Bad experience with Flat maintenance agent(Peverel OM Ltd)!

AMILLIONDOLLARS

Blowster

I suspect that LW1969 works for them, as most of his/her posts goes into defending them!!

AMD

Imani48

I'm sure L Whittam will respond in the usual vien (how wonderful s/he finds Peverel)...but I'm afraid, like the others, my experience is far, far from satisfactory. I could echo practically everything that everyone else has said. I have a flat in London and I feel owners are being treated as cash cows! Their fee is about 25% of the rental income. No it's not the Ritz. If it wasn't for one of our resident owners sorting a lot of things for free, I don't know where we'd be with pest and other problems. Surely that cannot be right. Some of the owners are trying to work together to oust them. It took a long time to get our Association established - for similar reasons alreadystated.

I decided to make a stand and to withhold payment until they saw fit to communicate with me and explain why their charges were so high. Their response were demands for payment with added levies and threats to take me to Court. Good I thought, let a Judge sort this mess. Next thing I know I get a letter from my Bank saying Peverel had judgement and that to protect their interest in the property the Bank was paying. How did they do this? Simple. Just exclude me from the process by sending communications to the rented property - rather to my residence. Well I am applying for Judgement to be 'Set Aside.' They are so low down. What sort of unethical organisation is this? They create a financial situation, aking to loan sharks, then play on your fears of losing your property to extortion money out of you. Has anyone else had any experience of this?

Also, has anyone had any experience of appointing a less money sucking conscientious management agent? If so, please let me know. We are desperate for help to kick peverel out!

Thank you.

Imani48

NotLikingPeverel wrote: »

I have had no end of problems with Peverel's 'so called' management of my property in Buckinghamshire... They seemed in my opinion to be doing very little for the charges that were being requested from them.

Having numerous questions regarding their management role and works that the property required and had not been done, I obviously asked them why. After three telephone calls and an email to the property manager all of my queries got ignored.

As a result I stopped payment of the charges informing them that this would be paid once they had answered my questions to a satisfactory standard. I received no correspondence whatsoever other than demands for payment. After 6 months of trying to get answers out of them and continued demands of the 'so called' management charges had doubled with 'Administration Fees' and 'Debt collection fees'.

They did not return any calls, no messages were left on my answerphone, no attempts to answer my queries were made, just demands for the money. After 6 months I finally got a reply to my first original email from their property manager. As polite as the reply was it did not remotely answer anything. Just in my opinion more or less said they were doing what they were meant to do and whats my problem.

They even went to the lengths three times of requesting the money from my mortgage lender which I found a highly annoying activity! After more demands I finally paid only the original management fee, not the doubled fee that was being claimed. They continued to try and claim for the 'additional charges' for a further month until I wrote a quite sharp letter to Peverel and Property Debt Collection Ltd. In this I told them that if they continued to pursue their course of action I would take action of my own and issue a complaint with the OFT and any other related governing body. Suffice to say, two weeks later I received a letter saying that they were no longer going to take the matter any further...

YOU WIN! I hear you say... - Maybe not.

I have still not heard from Peverel since and am waiting for the next management statement. I anticipate the possibility of 'Misc Fees' or 'Additional Management Charges' to be added to the costs shared by all residents. If this does happen then it looks like the OFT (among others) will be getting a call .

Thanks for this post. How is it going. Have you reported Peverel to the OFT as yet?

Fire_Fox

You are NOT legally entitled to simply withhold payment of service charges, and the management company are not legally allowed to lodge the arrears against your mortgage where they have been formally disputed. How much of your complaints/ concerns have you put into writing and sent recorded delivery? Have you requested access to the accounts, service contracts and receipts in writing by recorded delivery? Did you inform Peverel that your flat was tenanted and supply your home address in writing by recorded delivery?

25% of your rental income on service charges does NOT prove the charges are not "reasonable" or "reasonably incurred" (Landlord-Tenant Act 1985). This depends what services are provided - if you have a gym, concierge/ security guard, full time caretaker, lots of lifts, heated corridors you will find you charges are high. What are similar blocks in the area paying for a similar range of services? Are you receiving all the services that are laid out in the accounts and service contracts?

Service charge disputes are NOT handled by courts (or indeed the OFT!) they should be dealt with at a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal. A judge should refer the case on, but will only do so if you submit a defence clearly showing that the charges are formally disputed and preferably attend court. Have you read this website inside and out? Along with your long lease, it will tell you everything you need to know about your rights as laid out in the Landlord-Tenant Acts 1985 and 1988 and what an LVT does. IMHO the law is strong in protecting the rights of leaseholders, but you need to do your research and follow protocol to the letter.
http://www.lease-advice.org/publications/documents/

Imani48

Artistxman wrote: »

I have gone thro' complaining to the Managers in Peverel and usually the replies are full of excuses. I went to the local consumer advice from the council and they asked me to write to the complaints department. Still, no action from peverel. I realised, unless it's from the whole block of flats...you won't have much joy.

I have managed to get a group of residents and registered them on a free yahoo webgroup, which I moderate. Thro' word of mouth now we have 50% of owners registered and we are in the process of taking control of our own affairs thro' Right To Manage. We als got help from a local management company, who will have a contract for the first year and if they do a good job..we will extend it.

I think Peverel are benefitting from the inertia of all the flat owners thro' out the country. They are too big to manage any of the flats effectively. Getting a residents association and taking control of your block of flats is the probably the best solution.

Good luck.

Hello Artistxman - how is your self managment going? I would love an update as I'm having similar experiences - note my earlier post. Looking forward to an update. Thanks. :beer:

Vixta1

There is a website regarding peverel and their bad management called the truth about solitaire management. MSE won't let me post the link because I am new and may be a spammer!!!!!

I am not sure what their aim is. Might just be a sight to rant on. I think everyone in Peverel OM properties needs to pull together as so often it's the same issues, not matter what part of the country you live. Bad management, rip off fees, no communication - general lack of interest in tenants etc

What would be good is database or website of some sort to pull all owners together from each peverel managed address and then ecourage people to do a right to manage. Even a facebook page might do it! How !!!!ed off would they be with that!!!!

I am sure it would save a fortune. The reserves for my block are quite healthy but still the fees are high. All we get is a crappy coat of paint, a pretend new carpet and not much else. I have asked who the supplier was for the carpet - no response. I know it hasn't been replaced as I live there!!! I have been waiting for them to inspect my roof since April! Nothing. They are crooks as far as I am concerned.

rudders007

Any concerns or complaints need to be put in writing to

[EMAIL="customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk"]customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk[/EMAIL]

otherwise they will not help

rudders007

Any concerns or complaints need to be put in writing to

[EMAIL="customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk"]customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk[/EMAIL]

otherwise they will not help

AMILLIONDOLLARS

Here's the Link!

http://www.thetruthaboutsolitaire.co.uk/

AMD

Fire_Fox

rudders007 wrote: »

Any concerns or complaints need to be put in writing to

[EMAIL="customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk"]customercare@ompropertymanagment.co.uk[/EMAIL]

otherwise they will not help

E-mail is not into writing, to formally query or dispute service charges the legislation is quite clear that you must write. Dodgy companies like Peverel/ Solitaire thrive on leaseholders not knowing their rights and not adhering to the letter of the law.