Thursday, March 04, 2010

Scottish Parliament MSPs urged to back regulation of property factors

david_whittonDavid Whitton MSP. Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP David Whitton has urged the regional MSPs to back proposals by Patricia Ferguson MSP members’ bill at Holyrood which would give homeowners more protection by enforcing new standards of registration and accreditation on factors and property managers in Scotland. The proposals come after the Office of Fair Trading published a report finding significant problems in Scotland’s property management market.

The consultation paper for the proposals to require property factors to register and make provision for an accessible form of dispute resolution between homeowners and property factors can be viewed HERE (pdf). Notable support comes from a range of organisations including the Property Managers Association and Govan Law Centre. The OFT’s full report download : Property managers in Scotland - a market study (pdf)

David Whitton MSP said: “For too long factors have been a law unto themselves. There are many good factors but there are others who seem to see the job as a licence to print money and simply do not communicate with the people they are supposed to work for. I hope that MSPs from across the Chamber will put aside their differences and support proposals to give homeowners more rights.”

The current proposals from the Scottish Government which are simply a voluntary code, may wind up as most voluntary codes go – ineffective and requiring statutory legislation further down the line.

Mr Whitton, commenting on the Scottish Government’s voluntary idea of regulation, said : "The Scottish Government is currently proposing a voluntary scheme but we believe they need to go further and that legislation is required."

The consultation paper for Patricia Ferguson’s bill to require property factors to register and make provision for an accessible form of dispute resolution between homeowners and property factors can be viewed HERE (pdf). Notable support comes from a range of organisations including the Property Managers Association and Govan Law Centre.

Patricia Ferguson MSP launches Bill to regulate property factors

S3M-5872 Patricia Ferguson: Factoring Services : That the Parliament notes that the Office of Fair Trading market study into the property management market found that the market is not working well for consumers in Scotland; welcomes the recent cross-party support for proposals to require property factors to register and to make provision for an accessible form of dispute resolution between homeowners and property factors, and further welcomes this positive progress toward the introduction of legislation to ensure better accountability of property managers for their standards and the services that they provide.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Patricia Ferguson MSP is trying to introduce regulation on Factors and service charges in Scotland. The Corrupt Government Regulators Scottish Homes, then Communities Scotland, and now the Scottish Housing Regulator have known for over twenty years about problems with Factors and Landlords, the same corrupt people who knew about the problems are still in the new Regulator, the 17 year Court Case by Milbrae Gardens in Glasgow was one case that the residents won, and the Corrupt Scottish Government and its corrupt Regulators and Civil Servants still protect Corrupt Landlords and Factors in Scotland. The Auditor General that Crook John Black has evidence of fraud and criminality by Housing Associations in Scotland going back 25 years and he will do nothing about it. This is fraud on Housing Benefit, which is fraud on the DWP, they refuse to do anything about it. The DWP fraud investigation unit that investigates DWP fraud states that it has no powers to investigate landlord fraud on Housing Benefit. Five of Scotlands past corrupt Housing Ministers have the evidence, including reports by Government Advocates detailing the evidence of this massive fraud, and will do nothing about it. Two Lord Advocates have the evidence and they refuse to do anything about the fraud, Alex Salmond has the evidence and he refuses to do anything about it, the National Audit Office in London has the evidence and they refuse to do anything about it, they Audit the DWP accounts, Housing Benefit is not devolved to Scotland it is still an English matter, and they will not take any action to stop
the proven fraud. So this action will fail in our corrupt Scottiah Parliament. as fraud and corruption in Scotland is Government supported. See PE277 that was before the Petitions Committee in November 2000. That Petition disappeared down a black hole, complements of the Corrupt Scottish Government. Corrupt Landlords and Factors in Scotland are protected by this Government.
Mike Daily of the Govan Law Centre was in a Scottish Television Programme years ago on service charges, he stated that Factors & Landlords in Scotland had a licence to print money with service charges in Scotland, Government funded fraud and corruption cover up.
the

Anonymous said...

The Scottish Government is alleged to be going to bring a Code of Practice for Landlords and Factors in Scotland. Another piece of corrupt legislation. Ask the Government why we do not have a Code of Practice for paying out Television Licence, for Paying our Taxes, for paying out Council Tax, because a Code of Practice is just as much good as a CHOCOLATE FIREGUARD. The Scottish Government like anything that protects the corrupt, and allows them to plunder
money from the working class people in Scotland.

Anonymous said...

Dont forget a certain Scottish Government Minister is a well known player in Glasgow's property landlord market.

Could this be the real reason the SNP's plans for property regulation is only voluntary ?