartial advice - always get advice before borrowing any money What benefits are you getting? - you may not be getting all the benefits you are entitled to. The organisations listed in this booklet will help you to check this DON T RISK LOSING YOUR HOME If you are unable to make a payment : TELL US IMMEDIATELY Please contact Anthony Knight on We will do all we can to help you make your leasehold payments and keep your home. Difficulties in paying? If you find it difficult to pay your service charge, you should contact our incomes team on: straight away. Where your bill is greater than 250 we offer a direct debit option to pay your bill over a maximum 12 month period (no prompt payment discount is available for this method of payment). If you are in receipt of income support, you should contact the benefits agency and produce your service charge invoice. Depending on your personal circumstances, they may be able to offer assistance with your bill. Alternatively, if you have purchased your home with the aid of a mortgage, you may consider approaching your lender. They may be able to settle your invoice on your behalf, and add the amount to your mortgage.

5 These organisations can help to sort out all your debts and give you the right advice Citizens Advice Bureau The largest provider of free money advice in the UK 16-17, St Marks Street, Peterborough PE1 2TU Tel: Consumer Credit Counselling Service Provides free independent and impartial advice Tel: Benefits Housing and council tax (Peterborough City Council) Bayard Place, Broadway, Peterborough Tel: National Debtline Free independent and confidential advice Tel: Advice UK Self help information is available online at: Online debt test This will help you to find out how likely you are to have problems with your borrowings: Online budget calculator This will help you work out how much money you have available each month: Inland Revenue - Tax credit helpline Tel:

6 Free debt advice drop in surgeries Peterborough Citizens Advice Bureau is running free debt advice drop in surgeries. The sessions are held on Wednesday afternoons, from 12pm to 4pm. For further information call: Cross Keys Homes' office opening hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday Wednesday Other useful numbers 9am to 5pm 10am to 5pm To speak to someone about your leasehold arrears you can do so: By contacting Anthony Knight in our incomes team Tel: To speak to someone about your invoice you can do so: By contacting the leasehold team on Tel:

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8 February 03, 2010 money matters Cross Keys Homes Limited is registered in the United Kingdom, registered number: Cross Keys Homes Limited is a registered charity, registered number: money matters money matters atters money matters money matters money m y matters money matters money matters money atters money matters money matters money m y matters money matters money matters money