Property Management Company threatening all sort, help!!!

[sweetkitty]

We moved into this house 7 years ago, newish estate. A few months after moving in we had a letter from a management company demanding £80 a year for maintenance such as grass cutting. We paid every year.

Then last we got a letter from a new company saying the old company had gone bust and they had "bought" our estate. They demanded £100 deposit from every house on the estate then the £80 a year. We were so irate about this £100 deposit that we didn't pay it. So this year we got another bill, this time for £260, 2 lots of £80 and the £100 deposit, they are now threatening us with all sorts, court, arrestment of earnings, informing our mortgage company etc.

Now is this just scare tactics or can they take any legal action against us? We never signed a contract to say we wanted the service they provide, the £100 deposit is the most angrying thing, if they got £100 off everyone that's £10000 sitting in their bank account for absolutely nothing. The service they provide is rubbish as well, the odd grass cutting of a communal area not even on our street.

Sorry any advice would be great thanks

Do you rent or own?

Sorry own with a mortgage

Thus makes me mad! You didn't agree to it actively, but it will be in the deeds you signed when you bought the house. There will probably be a clause saying that x years after last property is built, if x% of owners agree, you can get rid of company. They are robbing bastards!

Sorry - they got me so riled, I made lots of typos.

I heard from a neighbour that it was after 10 years which I think it will be now but you would have to have meetings etc to get everyone to agree. If you did go down that route who would then cut the grass? Not that I care I don't see any of this grass it's away round the other side of the estate.

I would love to know the % of houses that have not paid.

The letter is also signed from someone in Legal as far as I know it's a two man bank with a van

You could either self-factor - set up a bank account with two signatories, and all pay in £20 a year, then pay someone local. Depends how big / friendly the estate is as to whether this would work. Would also be complicated if there were any flats, with communal areas that might need repaired.

Or else, if its literally only a patch of grass, you could take it in turns. In practice, there's usually a retired person who would become self-appointed grass cutter.

I don't mind paying for decent services but why should I give them £100 of my money as security, security for what? If we stay here 20 years think of the interest and for nothing.

The Guardian did a feature on this once. Here is theur advice: www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/19/sack-your-property-manager

Yes, you do have to pay, unless and until you set up a self-management coop with all your neighbours on the estate. It's legalised extortion - our house id freehold and we had to pay £900 for a letter saying the management co approved of our loft conversion, which didn't even need planning permission. But you don't have a leg to stand on; you have to pay.