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Communal Maintenance (or lack of)

4 replies

BeachTree · 02/06/2022 19:52

Has anyone experience or any wisdom. I own a flat in a block of 6, which has some outdoor garden areas (Some outbuildings, flower beds, grass areas, and an area of lawn) which are communally owned by the properties in the block. It is an old building and we do not have a managing factor and there is no arragenement in place to maintain these areas.

Barely anyone ever makes any effort to maintain these areas and when I mention to them it falls upon deaf ears and nothing gets done, and has been like this now for several years. I spent hours over the last year weeding, weed killing, trying to make the place more presentable and doing my best to maintain some of these areas, but it's too much for one person. The communal grass is now about a foot high and I'm digging my heels in now given nobody else bothers! Talking to the neighbours gets no where. Has anyone lived in a flat like this and has any words of wisdom how to get the rest of the lazy owner/occupiers to take some action.

OP posts:
Rollercoaster1920 · 02/06/2022 21:07

Who owns the freehold? Presumably each flat has part of the ownership via a company? I'd be worried that the other things aren't sorted too like buildings insurance, fire inspections etc etc.

BeachTree · 02/06/2022 21:59

I'm in Scotland and think it's leasehold rather than freehold. The building doesn't get maintained either. It's an absolute shambles. Saving for a detached or semi detached, living in flats is challenging with stuff like this.

OP posts:
Lilboots · 03/06/2022 09:02

I live somewhere similar! Thankfully everyone is willing to get their wallets out so insurance, etc, is under control. Maybe you could suggest everyone chips in for a gardener once a month? Unfortunately our garden is so teeny tiny that we can't convince anyone to come and do the job, but yours sounds more feasible than ours!

movemyshed · 03/06/2022 09:06

I think everything is freehold in Scotland.

You have my sympathy OP but no solutions. It can be very difficult in these old tenement buildings if the others don't care. My friend has had to get repairs done eg when the roof was leaking (she's top floor) and has a job getting the others to pay up. They're a mixture of homeowners and rented from agencies, and the agencies are a disgrace.

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