Management Company Letter

justme1985

Hi,

Hope someone could answer this (and it's in the right place). This is also a bit of a rant (the actually question is towards the bottom if you want to skip the background/rant!)

We live in a development that has four blocks of flats (two next to each other with the other two opposite) and some houses.

A few months a go the flats maintenance was taken over by a new company. They seem incompetent and aggressive in equal measures. They are also a chain of estate agent (at least locally to us).

Below is a bit of background of what they have done so far, the current issue is at the bottom if you want to skip this bit.

They decided they needed to repaint the car parking spaces/numbers. Sent a letter asking everyone to make sure their cars were moved on that day so they could do the painting. We don't have a car so not a problem. On the day they turned up to do it (my OH happened to be at home) they buzzed up and asked him to move the car. After explaining we don't have a car and the lady being insistent that there was a car in our space he went down and stood in our space to show her there was no car...turned out she was reading the plan the wrong way round!

They then sent a letter saying that people keep leaving the communal doors open and they need to stop doing it. This has never been a problem in our block (in fact there was an issue with both doors being difficult to even open at one point :eek:). Can only assume they sent it to all the blocks.

The next saga was that they need to inspect the building as people keep leaving stuff in the hallways (again not in our block!) and everything had to be removed or they would dispose of it. We removed our trainers from our door mat (usually keep them there as they are muddy). By this point we were getting annoyed with their attitude and them treating us like children.

Current issue here

The current issue is apparently there is some issues with the fire protection in the electrical cupboards. Each flat has a lockable cupboard just outside their door which houses the electric meter. We currently use it to store cupboard boxes from stuff (like the t.v. etc.) There is also a couple of tins of paint from the landlord. Other people also store stuff in their cupboards.

Anyway in the letter they have sent saying they need to access the cupboards to do some work they have said:

"Please can you ensure that all personal belongings are removed from the cupboards before this date so that the contractors can work safely. Any personal items found in the cupboards will be removed and disposed of."

We have no problem moving the stuff if they need to get to the cupboard. However I do have an issue with them saying that they will dispose of our stuff. Am I right in thinking they can't just chuck our stuff out if we did leave it in there?

Also doesn't help that they delivered the letters less than a week before they want to start works because apparently people wouldn't be away for more than a week!

Thanks for any help.

Yolina

That's pretty standard and has to do with insurance, and the fact that if for instance the "stuff" contributed to a fire, or made a fire worse than it would have otherwise been, then the building insurance may not pay up. Also stuff in common areas could be a dangerous if people need to evacuate (think it's dark and full of smoke, you don't want to trip on something that's been left there and that you may not be able to see) .


We have several blocks of flats in our development and those kind of letters always get sent to all the flats - usually in the form of an annual reminder type letter. If the previous management company didn't enforce that, then they're the ones who were incompetent
You will probably find something in the lease about not storing things in the cupboard with the electricity meter and keeping common areas clear.

justme1985

Thanks Yolina.

They haven't said that we can't keep stuff in there. They have said that stuff needs to be moved so they can do some work and if anything is left they will dispose of it. I wanted to know if they could actually do that, as I'm pretty sure you can't just chuck away other people's stuff!

BitterAndTwisted

Read your lease! If they are threatening to dispose of stuff left in those meter cupboards then I suspect the management company have likely read them themselves and know what the correct position is.

What you have described so far is pretty par-for-the-course when you are a leaseholder.

eddddy

Hi justme1985

I wouldn't take it too personally, if I were you.

As you have said, the agent asked everyone to move their cars for line painting - and at least one person didn't bother, which probably wasted some of the contractors time (which they may have charged extra for).

On the basis that some of your neighbours don't sound very co-operative, I guess the agent is resorting to sending more 'aggressive' letters.

If the contractors now have to spend extra time clearing cupboards, or come back another time because the cupboards weren't clear - they will probably charge extra, and part of that extra will be recharged to you.

Maybe direct your anger at the unco-operative neighbours, rather than the agent.


Or, looking at it another way, what would you say in the letter if you were the agent - and you wanted everyone to clear their cupboards?

princeofpounds

Who are the meter cupboards demised to?

If part of your flat, it's unlikely they can tell you what you can store in there. If not part of your flat, you shouldn't be storing stuff in there anyway.

justme1985

Thanks for the replies all.

Each flat has their own cupboard. We are renting so wouldn't know what's in the lease. As I previously said the landlord had left a couple of things in there and it's loackable. The guy across the hall doesn't lock his and he also leaves stuff in there (he owns his so not sure if he knows more).

Like I said I'm not bothered about them asking us to empty the cupboard, it's the fact they say if we don't they will throw stuff away. Also the fact they give such short notice about (the letter was delivered on the 25th February) and they're starting work tomorrow. I think it's a bit presumptions to think that everyone will be around in that short time period!