Changing Factor (Property Management Company) for block of share flats

storrie

Hi all, I and a number of my neighbours are extremely unhappy with the level of service from our current factor (Ross Liddell, in case anybody's wondering) and i'm trying to investigate what it takes to change the factor.

Someone told me it's 1/3 of residents but i can't really find any good advice anywhere on the internet. I'm kind of hoping someone on here will have been in a similar situation and can offer some advice, even some pointers on potential pitfalls.

I live in a block of 12 flats, but there are 10 blocks in my development and it seems my factor has us all bunched in together ie 120 residents so looks like i'd need a large number of residents and it sounds like a logistical nightmare but to be honest my factoring fees have doubled in 3 years and our service is horrendous so i really want to do something about it, even making RL tender for their own contract would be an improvement because they seem to think they're in now so they can get away with whatever they like

scotsbob

You have my sympathies, I used to live in a block of flats in Glasgow and Ross And Liddell, or Loss And Fiddle as I called them, were our factors, nightmare.

BBC Scotland did a programme and this story on the BBC news page should give you some basic info.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7174631.stm

"The Tenement Handbook" by John Gilbert is also essential reading.

http://www.thetenement.co.uk/

Good luck to you.

Edit. I realise you may not be in a tenement but the factoring issue is the same.

tcr_3

The conditions for appointment, termination and replacement of your factors should be in your deeds i.e. the documents your solicitor ought to have passed to you on the completion of your house purchase.

The deeds might establish a residents committee to instruct repairs and improvements, for example. You might be best contacting them first of all to see what their thoughts are about the factors. But you don't have to go through them. Typically you might need 50% of the owners to vote our Ross & Liddell ... or it might be a simple majority of those present at a meeting of the owners ... depends what's in the deeds.

One major problem is absent landlords. They invariably don't turn up at meetings, nor reply to correspondence about the properties they rent out. And most of the problems invariably come from the tenanted flats, unfortunately and I say that as someone who once lived in a Glasgow close.

Good luck in trying to get rid of them. I'm so glad we don't have a factor anymore ... it's like having a second mortgage. They all seem as bad as the other, too, they have their own panel of tradesmen, very little seems to go out to competitive tender ... the prices just keep on skyrocketing.

Tbh ... move house, if you can. We've never regretted it. Mind you, we fled to England so ...

Sunshine12

Ross & Liddell have just gone through major management restructure and hanging by a thread just now. The original director who set the company up is no longer there. If you have a Deed of Conditions, which you probably do, then there will be a timescale written into it about changing the factor but it can be done even if the time period hasnt yet expired. The Deed of Conditions will also state the number of residents who have to agree to a factor change. Greenhome property management are extremely good and can give really good insurance rates as well as keeping costs to a minimum. Im in the housing industry so can help you if you need it. PM me if you want to. p.s whatever you do, do not go anywhere near hacking and paterson - they are even worse!!