Ground rent / Service charge

Trillionaire

Please forgive me for posting here. I looked through the forum headings but wasn't sure where to actually post this.

COUNTRYWIDE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT have me over a barrell. I'm a Landlady of a flat and pay the GR/SC every month. Countrywide added a random fee charge to my account. I've phoned to find out what it is & why it has been added. They said they would get back to me but haven't yet.

My question is - am I legally entitled to a document showing their fee charges e.g. late payment fees ect? I ask this as it just seems like they add random fee charges to my account and don't explain why. When I made the GR/SC payment today I asked the person who was processing the payment if they was any documentation about their charges for Landlords but she wouldn't tell me yea or nay.

Countrywide told me that the property management sector isn't regulated:eek:so, it seems I don't have any legal rights to even protest against their fees. Anyhow, I'm rambling now:D but if anyone could talk 'property management fees' with me I'd be grateful.:T

propertyman

In regard to the response it is a reason to formally complain as you do have rights.

Take a look at my sticky here over the Summary of rights
http://www.landlordzone.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?55587-Late-payment-charges-SC-and-GR

Now they may charge you an admion charge for the standing order fcility to reprstna addtinmal adminsutratin that is not subject to those rights as this covers teh additionla procesing of 12 paymetns as oppoed to the 1 2 or 4 that are set out in your lease.


I suspect however that your problem is not the above but that ground rent, due once or twice a year, is money due to the freeholder, and entirely seperate to the SC.

It is extremely unlikely that your SO includes that GR payment and that is why you have been charged.

tim123456789

They don't "have you over a barrel" because (usually) you (the block as a whole) can vote for an RTM and sack them.

and they are wrong when they tell you that property management (charges) is not regulated, because it is. Being so useless that they don't even know that would be a reason for replacing them in my book, but the rest of the block may not see it that way.

However, FWIW I'm currently renting from a block who have CPM as their MA and I have to say that there have been few complaints about their service. Personal experience of some of the other sharks that feed in this pond is far worse so be careful where you dip you toe.

m0bov

Dont pay it until you are sure you know what its for. MAs are all on the take so prolly hoping you just ay up.

Trillionaire

Thanks for your responses.

I used to pay £93 pm for GR/SC + buildings insurance. From april it's £215 as they are replacing the flat roofs at the moment. It's £215 for 3 years from April 2013:eek:. And, NO, I'm not in or near, I'm about 150-200 miles from London!