A Devizes couple’s pension plans have been thrown into chaos by a £13,000 bill from their housing association.
Jackie Moxom, a 64-year-old executive assistant, is due to retire in 2024 while her husband Shane is a freelance painter who plans to follow suit in 2025.
Their retirement is now in question after Aster Group has raised the service charge for its block of flats on Hillier Road to over £13,000 for the year to cover major works. This was up from £53.67 the previous year.
Ms Moxom, who has been contesting the charges since February, said: ‘We are now £13,550 in debt on our house as we have worked hard to keep our heads above water and not owe money.
“We are really worried as we will have a repayment plan of around £250 a month over five years which is unrealistic when we are on state pensions.”
She says the stress of battling with the bill over the past 10 months, as well as dealing with Aster since they moved into the flat in 2007, has worn down the pair.
She added: “It dragged me down. We’re trying to get through it but Shane has back pain which can go away at any time.
“Earlier this year I was diagnosed with severe high blood pressure and it’s at the level of a stroke or heart attack.
“I’ve never had high blood pressure before…I bottled it all up and it wore me out. It exhausted us.
Aster says the charges will cover necessary repairs to the building and they have offered the owners a repayment plan.
A spokesperson said: ‘There were several elements of maintenance work on this building required this year, including repairs to the roof and windows. This work ensures the maintenance of the value of the homes of these customers.
“Without this, they are likely to lose far more than the cost of this work, when it comes time to sell their house.
“Before the start of the work, we carried out an Article 20 consultation with the customers concerned, allowing them to see the details of the work.
“They could also offer their suggested contractor to complete the work, and estimated prices were collected through a competitive bidding process.
“Providing customers with quality service and value for money has been important in planning this work and throughout the year we have spoken to affected customers to discuss the help available.”
But apartment owners say major work is only needed because Aster let the building deteriorate by not carrying out sufficient maintenance for 16 years.
In a letter to tenants defending their maintenance record, Aster listed several repairs they had undertaken, but were mostly minor works such as replacing a cracked tile in 2014 and replacing and repair of several municipal lights.
Meanwhile, the window in Mr. and Mrs. Moxom’s bedroom is currently rotting, but they say it wasn’t considered a necessary repair.
They also disagree that Aster exercised due diligence to ensure that the work in progress was carried out at the best price for the owners.
A breakdown of the costs which led to an inflated service charge revealed that Aster was quoted £687.50 for the preparation, painting and buffing of the three outer doors alone.
Ms Moxom said: “We are now in debt through no fault of our own. If Aster had properly maintained the building from the outset and set up an appropriate sinking fund, we would not be in this position.
Mr Moxom agreed: ‘My biggest frustration is that they won’t stand up and say they’re wrong and they haven’t for 16 years.’
The eight apartments concerned maintain that they cannot afford the reimbursement plan that Aster has offered them.