management company issues

suzeeo

i own a flat in a block of 6 the management company have sent us another bill as they have completed an audit for the last 2 years and have a shortfall of approx £700 per flat. we have asked to see receipts but have been told they will not email/post copies to us and we have to travel 300miles to their office if we want to see them. we are already paying an extra charge on top of our service charge for works to bring the communal area upto fire reg code but after numerous requests have not been told a start date for this. we also for the last 15 months have been trying to get a couple of windows replaced but have not got anywhere. the environmental health have visited as we have damp issues but have little affect as they initially ordered the fire code work to be done 3 years ago! we have tried getting other residents involved but to no avail and have been to solicitors who do not want to help as we are owners not tenants. we get little response from the management company and they have sent us debt collection letters for work that has yet to be undertaken. we have our doubts about some of the financial outgoings but do we have to visit their office to view them? any advice will be gratefully received.

tim123456789

On the point on you having to visit them to check the receipts then, as a general rule they are perfectly correct.

propertyman

I doubt that they can start until they have finds in hand to pay the contractor. It is modern practice and very common that your lease has, and service charges funded by , estimated contributions , before the money si sent.

What is actually spent is matched against the contribution and the total billed and any variance is usually billed ie your£700 shortfall.

The right to inspect was drafted when photocopiers were still "new" and quite frankly haven't adjusted to modern methods.

You will have to face up to the trip and ensure that you can take copies. Take a digital camera just in case their copier is "broken" ....

section 22 landlord and tenant Act 1985 Request to inspect supporting accounts &c.

(1)This section applies where a tenant, or the secretary of a recognised tenants’ association, has obtained such a summary as is referred to in section 21(1) (summary of relevant costs), whether in pursuance of that section or otherwise.
(2)The tenant, or the secretary with the consent of the tenant, may within six months of obtaining the summary require the landlord in writing to afford him reasonable facilities—
(a)for inspecting the accounts, receipts and other documents supporting the summary, and
(b)for taking copies or extracts from them.
(3)A request under this section is duly served on the landlord if it is served on—
(a)an agent of the landlord named as such in the rent book or similar document, or
(b)the person who receives the rent of behalf of the landlord;
and a person on whom a request is so served shall forward it as soon as may be to the landlord.
(4)The landlord shall make such facilities available to the tenant or secretary for a period of two months beginning not later than one month after the request is made.
[F40(5)The landlord shall—
(a)where such facilities are for the inspection of any documents, make them so available free of charge;
(b)where such facilities are for the taking of copies or extracts, be entitled to make them so available on payment of such reasonable charge as he may determine.
(6)The requirement imposed on the landlord by subsection (5)(a) to make any facilities available to a person free of charge shall not be construed as precluding the landlord from treating as part of his costs of management any costs incurred by him in connection with making those facilities so available.]]

glos1983

Have you thought about managing the property yourself? I would definitely recommend it if you qualify. I can't post with links as a new use, but goggle it and their is lots of info freely available. Essentially you need two thirds as qualifying tenants (have a minimum 21 years left on their lease) and be at least 75% residential.

You can then appoint a management agent company to manage the property. They are directly accountable to you and you have the power to replace them if you are not happy with them.

We bought a new build flat and had a residents management company set up, but at first had the management agent appointed by the house builder. They were awful. Nothing got done and fees started to spiral. We live in Cheltenham and they were paying someone to travel from Cardiff to mow the grass!!! We sacked them and appointed a local company who are far better. Our management fees have stayed around £750 per year since which I think is quite reasonable.

It does require some participation from other residents, but if you do not take an active role in the management of your property standards aren't likely to be particularly high and costs will spiral.