In the shared living room of a Crosby flat complex, 15 elderly individuals gather, their faces etched with worry and concern.

All present are leaseholders at Somerford House, a block managed by The Riverside Group. They've convened today, as they often do now, driven by frustration and a desire for change.

"We are unhappy with Riverside's treatment of us," says Marilyn Reed, an 11-year resident of Somerford House. "They are treating us as if we are stupid," she adds, her voice filled with indignation.

The group's discontent stems from the fees and charges they claim to be unfairly levied by Riverside, as well as the alleged poor condition of their building. Built in 1988, Somerford House comprises 43 leasehold flats designed for retirement living, with residents leasing their properties for a set period from the freeholder.

Previously managed by The Guinness Partnership, the block was transferred to Liverpool-based housing association The Riverside Group in 2021. Many leaseholders had hoped to spend their twilight years here in peace, but instead find themselves embroiled in a relentless struggle against escalating charges, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The primary grievance among Somerford House residents pertains to what they describe as ever-increasing service charges and inflated bills for what they allege is subpar maintenance work on the ageing building.

In the face of criticism, Riverside has offered an apology to affected leaseholders for any distress caused, but maintains its commitment to keeping the building in top shape, ensuring it is secure and inviting. The housing association notes significant improvements have been carried out at Somerford House since it assumed management three years ago, including necessary maintenance to prevent decay, maintaining compliance with building safety legislation, and modernisation efforts conducted transparently with leaseholder input.

However, this sentiment isn't echoed by all residents of Somerford House.

"The service charge we all pay was £152 per month in 2022/23, then it went up to £221 the next year and to £295 for the last year," says Tom Doyle, a 74 year old resident. "We are lumbered with these charges but we don't know where that money is going."

He continues: "I'm 74. If I live another ten years then I will pay £40,000 in service charges. I only paid £67,000 for my flat. So it feels like I am rebuying my flat. I feel like I've got a mortgage again now."

Adding to their frustration, all present in the discussion are pensioners reliant on fixed incomes, rendering the steep and continuous rise in service charges especially burdensome. Even as the state pension has seen a 4.1% increase, the leaseholders contend that this small boost in their pension income is effectively nullified by the escalating service charges.

Riverside stated that it is standard practice within the industry, and outlined in lease agreements, for landlords like them to recoup costs from leaseholders for service charges, repairs, and maintenance to cover the expenses of irregular and costly building works required.

However, the service charges aren't the only bone of contention. Despite Riverside's assertions, the leaseholders feel they are not adequately consulted on what work is undertaken at Somerford House and allege that when maintenance tasks are performed, they are often executed to a substandard level necessitating costly repeat visits from contractors and additional charges that they must foot.

Carol Allan, aged 69, is all too familiar with this situation. She alleges to have had ongoing issues with a leaking roof and shared pictures with the ECHO of her water-damaged walls and plastic covers installed to shield from the leaks.

She elaborates: "I had three years of rain entering my apartment before Riverside eventually dried out the walls. Unfortunately, this did not last long as the poor workmanship on the roof led to more rain entering my apartment.. My home never feels liveable.

"When they do the repairs, they seem to be there three or four times. We have to pay every time they put the scaffolding up," she adds.

Tom also comments: "There is a view - which I certainly hold - that we are being treated with utter contempt. We are seeing a consistent move up in terms of the prices, but we don't see what we are paying for."

He gestures towards the communal toilet adjacent to the lounge area, stating: "This erupted with raw sewage recently. Before that there had been people out four times to fix it and we had to pay each and every time for that.

"We've had people out five or six times to work on the roof. We get charged for that and the scaffolding and then it leaks again. The repairs that are getting carried out are not done to the right standard."

Bernie Mac, a 68 year old resident of Somerford House for the past five years, encapsulates the current sentiment among her fellow leaseholders. "There is an awful lot of sadness at Somerford House because of the way we are treated," she explains.

"We have all had our homes and mortgages, we've had kids and good jobs, we are not stupid. Then we came here thinking we will settle down with our pension, but its not like that. The feeling you get here is that we are just fighting all the time.

"Its just a sad feeling, when it should be a happy and comfortable feeling," she adds. "We are trying to make things feel more uplifting but when all this happens, we just think, why did we come here?"

The situation at Somerford House has prompted some of the leaseholders to become active campaigners. Marilyn brandishes a leaflet from the National Leasehold Campaign.

"Campaigning is all I do now," she declares, adding: "I am now on lots of campaigns about leasehold. I long for the day of being a freeholder again. You don't realise how trapped you become."

The government has announced plans to ban the sale of new leasehold flats, hailing it as 'the beginning of the end of this feudal system'. However, this legislation brings little solace to the current residents of Somerford House, who are urgently requesting to be heard.

"We just need a meaningful conversation with Riverside," implores Marlilyn. "I would like the chief executive to come and have a look at what is going on here."

In response to the complaints from the leaseholders, Riverside's spokesperson said: "We want to apologise to our Somerford House customers for any upset experienced in relation to the service charges and improvement works carried out at their home.

"We are committed to our customers and have a duty of care to ensure that the building remains in good order, and is safe and comfortable for them to live in.

"In the three years since Riverside has taken over management, improvement works have been completed to prevent building deterioration, comply with building safety laws and modernise the building in consultation with our customers.

"There is more to be done to achieve this, and we are dedicated to supporting Somerford House customers to feel proud of their homes. The further works planned aim to tackle concerns raised as part of inspections, consultations and conversations with our customers.

"These improvements will be funded through service charges in line with lease agreements. We understand that any cost increase can be concerning and unwelcome and are doing everything we can to keep costs to a minimum while ensuring we meet customer expectations.

"As leaseholders, there is a contractual obligation to contribute toward the upkeep, maintenance and major works required for the building, ensuring it remains safe and well-maintained for all residents. While these charges are necessary to cover essential maintenance and shared services, as advised during meetings and letters sent to Somerford House customers, we offer a range of services and personalised financial support (such as welfare benefit advice) to enable customers to maximise their income.

"We ask customers worried about their finances to please speak to us via our 24/7 customer service team or the scheme's dedicated Housing Officer. ".