The Land and Property Services (LPS) has confirmed it will not issue rates bills to the owners of the Victoria Square apartments in Belfast this year. Stormont’s finance minister, Caoimhe Archibald, said all ministers were “deeply concerned” about the residents’ plight and were working to find a solution. The residents were advised to leave the apartments in 2019 due to structural issues, but have been continuing to pay rates, service charge and in some cases, mortgages. Despite requesting a rates exemption, some residents were turned down and some were even facing court action over unpaid rates.
Patrick McKeauge, one of the apartment owners who was forced to leave the Victoria Square complex, expressed his delight over the news which he described as “a plus for us when everything seems to be against us”. He had been going through stress for over five years due to the letters of unpaid rates which were sent to him and other residents. It was confirmed at a meeting of executive ministers that ways of supporting the residents were being discussed, following the announcement of finance minister Archibald.
Meanwhile, BBC News NI understands it would cost millions of pounds to repair the defective Victoria Square apartments, which have remained uninhabitable since 2019. The management company, Victoria Square (Chichester Street) Residential Management Limited, was asked to disclose details of what work has been carried out since the residents moved out. It responded that regular work is conducted to ensure the building is maintained, including checking the common areas and all apartments in the building each week, regular testing of the fire and intruder alarm systems and monitoring the building to maintain its insurance for public safety purposes.
There have been calls for legislation in Northern Ireland to enable owners of properties found to be defective to make claims within 30 years, which is in line with England and Wales, unlike the current requirement in Northern Ireland, which specifies six years. The cost of repairing the apartments is not expected to rise to tens of millions of pounds, but it is still unclear who will be responsible for paying the bill.
In response to the concerns regarding unpaid rates, LPS has paused legal action and stopped issuing bills for the new rating year, indicating that discussions are ongoing regarding a solution. All ministers have acknowledged the unfairness of the situation, and LPS is working towards finding a way forward
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