I WAS interested by the replies to Ms Gillian Robbins' letter referencing Two Rivers Housing Association's (2RH) new headquarters but, especially, the grass cutting issue.  

To my mind, if 2RH's case was as cast iron as it has always maintained then this issue would have been resolved years ago. It now appears that, contrary to what 2RH has claimed over the previous years, the private householders deeds make no reference to estate maintenance or service charges, let alone specifically referring to grass cutting charges.

Furthermore it has now come to the public's notice that Forest of Dean District Council paid 2RH an out of court settlement in lieu of 2RH being able to recover estate maintenance from many private home owners. Yet after 2RH accepted this payment they still sent out demands to all the home owners.

Mark Evans made the point about the Land Registry rules concerning the housing stock transfers that occurred in the 1990s and 2000s. But, possibly, of even more relevance, is that neither the 1957 Housing Act (which governed private sales) nor the 1980 Housing Act (which governed the majority of Right To Buy sales) makes mention of freehold service charges. So, even if Forest of Dean District Council did agree with 2RH that they could make service charges to private home owners, did Forest of Dean District Council have the right to make such an agreement in the first place?

Furthermore, the Land Registry Tribunal has recently cast doubt upon the effectiveness of both restrictive and positive covenants contained in council property transfers disposed of both by private sale and Right To Buy.

Even after the judge has made his decision, I don't think this will be the last we hear of the issue.

– Christine Coleman (interested independent observer), Brockweir.