Managed Estates

[mustang1]

A Facebook campaign backed up with a Twitterstorm.

+1
Go straight for publicity.

 

[Profpointy]

+1
Go straight for publicity.

A well know company with a public image would react, but a shonky management co. no-one's heard isn't going to give fark, neither are the twiterati.

 

[mustang1]

A well know company with a public image would react, but a shonky management co. no-one's heard isn't going to give fark, neither are the twiterati.

Yeah. Good point.
I'm gonna go watch V for Vendetta now.

 

[Fubar]

Can echo the comments above: in our first property we gave notice to the management company and each property paid £250 to the council to take it over for life. in our second (new) property now it is a much larger estate so much more difficult to co-ordinate residents. I have to say I find it more than a tad gauling that we have to pay a share of the legal fees so they can take other residents to court for non-payment!

EDIT: this is in Scotland so the rules may be different down south.

 

[Simpleton]

Do you pay any service charge? If so then serve them notice that you wish to inspect the last years accounts and all the invoices. Should give you a good idea of who is used for what and what they are paid.

 

[classic33]

http://www.lease-advice.org/

 

[cd365]

Can echo the comments above: in our first property we gave notice to the management company and each property paid £250 to the council to take it over for life. in our second (new) property now it is a much larger estate so much more difficult to co-ordinate residents. I have to say I find it more than a tad gauling that we have to pay a share of the legal fees so they can take other residents to court for non-payment!

EDIT: this is in Scotland so the rules may be different down south.

The Council isn't interested in taking it over!

Do you pay any service charge? If so then serve them notice that you wish to inspect the last years accounts and all the invoices. Should give you a good idea of who is used for what and what they are paid.

I pay about £120 a year in service charges

http://www.lease-advice.org/

That seems to be for lease, we own the houses on the estate so not sure if the rules/regs fit

 

[Hill Wimp]

These managed developments are a way of getting planning permissions through. If councils don't have to maintain an area they are more than likely to approve the plans in the first instance.

As a shareholder and therefore an employer of the management company you have the right to, as a group of residents, hire and fire them and see how they have spent your money.

My previous development tan its own in the end and it worked really well. We had a residents board and the chairperson who did all the work was a retired accountant. The agreement was that he didnt have to pay his service charge because he did the work on behalf of the residents.

Be careful by not paying your annual bill you may be in breach of your purchase contract as your agreeing to pay was probably a condition of your purchase as it has been with both of mine.

 

[Dave 123]

I didn't know you were a chiropodist Dave

I'm not 50 either!