Hello all. I'm new to the site and I would like to discuss my case with you and perhaps to tap your invaluable experiences or advice. I'm currently in court with the Managing agents of the communal areas to my estate since November 2011. I bought my Freehold house in November 2000 and since then the services I have received from the managing agents have been substandard, despite covenant being in place. Initially and for about 4 years we have had frequent black-outs to the point where the only source of lighting for my mews would be my front door security light. To-date there is one main street lamp in my mews still not operating (has not done so since I bought the house pretty much). However in 2008 things came to a head as I discovered accounting errors in my annual service charge bill. I wrote to the managing agents in 2009, with bank statement evidence, but I received no reply. The 2010 bill also contained the same errors, so I attended a so-called Residents Meeting (8 freeholders present out of 103 in total) and spoke to the partner who denied the errors but promised to look into my property accounts and send me details. In 2011 I received a court notification for a small claims court that the managing agents had logged against me. Mystified as I had received no other communication from them, I enquired with a friend aborad and found out that the agents had send about a month before all the information I had been promised in 2010, but to the wrong address - :xI believe this was deliberate as they have since posted information to the wrong address despite the court and their solicitors using my correct one. In any case I decided to log a counterclaim as I have had enough. I have photographic evidence spanning the last 6 years of illegal rubbish dumping in the communal areas by lanlords who rent accommodation in the estate, the cleaning company not doing its job, the lights across the estate that do not work on a permanent basis, walls that need rebricking, illegaly parked and with no tax disc vehicles, two statements from witnesses that confirm that my security light was the only source of lighting for my area, a copy of an assault case currently going through the police of an illegally parked person attacking a relative of mine, etc. The situation is now so bad that I have to call the local council who then offer to speak to the managing agents before any action is taken for repairs, if at all. Their solicitors I have found most unhelpful as they have repeatedly ignored my requests for documentation, served me with papers 2 mins before we walk into the court, logged statements with the court that had not been signed by their witnesses etc. They have now served me with costs that they revised in 2012, I believe as a way to intimidate me, and the only reason the case has not been resolved as yet is because the hearing has been transferred from the Mayors City of London County Court, to Greenwich county court, to Lambeth County court. I do not know why it was transferred and as I'm not a legally trained person I am a bit baffled. However in 2012 the case was briefly referred to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal who then returned the claim back stating that it was not in their jurisdiction as the Deeds clearly state my home is a freehold and to quote them 'under no obligation to pay service charges'. How do I deal with their solicitors dirty tricks please? I'm quite put off that such practices are tolerated by courts and judges as I did complain about this to the judge at the last hearing before the case was postponed and his answer was: 'So?'. Any help or share of similar experience would be appreciated. Thank you.