Why I Built Section 20 Defender
This service exists because of what my partner went through - not as an abstract market opportunity, but because I watched it happen, over and over, for more than twenty years.
Her story
My partner owned an ex-council leasehold flat in London for more than twenty years. Over that time, she was hit with Section 20 notices carrying very large bills on three separate occasions - in some cases for works that, on closer inspection, had already been done, or had been done to a poor standard. Each time, she didn’t just accept the bill. She questioned it, gathered evidence, and took it all the way to tribunal.
Each time, she was right to. Across those three disputes, more than £50,000 - including fees - was ultimately written off in her favour. That’s not a rounding error. It’s the difference between a landlord being held to the standard the law actually expects, and a leaseholder quietly paying for something they shouldn’t have had to.
But being right didn’t make it easy. Each dispute meant months of organising paperwork, chasing dates, working out what a notice actually required, and building a case strong enough to put in front of a tribunal - on top of everything else in her life. It was a huge amount of stress, repeated three times, for a problem she never asked to have.
She’s not the only one
Once you start looking, her story stops feeling like an unlucky exception. Ex-council leaseholders across the country describe the same pattern in forums, local news stories, and tribunal decisions: large, unexplained bills; consultation notices that arrive late or incomplete; works billed at a standard nobody would accept if they’d seen it done in their own kitchen. It’s common enough that it deserves a proper tool, not just good luck and a willingness to fight.
I built Section 20 Defender so that organising the first, hardest part of that fight - working out what your documents actually show, what’s missing, and what to ask - doesn’t have to start from a blank page, and doesn’t require the kind of stamina it took her to do it three times over.
What we actually believe
Every issue area, checked honestly
We check your case against every issue area that could apply - never inflated to make you feel better, or to make the product look more impressive than your evidence actually supports.
We tell you what's missing, not just what's there
A missing-evidence report is part of every Defence Pack, because knowing what would strengthen your case is often as useful as the case itself.
No predicted outcomes, ever
No service, including this one, can know whether a specific charge is lawful or how a tribunal would decide. We measure how complete and organised your evidence is - never your chances.
Nothing sent without you deciding
Your observation letter is always a draft. We don't send, file, or submit anything on your behalf - you review it, edit it, and decide what happens next.
What Section 20 Defender is not
Section 20 Defender is an automated information and document-preparation tool - not a solicitor, not a claims management company, and not a substitute for independent legal advice. We don’t review your case, and we don’t determine whether any charge, notice, or demand is valid, invalid, lawful or unlawful - only a tribunal or a qualified solicitor can answer that. It covers a long leaseholder in England only, and it stops and signposts to a specialist for building safety, active proceedings, or forfeiture cases rather than attempting to handle them. See our full disclaimer for the complete picture.
If this sounds familiar
You don’t have to organise it alone, and you don’t have to start from nothing.
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