Meadfleet Area Management Company unfair late payment charges

Whippendale

I am in the process of selling my house and have been informed by my solicitor that I supposedly owe £2,000 in management fees and 'late payments'. When I bought the home the agreement was £96 a year of estate management fees to maintain the grass, flowerbeds etc. I have lived in the property for 9 years and haven't been billed since 2018 for the above amount. 

The green spaces on the new build development do not match the site plan when the property was purchased and they rarely cut the grass (this is a different issue but still aggrieves me!) 

When I pressed the company as to why the charges are £2,000 and not 9x£96 they informed me that I have accrued late charges. Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

I cannot understand why the invoices wouldn't come to my address and why they wouldn't chase the payments given that they have been outstanding for so long. 

I am wondering where I stand with this? I will understandably pay the the 9 years worth of maintenance fees I agreed too but the late fees are surely ridiculous and I was never given an invoice in which to pay the amount in the first place? 

Any help would be wonderful.

Many thanks. 

knightstyle

experts will be along but I thought there was a 6 year maximum for back dated invoices?

Alderbank

You moved in 2016 and were billed (and paid?) initially but you haven't been billed since 2018?

The Limitations Act in England&Wales is complex. Simple debts including ground rent are limited to 6 years but service charge arrears in certain circumstances can be recovered for up to 12 years.

https://www.bradysolicitors.com/brady-blog/how-far-back-recover-service-charge-arrears/

This is a specialist area of property law and not to do with consumer rights. You would be better to ask for your post to be moved to House Buying, Renting and Selling in Mortgages, Homes & Bills where there are experts who will help you.

Ergates

When you first moved in, did they send the invoices to the correct address?

If so, given they've openly admitted to sending the invoices to wrong address then I'd be using that as an argument to get the late charges removed.

Hoenir

Whippendale said:

Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

Where would they have obtained this address from if you've been living in the property for the 9 year period , 2016-2025 ? 

Alderbank

Hoenir said:

Whippendale said:

Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

Where would they have obtained this address from if you've been living in the property for the 9 year period , 2016-2025 ? 

It's very likely that they would have obtained it from the OP who before completion would still have been living at their old address.

When I bought my current house I, like all the other new residents on the estate, signed up for the estate maintenance contract before I moved in.
The bill payer is not necessarily the occupant. In a BTL situation for instance the bill will probably be paid by the landlord rather than the tenant.

Whippendale

Hoenir said:

Whippendale said:

Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

Where would they have obtained this address from if you've been living in the property for the 9 year period , 2016-2025 ? 

The house was a new build so they have probably got the old address from my details when I purchased the new build property. 

Thank you for all the advice so far. I have requested a contact number for someone senior to discuss further.

born_again

Whippendale said:

Hoenir said:

Whippendale said:

Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

Where would they have obtained this address from if you've been living in the property for the 9 year period , 2016-2025 ? 

The house was a new build so they have probably got the old address from my details when I purchased the new build property. 

Thank you for all the advice so far. I have requested a contact number for someone senior to discuss further.

But how did you pay & get the bills between 2016 & 2018?

Whippendale

born_again said:

Whippendale said:

Hoenir said:

Whippendale said:

Here's the kicker, they have 'supposedly' sent the invoices to my old address (a property that is nothing to do with the management fees). 

Where would they have obtained this address from if you've been living in the property for the 9 year period , 2016-2025 ? 

The house was a new build so they have probably got the old address from my details when I purchased the new build property. 

Thank you for all the advice so far. I have requested a contact number for someone senior to discuss further.

But how did you pay & get the bills between 2016 & 2018?

This is what confuses me too, I have looked through my files and I can’t find any copies of invoices. I’m not sure how far bank statements go back in time but I will check it see if I have a record of payment to them. 

I have had no contact with my previous address since we moved in December 2015 so they must have invoiced me to my current address at some point.

i have demanded a copy of all correspondence sent to me in any capacity/address but they haven’t come through with that… 

DE_612183

Most probably the developer would have picked up the tab during the period 2016-18 when they were still around, then at some point it gets handed over to the management company to carry out the works and get payments in.

Have a look at companies house for the management company and look at account and directors etc.

outtatune

Perhaps the OP had a postal redirect in place for the first year so got the initial invoices sent on?

Were the invoices not sent by email? Or did the OP not provide an email address?

Usually when you buy a leasehold property the freeholder emails you a form to complete with your preferred contact details; what info did the OP provide?