The Northwood Hall (Freehold) Company has been set up to enable the leaseholders in Northwood Hall to buy their own freehold.​ The current directors are:

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Philip Whale

Philip has owned a flat in Northwood Hall since 2011. A commercial lawyer with over 30 years’ experience, he came to London from New Zealand in 1986 to join global law firm Norton Rose (Fulbright). Described by the legal press as a likeable professional with a can-do approach, he specialised in finance, property, and mergers and acquisitions, working on numerous major UK and international projects. He was made a full partner in 1992. In 2007 he moved to a similar role at Berwin Leighton Paisner before retiring to work on local charity projects in Golders Green and Archway.

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Philip is working on the freehold purchase scheme unpaid and stands to make no more from it than any other leaseholder. He has chosen to apply his experience to bring positive change to Northwood Hall, to resolve its disputes in favour of all leaseholders, and to see the building restored to a good standard.

 

Neil Hare-Brown

Neil has been a leaseholder at Northwood Hall for 18 years. He is highly experienced in cyber risk and digital investigations. He has worked in senior security and audit roles at major financial institutions. Over 30 years Neil has worked for, and consulted to, the military and national and international law enforcement in the investigation of computer crime and fraud for the police, government and international commercial organisations. As a Chartered IT Professional, Neil has an MSc in Information Security from Royal Holloway and holds several professional qualifications in IT risk and governance. His book, Information Security Incident Management – A Methodology, published by the British Standards Institution, offers a practical approach to risk management, helping organisations to respond to and manage cyber security incidents.

 

Like Philip, he has no greater financial stake in the success of the freehold purchase than any other leaseholder and is also working unpaid.

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Geoffrey Gay

Geoffrey Gay, our ‘White Knight’ investor, is an MRICS Chartered Surveyor. He has been a director at real-estate company, Lindmead Ltd. (est. 1977), for more than 25 years. After studying Land Management at the University of Reading he moved to Savills as a graduate trainee, from where he went on to invest in property on his own account, building up a stable portfolio of previously neglected London-based urban properties. His business model is to achieve smaller financial yields over a long time period, rather than look for risky short-term gains from development.

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We need Geoffrey’s investment to fund the considerable shortfall in the freehold purchase price. He will also cover all the Company’s legal costs and assume the financial risk for all leaseholders until the enfranchisement is complete. In return, his company will have a share in Northwood Hall. Lindmead will make money from garage rentals, lease extensions and, just like any freehold member who signs up, from a share in the profits of any approved development. 

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Consultant - David Wismayer

David Wismayer is not a Director of the Northwood Hall (Freehold) Company and has no control over it. He was invited to consult on setting up the offer, having helped the leaseholders of Morshead Mansions in Maida Vale to buy their own freehold and liberate their building from years of neglect. He is a qualified accountant and has more than 40 years’ experience in property management and building restoration. David has a proven track record in delivering high quality repairs and value for money.

 

In 2003, Morshead’s then manager, Mr Bruce Maunder Taylor, was suspended by the First Tier Tribunal. David replaced him as manager, and has been unanimously lauded for his performance ever since. Under Morshead’s corporate democracy, he has been consistently voted in year after year by its shareholders. Morshead Mansions is now known as one of the most efficiently run and best maintained blocks in the area.

 

David is receiving no pay for his services as a consultant. He could later be invited to manage Northwood Hall, but could only be appointed with a majority vote through our own corporate democracy once the freehold purchase is completed.

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The Northwood Hall (Freehold) Company will give you:

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• Transparency – e.g., key decisions must be approved by the participant leaseholders and therefore they must be fully informed by the Company in order to make those decisions

• Full accountability – e.g., fully audited accounts

• Scrupulous honesty

• Operation in accordance with the law supported by the highest calibre of legal expertise

• Corporate democracy – giving you control of your property through a majority vote on appointing Participant Directors as well as all planned works, including key decisions on any proposed development

• An increase in the value and security of your property

• Highly competent specialists in property management and investment

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The Northwood Hall (Freehold) Company's Articles of Association can be reviewed here. 

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