Middleton Estate - service charges
Dear Hackney Borough Council,
Please treat this request within the connotations and grounds as per section 1 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. I ask the following questions in regard to the Middleton Estate, and predominantly, the service charges applied to the properties on this Estate.
1) How many freehold properties are on the Middleton Estate, Hackney? How are these divided up in relation to ownership between the Local Authority and the Occupier?
2) How many of these freehold properties are liable for the annual service charge? How is the annual service charge calculated each year, or is it specified in the freehold deeds? Does each property pay the same in service charges?
3) Are any properties exempt from paying a service charge; and if so, what reason are they exempt? For the avoidance of doubt, this also asks you to confirm how many properties are exempt and their individual reasons.
4) Please supply fully itemised statements for the annual service charge, both estimated and actual, for every freehold properties on the Middleton Estate. Please supply all information you hold, going back to the earliest date available. We are looking for evidence as to what the service charge pays for, alongside a summary of any commercial agreement the Local Authority have entered into, to supply services for the Occupiers paying a service charge.
5) How is the service charge apportioned between each property, if the fee is a set figure and divided somehow between properties?
I look forward to your response within the statutory 20 working days. I do accept this is a large request and it may take time to collate all information you require, so please contact me should you need clarification or further information to ensure my request is met in full, as promptly as possible.
Yours faithfully,
Matthew J. Ramsden
Information request
Our reference: 15561765
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Dear Mr Ramsden
Middleton Estate - service charges
This is to acknowledge receipt of your information request to London
Borough of Hackney.
If you have submitted a request under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000
, we aim to respond within the statutory timescale of 20 working days.
The reference number for your request is 15561765
If you have any further enquiries, please reply to this email leaving the
subject line unchanged.
We are currently experiencing a high volume of requests and may not be
able to respond to you as promptly as we would like. However, we will
endeavour to contact you as soon as possible.
Hackney Council
1 Hillman Street
Hackney
London
E8 1DY
[Hackney Borough Council request email]
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unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
Information request
Our reference: 15561765
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Dear Mr Ramsden
Thank you for your request for information received on 1 March 2023.
Please find attached our response to your request.
Yours sincerely
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
All Hackney Council emails and attachments are private and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
Unauthorised use (for example disclosure, storage or copying) is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email.
The Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any incoming
and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring internal
compliance with our policy on staff use. Email monitoring and / or
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opinions expressed in email are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of Hackney Council.
The ICT service for the Council checks all emails and attachments for
known malware, however, you are advised that you open any attachments at
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As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose the contents of
emails (or any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
Dear London Borough of Hackney,
Your ref: 15561765 Request for internal review
I acknowledge receipt of your correspondence dated 14 March 2023. Please pass this request on to the person in charge of responding to Freedom of Information Act 2000 requests. I am writing to request an internal review of this request.
Information received from the London Borough of Hackney refer to Middleton House, which does not comprise the entirety of the Middleton Estate. Indeed, there are some individual properties, namely houses, on the estate which are also part of the Middleton Estate. If you disagree with this, please show me how you assess "Middleton Estate" as only having Middleton House on your records.
Your breakdown of costs also does not push to other homes on the Estate and I request you reassess this as you have not supplied the information requested.
Your refusal of section 40 is considered unfair. You are in a position to make generalizations about addresses, without directly identifying (inclusive of redaction) whom the information applies to. Indeed, as Middleton Estate does not only compose of Middleton House, at least by my assessment, there is no reasonable basis to assume that the information, if redacted, would cause a risk of identification of the relevant parties. It is in the public interest to reveal or release information to residents in relation to how their surcharges are calculated. It is also in the public interest to know about any exemptions, whether qualified or not, which exempts people or permits people to pay a lower sum in service charges.
If you are unable to ultimately do so, I would request any costs which the London Borough of Hackney have borne in the maintenance and upkeep of the Middleton Estate, both internal and external, to be outlined with a general sum that it has cost the Borough, during the last five years. Brief descriptions of the services rendered are requested alongside these figures.
Finally, please confirm whether the Borough makes any profit or loss from the service charges it collects for the upkeep and maintenance of the Middleton Estate. Please outline this for the last five years.
Please re-address my request with a view to the full Middleton Estate, and show how you have done so in your response. I look forward to such.
Yours sincerely,
Matthew J. Ramsden
Information request
Our reference: 15561765
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Dear Mr Ramsden
Thank you for your request for a review received on 28 March 2023. We are
sorry that you are dissatisfied with our attempts to handle your request
under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
We can confirm that we are considering your concerns and we will aim to
provide you with a response by as soon as reasonably possible.
Yours sincerely
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
All Hackney Council emails and attachments are private and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
Unauthorised use (for example disclosure, storage or copying) is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email.
The Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any incoming
and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring internal
compliance with our policy on staff use. Email monitoring and / or
blocking software may be used and email content may be read. Any views or
opinions expressed in email are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of Hackney Council.
The ICT service for the Council checks all emails and attachments for
known malware, however, you are advised that you open any attachments at
your own risk.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose the contents of
emails (or any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
Dear London Borough of Hackney,
Your reference: 15561765
I am formally advising you that without a response in the next five working days, I will refer this to the Information Commissioners' Office.
Yours sincerely,
HE Matthew J. Ramsden
Dear Matthew Ramsden
We refer to your request for an internal review and apologise for the
delay in contacting you.
Your request is being considered and a response will be provided to you as
soon as possible
Kind regards
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: [FOI #955405 email]
Sent: 14/05/2023 19:43
To: [Hackney Borough Council request email]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Middleton
Estate - service charges
(Attachments:) Email from [FOI #955405 email] -
Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Middleton Estate -
service charges.txt, Email (original message) from
[FOI #955405 email] received on 14/05/2023.eml
All Hackney Council emails and attachments are private and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
Unauthorised use (for example disclosure, storage or copying) is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email.
The Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any incoming
and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring internal
compliance with our policy on staff use. Email monitoring and / or
blocking software may be used and email content may be read. Any views or
opinions expressed in email are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of Hackney Council.
The ICT service for the Council checks all emails and attachments for
known malware, however, you are advised that you open any attachments at
your own risk.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose the contents of
emails (or any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
Dear Matthew Ramsden
We refer to your request for information and are looking into your request
for an internal review.
The Council advises that there isn't a Middleton Estate on its data. There
is a Middleton House or Middleton Road.
Could you clarify which part of the Borough (ward, street) you believe
Middleton Estate is located.
Kind regards
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: London Borough of Hackney<[Hackney Borough Council request email]>
Sent: 13/06/2023 08:14
To: [FOI #955405 email]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Middleton
Estate - service charges
Dear Matthew Ramsden
We refer to your request for an internal review and apologise for the
delay in contacting you.
Your request is being considered and a response will be provided to you as
soon as possible
Kind regards
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
From: [FOI #955405 email]
Sent: 14/05/2023 19:43
To: [Hackney Borough Council request email]
Subject: Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Middleton
Estate - service charges
(Attachments:) Email from [FOI #955405 email] -
Internal review of Freedom of Information request - Middleton Estate -
service charges.txt, Email (original message) from
[FOI #955405 email] received on 14/05/2023.eml
All Hackney Council emails and attachments are private and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
Unauthorised use (for example disclosure, storage or copying) is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email.
The Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any incoming
and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring internal
compliance with our policy on staff use. Email monitoring and / or
blocking software may be used and email content may be read. Any views or
opinions expressed in email are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of Hackney Council.
The ICT service for the Council checks all emails and attachments for
known malware, however, you are advised that you open any attachments at
your own risk.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose the contents of
emails (or any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
Information request
Our reference: 15561765
══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Dear Mr Ramsden
We have been contacted by the Information Commissioner's Office to be
advised that this case can be closed.
The Council has updated its records and no further action will be taken on
this reference.
Yours sincerely
Information Management Team
London Borough of Hackney
NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email.
All Hackney Council emails and attachments are private and intended solely
for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed.
Unauthorised use (for example disclosure, storage or copying) is not
permitted. If you are not the intended recipient please destroy all copies
and inform the sender by return email.
The Council reserves the right to monitor, record and retain any incoming
and outgoing emails for security reasons and for monitoring internal
compliance with our policy on staff use. Email monitoring and / or
blocking software may be used and email content may be read. Any views or
opinions expressed in email are solely those of the author and do not
necessarily represent those of Hackney Council.
The ICT service for the Council checks all emails and attachments for
known malware, however, you are advised that you open any attachments at
your own risk.
As a public body, the Council may be required to disclose the contents of
emails (or any response to it) under the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
unless the information in it is covered by one of the exemptions in the
Act.
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Gadawodd Matthew J. Ramsden anodiad ()
ICO complaint made 2028hrs EST May 27, 2023