I
am a Chartered Surveyor and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute
of Arbitrators. I now specialise in residential and commercial
landlord and tenant, including leasehold reform. My general
practice background means that I can advise both on valuation
and building repair issues (service charges and dilapidations).
I started off with a small practice in Orpington, mainly concerned
with property management. I then had a spell of just over three
years with the London Borough of Lambeth before joining the
partnership of Prall Champion and Prall of North West Kent.
When my partners decided to sell out to a financial institution
I departed to set up my own professional practice in Beckenham.
I subsequently went on to found South East Surveys with two
colleagues and we now have 16 offices in Essex, Kent, Surrey,
Sussex and outer London. We hope to set up a central London
office shortly.
My interest in leasehold reform started with studying the Leasehold
Reform Bill in my final year (1966) before graduating, the Act
being passed the following year. It did not start to take over
my life until 1993. As my main office was surrounded by flats
I volunteered to help the RICS draft guidance notes on how surveyors
should approach advising clients in respect of the new legislation.
This led to me being asked to give lectures to fellow professionals.
The RICS put the University of Southampton in touch with me
when they were undertaking their research into leasehold reform.
They in turn recommended me to LEASE and it is there, sitting
on the working party, that I met the Chairman of the FPRA, who
can be very persuasive when it comes to seeking volunteers!
I have been actively involved in making representations, including
liaising with FPRA's legal officer, on the Commonhold and Leasehold
Reform Bill.
I am currently advising about flats in an own area from Luton
in the north down to the Sussex coastal towns in the south,
and from Reading in the west to Kent and Essex in the east.
I am an active Arbitrator and Independent Expert mainly involved
with commercial landlord and tenant, although I have been appointed
as an Arbitrator to resolve residential service charge disputes.
I was a Rugby Union referee, but now have the easier task of
advising referees. I occasionally find time to play golf but
my main leisure interests are gardening, walking and bird watching.
I am married but with no children and we in a listed timber-frame
house, far removed from blocks of flats, in a village in Kent. |
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