Cheeky neighbours want me to pay

[eggfairy1]

New neighbours bought a flat in my building. There are eight flats in total in the building.

I haven't met them yet but they're buying for investment and I found it posted online for rent already.

I came home the other day to find the main door to the building had been painted. It was shabby before and could do with a coat but this was surprising since I hadn't been consulted and it was a shared door. The new colour is black which I was always told was a bad omen. I really didn't like it but didn't want to make a fuss.

They have now emailed us saying they want the flats to equally contribute £25. Lovely to meet you too.

It may not sound like a lot of money but I am really budgeting right now and my weekly budget for fun is £30 and it would have to come from that which is miserable.

I just know if I send them the money I will be bitter about it and anxious that they may expect me to pay in the future without consenting me.

If asked, I would have reluctantly agreed to have it painted just not black.

Is there any way I can get away with not paying and not entirely ruin any relationship with them?

@Kennykenkencat In Scotland as @BoredZelda says all property is freehold. I think the ground floor flats own the ground they are on. The roof is a shared responsibility. Each block usually has a property manager - called a Factor who arranges communal buildings insurance and communal maintenance. The detail of how a Factor can be changed is usually in the deeds and it is possible for a group of owners to decide to self- factor.

Factors are bound by quite tight legislation and all maintenance should be agreed in advance and quotes sought and shared before work is done - thats why OP should really not contribute to this as the issue here is the lack of consultation and prior agreement.
This website is useful and explains how it works
underoneroof.scot/

@buckeejit

Respond to all

Thank you for your email.

I was not consulted on this matter & so gave no prior agreement to these works. I will not be paying towards anything that does not follow the proper process. Consultation needs to happen prior to work being completed.

Welcome to the neighbourhood new person. I hope you'll have many happy years here

Regards

Don't say the second bit, it's so passive aggressive!

Lots of other good suggestions here for what to say though. Everyone else is waiting for someone to say no. But it's hard! We have a shared area committee and they did loads of gardening. I thought it looked shit but loads were saying it was great so I didn't have the nerve to say it was terrible (to be fair it looks better now it's bedded in a bit!)

So far I have ignored the message but I will update if they send another. All of my friends and family without hesitation have said that they would just pay to maintain the relationship and everyone on here is saying not to pay. I am so torn.

Each block usually has a property manager - called a Factor who arranges communal buildings insurance and communal maintenance.

Factors aren't always in place. More common in new build blocks, rare in most older tenement flats.

@egg if you do pay I would definitely mention that in future you would like it to be passed by you before you make a payment on any communal areas.

The thing with paying is that you set a precedent that every time they fancy doing something you will shell out. Ignoring is better than paying in any case.

Op, it may be useful to screenshot the part of the deeds which say any work in the communal areas have to be agreed beforehand by a majority of the owners. Circulate it by email. Whether you pay or not.

The trouble with people deciding to do anything they personally want without approval by the other owners is that there is no oversight as to the specifications or standard. Even price, if there aren't a range of quotes sought. Cheeky could have a friend or brother who had some cheap paint left over who then ups the costs in your 'bill'. Or simply left over from their own work on their flat. They get to use it up (and paid for it) whether it is suitable for the outside door or not. External woodwork needs more durable paint than inside doors, as well. It could just be some quick job to just attract a tenant for themselves, and may weather badly.

If you know anyone approachable on the group email, could you ask them if they had known anything about the job?

There should be a set of rules on how repairs and maintenance gets done.

Asking you for an insane amount of money for a door to be painted is not acceptable.

Fuck that!!

They painted doors off their own back with no consultation or agreement with the other homeowners.

That’s on them.

How about completely ignoring the email? If someone asks a question you don’t have to answer.
Let them keep emailing and continue to ignore.
Then they might send you a letter. Ignore.
Their last resort will be to knock on your door.

Any works should be arranged by whoever manages your block (even if this is a RTM company) and they should bill leaseholders for it. I doubt the new owner has any right to claim reimbursement from you.

There's probably something in your lease re arranging and paying for redecoration etc (all flats in one block generally have the same lease). The new owner might not actually be allowed to paint external doors.

Have you spoken to your other neighbours re this, perhaps thro a residents' association? It'll be easier to object to nip this sort of behaviour in the bud (and before the owner does more 'improvements') if all/most of you do object than if you're the only one.

@cauliflowersqueeze

The thing with paying is that you set a precedent that every time they fancy doing something you will shell out. Ignoring is better than paying in any case.

Agree with this. If they chase it up I’d say no.

Dont ignore the email but add on the end of the one you received that you will not agree to pay anything that you hadn't already agreed to

You have to put your foot down now

I would refuse to pay it. They should have consulted you before they did it

There must be a freeholder? Unless you all own part of the freehold, 8n which case, you need a solicitor to organise an agreement between all of you. Go back to your conveyances and ask them about the freehold. You should be paying a service charge for maintenance costs normally in a block of flats. Otherwise situations like this arise and arguments start.

The new owners should not have painted the doors without consultation.

I wouldnt ignore, if everyone does that you are likely to end up in the situation most will feel under pressure to pay and precident is set. Someone needs to speak up and start the conversation about discussion and agreement before expecting people to pay.

Simple answer just say no I didn't ask for this, your choice you pay

End of

Sounds like overbearing neighbour, and cheeky new neighbour need to have their “expectations” managed.

Something like - I expect to be consulted, or I won’t be able to contribute.
If you’ve had no say in something, why would you pay?

Just ignore, they have no idea whether you even received the email. It could have been the wrong email or it could have just ended up in your junk folder.

I would ask them for a copy of the quote for the work and upon that I would pay for the sake of neighbourly relations.

However I would also be very clear that in future you expect them to run anything like this by you before any works are complete and if this happens a second time without prior agreement you will not be paying towards cost.

I'd be polite but firm it's not asking for anything unreasonable.

I wouldn't pay, its giving permission for more of the same forever. Have you even met them? How did this brand new owner/neighbour get everyone's email addresses?

I definitely wouldn’t pay. They clearly didn’t have “majority agreement” before going ahead. I’d be asking them to restore the door to its original colour and then get majority agreement including full costings for any future “improvements” they might wish to make.

I would ignore it for now. Have you spoken to the others? I bet most of them will resent coughing up £25 for something they weren't consulted on. I think I would say, if pushed, that I am very sorry but I'm unable to contribute more than [agree amount with the others] and would like things like this to be agreed in advance in future. They have been very cheeky.

Ask to see the invoice and ask whatever quotations they had. Explain that money is tight and that you are usually given some forewarning before a bill arrives for work that you knew nothing of and had not consented to.

Don’t you a freehold? As a owner you have the right to say how your service charge is used. Sorry they took it upon themselves so no