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Property/DIY

Help! Are my management company taking the piss?

1 reply

BuffyFanGirl · 28/06/2017 13:18

Hi all. Hope this is the right place for this query.
When we moved we paid a management company £X and it was reasonable. This was to cover the service of the gate into our car park and their fees. Also for the electric to power the gate.
The next year they reduced the fee but then we got stung as the gate needed repair and there were not enough funds. They then more than doubled the yearly service charge so they could have enough in the kitty should the gate break again. This was with no warning, they just sent us a demand.
We are now having issues because apparently the yearly gate service was not carried out last year as there were not enough funds. Even though this is explicitly what we pay our service charge for. I've looked back on the statements more carefully and the accountants fees are never the same. They've doubled if not more. I didn't even know we had to pay an accountant. As far as I was aware the management fee was inclusive. Out of 3 years living here they randomly paid for public liability insurance. Why? Their management fee also doubled with no warning.
Surely they can't do this. Surely they can't charge us for things they haven't laid out in the estimate at the beginning of the year.
Why are we paying public liability insurance? What for? They've never mentioned this and they've only done it one year in 3. Surely it should be yearly if at all?
As the gate service is an annual feee, surely they should have set money aside for this at the beginning of the year. And why would accountants fees double?
If anyone has any info before I write a furious email I'd be very grateful. Sorry if it's been rambling. I'm very annoyed!!!

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wowfudge · 28/06/2017 14:07

What does your lease state and what does any agreement signed with the managing agents state? That's your starting point. It sounds as though a sinking fund should be established for ad hoc repairs or the electric gate replaced with a lockable barrier which will be cheaper to maintain.

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