Management company fees

Doinked

So I've had a court summons over some unpaid management fees, the initial fee was for a few hundred pounds back in March, then in may they send another demand including £50 fees, then a few weeks later another demand with another £200 fees and now a court summons with all that and £1000 solicitors fees on top!

Now I thought I'd paid this as part of another cheque I wrote to the same management company a couple of weeks back, but it turns out I haven't.

Can I just pay the original demand and contest the fees, how does it work? Could I just say I've never seen the previous demands, would that stand up in court?

Cakeguts

Management fees for what?

Kyresa

Once they've issued proceedings they will expect you to pay the whole lot I'm afraid so your only option now is to submit a defence and contest it. Don't ignore it or they will enter judgment by default.

Marktheshark

They can only add £50 on for solicitors fees and the standard court fees.
File a defence that the amount claimed is disproportionate to the amount owed.

All they can claim is the actual amount owed + court fees at standard rates and £50 if they have used a solicitor to prepare particulars of claim.

It will cost them at least £350 for a solicitor to attend court and they can only get £50 back.

You can admit part of the claim and state what part, do not do mediation, they are useless money grabbers.

Doinked

Thanks guys, is that right about the solicitors fees, that they can only charge £50?

I'll use it in my response, I've never had to do this before.

The fees are management fees for a the grounds of a flat I own, it's £1200 a year for god only know what, it's a joke.

Doinked

Marktheshark wrote: »

They can only add £50 on for solicitors fees and the standard court fees.
File a defence that the amount claimed is disproportionate to the amount owed.

All they can claim is the actual amount owed + court fees at standard rates and £50 if they have used a solicitor to prepare particulars of claim.

It will cost them at least £350 for a solicitor to attend court and they can only get £50 back.

You can admit part of the claim and state what part, do not do mediation, they are useless money grabbers.

I didn't realise there was a reply function to quote you, is that correct about the £50 limit for the solicitors? I'll defo try that line of response.

Thanks for you quick reply.

G_M

Why not get together with the other leaseholders and apply to manage the property yourselves under RTM?

Then you can pay for it out of whichever fund you all agree.

Doinked

G_M wrote: »

Why not get together with the other leaseholders and apply to manage the property yourselves

Tried that before, there's about 100 flats and around d 80% of them are rented out so the landlord's aren't bothered and just add it on to the rents.