Issues with property management company

scooterdaft

All,
Looking for some advice here, I currently have a property management co here in Scotland known as a factor (Ross and Liddell) plenty of info on the net about how utterly utterly useless they are my issues with them are

1, They are supposed to do inspect the close 2 times per year highlighted that no-one had been out last Nov only just carried one out at end of April, Off the back of this promised a refund of 6mths fee's however only done this in May. I have asked them to provide when the last survey was carried out prior to the last on in April but haven't responded

2, They fail to answer voice messages and return emails I know they have read it as put read receipt on mail.

3, They have also broken protocol and gave finical information out to a potential buyer about the cost of a roof repair and how much my contribution was they should have told her to go through her conveyancing lawyer to approach me if I was happy for them to obtain the information.

4, Given information about a tennant dumping rubbish out the back and promiosed to get in touch to have them remove it or they would be charged for removal they didn't and other residents left to foot bill as the flat owner had it re-possessed later by bank.

utterly useless at organizing anything unless you chase them asked for information a day before I was due to complete the sale of my flat 2nd time around and then failed to get the required information until 5 days later. They have had quotes for works for months but not made the residents aware of there existence and the hoo ha with trying to get my flat sale has spurred them on.

They claim only to hold records for 5 years in relation to building works carried out and conveniently for them when works of a substandard nature fail punt the costs back onto the owners
Unfortunately them dragging their heels has cost me my flat sale twice now.

Despite me informing them of their failures in November and telling them I was no longer prepared to pay them as they have broken their contract they have taken money without my consent out of my refund and float monies.

As they have by their own admission failed to do what they have paid for were do I stand in relation to not making payment and reclaiming my money back I have already told them last week I was seeking £300 per day for the failure to provide the requested information in a timely manner.

scooterdaft

Anyone got any advice??

MissVix

Hi Scooterdaft

I feel your pain! We had a terrible management company for too many years. Luckily we eventually got rid of them and have a much better one, but it took a long time and many woes to get there. I hope you manage to improve your situation.

I am sure that wiser heads will be along soon but in the interim I would recommend some further reading here at the leasehold advisory service: http://www.lease-advice.org/publications/documents/document.asp?item=14

Are you able to consider a move to a 'RTM' model with the other flat owners? My partner has such a management structure in his building and it's a much better agreement for all, so long as there's someone to take on the management.

GrungeMeister

Factors are a nightmare, they're so common in Scotland because so many of us live in tenements, flats etc.

Couple of options.

You should canvass opinion in your close, see if any of the other owners are unhappy and would be interested in either getting a different company ... check your deeds to see if it tells you how to replace the factor.

Or you could do the repairs yourselves, organise it between all the owners. Problems invariably arise because some of the flats might be tenanted and you don't know who all the owners are, or you might have one owner who won't pay the bill no matter what, or is simply too bolshy and who disputes everything and anything (most closes I've lived in have at least one of those types lol)

Dunno. Personally I'd investigate a different factor.

You can try here to find a different factor. Property Managers Association Scotland.

http://www.pmas.org.uk/

Looks all very respectful doesn't it, unfortunately Ross & Liddell are members of this organisation but there's a Code Of Practice you can use to bash them with if they're not doing their job.