A TRIBUNAL has ruled yet again that leaseholders will not have to pay thousands of pounds for home improvements about which they were not consulted.

But the council's property manager is not giving up and is now considering taking the battle to the High Court at a further cost to the taxpayer.

The president of the Lands Tribunal has upheld a previous decision refusing to grant Ascham Homes an exemption from the need to consult leaseholders before carrying out the works.

Leaseholders who had purchased properties under the Right to Buy scheme were billed thousands of pounds with little notice after the organisation carried out work on blocks they shared with council tenants.

Furious leaseholders had earlier took Ascham Homes to a Leaseholder Variation tribunal and won.

The latest decision is the fourth ruling to go in favour of the leaseholders, but Ascham Homes has indicated it now intends to seek a judicial review of the decision.

Chartered Accountant Michael McGough, who was billed £32,000 for unwanted work on his property in West Avenue Road, Walthamstow, said he welcomed the decision.

But he said: “Because they want to go for a judicial review it feels like we have gone back to square one.

“It is very unsettling for leaseholders who don't know for sure what is going to happen.

“Some of these sums are a lot of money for poorer leaseholders.”

If Ascham Homes decides to fight the case in the High Court it is likely to mean hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers' money will be spent on legal costs.

If it ultimately loses, the improvement works will be paid for out of a £5.4m fund set aside in the council's budget.

Mr McGough said: “Taxpayers will lose out whatever happens- because of mismanagement.”

The Guardian is awaiting responses from Ascham Homes and the council.