RMG - I want to get rid....

northernmonkey0_0

Hi all,

There seems to be very little on the net about getting out of a contract with a management group so I thought I'd ask the members here.

When we bought our house, I was aware that I had to pay RMG a quarterly fee to manage the estate, grass cutting, parking issues, general upkeep etc etc.

However, last year the particular road I live on was adopted by the council and now they do everything (in conjunction with the Highways dept) and RMG will do absolutely nothing, they won't even entertain a phone call from me about anything on our road.

Now, whilst the amount I pay them isn't huge, I'm failing to see what I get for my money at all!

I even have to pay them a fee if I wanted to sell my freehold house!

Is there a legal route I can go down to free myself from this 'contract' and if so, who do I use?

Kind regards,

armchaireconomist

A solicitor...

northernmonkey0_0

Any solictors, or are there ones who are particularly recommended in such situations?

Narkynewt

Have a look at your contract. Usually there is a minimum term, and also a notice period before you can leave the contract.

For example my mil askew me to read over some documents from a managment company she uses the other day. Her minimum term is 6 months, and notice is 2 months.

I would suggest you write to them explain that due to the change in circumstances you no longer require their services. Just have a read of your T&Cs, I doubt you're tied into a contract for life with no way out!

LEJC

You say you live on an estate,is it just your road that has been adopted or all the roads forming the estate?

If it is a case that all the roads have since been adopted then collectively you and other residents could potentially request an exit but my understanding is with management companies that there needs to be a majority decision rather than one person requesting exit.

northernmonkey0_0

LEJC wrote: »

You say you live on an estate,is it just your road that has been adopted or all the roads forming the estate?

If it is a case that all the roads have since been adopted then collectively you and other residents could potentially request an exit but my understanding is with management companies that there needs to be a majority decision rather than one person requesting exit.

There's about 2 or 3 roads which have been adopted on the estate (out of about 14 or 15).

Obviously the others are still 'managed' by RMG but they literally do nothing for an adopted road except to take fees from us to pay themselves.

I know I signed the contract when moving in, but at least thought I'd be getting something for it. Seems grossly unfair to me, there must be a way out?

G_M

It does not sound like a 'contract' with RMG - though I might be wrong.

If the payment is, indeed, based on a contract between you and RMG, then you need to read that contract to establish

* what services the contract specifies RMG must provide in return for the fee
* and then decide whether that service is or isn't being provided.

If it isn't (eg because the LA are now providing it), then RMG is in breach of contract, or possibly the contract is 'frustrated' (so null & void) due to the fact that can no longer provide the service whether they wish to or not.

However, more likely, the obligation to pay RMG originates somewhere in your Title Deeds. An obligation to pay a % of RMG's total costs for maintaining the road/estate. As above, you need to establish exactly what service RMG is supposed to provide. As suggested by LEJC, it may include more than just your road. So if RMG is still providing services elsewhere, then the feee is still payable.

The fact that you personally feel 'you get nothing fr your money' is irrelevant, just as I get nothing for my money when I pay council tax to provide meals-on-wheels which I don't receive (etc).

AdrianC

northernmonkey0_0 wrote: »

There's about 2 or 3 roads which have been adopted on the estate (out of about 14 or 15).

Obviously the others are still 'managed' by RMG but they literally do nothing for an adopted road except to take fees from us to pay themselves.

The fact that YOU live on one of the estate's adopted roads is likely to be irrelevant. You are almost certainly bound to pay a proportion of the management cost for the entire estate.

I know I signed the contract when moving in, but at least thought I'd be getting something for it.

You're getting what you were getting when you moved in - a managed estate. Have you read the paperwork?

northernmonkey0_0

I'd argue that I'm not getting what I did when I lived in at all.

Yes, the 'estate' is managed, but also within that we're some conditions such as No Work Vans to be parked up overnight, no parking on verges, even caravans weren't allowed (I'm using these as examples only).

Now that my road has been adopted, I feel that I'm just paying for everyone else's grass and areas to be cut and getting nothing from RMG for my fees.

All I asked was is there a legal route where I can find out what's what given the situation.

RMG have virtually washed their hands of us except for when it comes to wanting money.

AdrianC

northernmonkey0_0 wrote: »

I'd argue that I'm not getting what I did when I lived in at all.

Of course you are. The problem is that you're thinking no further than immediately outside your own house, rather than the entire estate - which is what you almost certainly contracted to maintain. So it's not a case of not getting what you did, it's a case of not understanding/caring what you agreed to get.

Yes, the 'estate' is managed, but also within that we're some conditions such as No Work Vans to be parked up overnight, no parking on verges, even caravans weren't allowed (I'm using these as examples only).

Right, and? If you want those covenants enforced, push the managers to enforce them.

All I asked was is there a legal route where I can find out what's what given the situation.

Read the paperwork relating to your property. If you don't like what it includes, you should have bought a different property, or attempted to negotiate before purchase.

LEJC

I agree with all your frustrations but I believe that even if you were to query the situation with a solicitor or professional you will potentially not get the outcome you feel you deserve.

In the first instance perhaps you could get a free 30 min consultation with a solicitor to see if you have a case....you will need to take any supporting documents with you like your deads and lease if you have both and a map potentially of the area covered by the management company.

Whilst your road has been adopted it probably is fair to say thay you can't expect the whole estate to opt out of their agreement with the managing company as it would leave them without any maintenance of their areas.

As I said in my previous post there are circumstances where the management company can be challenged but I believe it needs majority backing which at the moment you don't have across the whole estate.

Another potential option to look into might be to see if there can be a fee restructure for some residents as circumstances have changed....but again this is very much at the discretion of the management company and would need more than one person to raise the query.

Just as an example I have a property with"managed extras" and ended up being charged £700 for what was essentially a window clean because I had previously upgraded the windows to upvc rather than kept the originals(all done with the correct permissions of the managing company)....instead of being able to opt out of the refurbishment program they were funding from the slush fund(again which I contribute to) because I did not require work on my windows I was told in return they would be cleaned for me as a one off gesture.....the most expensive window clean I have ever had ....but put simply I had to bear the % cost of the management companies improvements whilst being in the minority that didn't require them.