K33 Du Cane Court
To come onto the market for the first time since 1968 this is a brief history of K33 Du Cane Court and its owner Gerald Smith who sadly passed away in March 2016.
Written with kind permission of Gerald’s family & his estate.
Gerald Anthony Smith was born in 1928 and his first flat in Du cane Court was E54B, Gerald was a tenant of this flat owned by Du Cane Court Limited as were many of his fellow residents.
This letter confirms that the building has been sold but the new owners will continue to be known as Du Cane Court Limited.
There is a change of managing agents to Keith Cardale Groves & Company but they have retained the services of Mrs Whelpton the long standing Manageress in the estate office.
In June 1967 Gerald is a sitting tenant and Keith Cardale Groves & Company write to inform him that as each flat in Du Cane Court becomes vacant they will be sold on long leases but sitting tenants will not be disturbed and the new annual rent of £125 is agreed for E54B
Gerald is contacted by Keith Cardale Groves & Company to confirm that they are prepared to sell him a long leasehold flat at a ‘concessionary sitting tenant price’ and to telephone Miss Southern of their office.
Gerald has wanted to buy half of his communal flat at E54B but this did not prove possible and he therefore made an offer to purchase H72 Du Cane Court
The offer of a garage is also mentioned.
Unfortunately there are problems with the purchase of H72 and Gerald decides to withdraw his offer.
K33 Du Cane Court is viewed by Gerald and he makes an offer to buy the flat at £3,450 which is accepted.
The sale proceeds and Gerald completes the purchase during 1968 and lives in the flat until October 2015 when he moves to a nursing home in Westminster.
The flat will now be marketed to begin a new life with a new owner.