Like many, when we purchased a new house which included costs for the management of our development, we believed that monies would be spent wisely and our development would be maintained as needed in an efficient manner. This was back in 2007 and since then, as many as 4 million home owners are paying maintenance fee charges in the UK according to the BBC.
The maintenance fee is supposedly charged for the communal maintenance required for a development. Developments falling within council areas that are happy to take the council tax from the residents but not support the communal areas.
Up and down the country, many homeowners are now contractually obliged as part of their house purchase to pay these management company fees. And if you fail to pay or payment is late, you will get fined. Looking at internet review websites, you will quickly find high levels of dissatisfaction.
Our management company currently is First Port (though it keeps changing its name) and we pay around £240 a year on top of our £2280 council tax bill. Perhaps 60 to 80 residencies are on our estate comprising of flats and houses. Most of the supposed communal maintenance is within the blocks of flats requiring light bulbs changing and general maintenance.
As a homeowner on the development, we then pay towards this as money is taken from the complete development. I wouldn’t mind but never do the home owners gain from their payments. Our communal area would be classed as a courtyard for parking that is never maintained. It is not regularly weeded and jet washing of parking spaces occurs in a blue moon. Some of the parking spaces now have loose bricks and a light bulb in the car park was reported multiple times (by 4 residents) over two years before it was changed. Meanwhile residents were left in darkness when entering and exiting vehicles. Therefore, there is no evidence that any maintenance and general up keep ever occurs. The area no longer looking as nice as it should. So funds do not appear fairly managed to benefit all of the development. If you contact First Port, the service is always poor. Slow responses, failed promises and lack of interest. The question is, who regulates these companies?
Knowing my own experience is poor, I read the below BBC article with interest. Not a surprise but many are facing difficulties with companies managing maintenance contracts who then neglect their duties. Occasionally you hear a good story but in my opinion, something needs to be done to resolve this issue. Homeowners affected are then paying their council and the management company and then not gaining the level of service they are entitled to from anyone.
On viewing in the past how monies are managed by First Port, ridiculous prices are charged for work, high admin charges and then they claim funds have been all used or allocated with little to show.
Please do share your thoughts on this problem below. Are you affected and what are your thoughts about the BBC article calling for a ban?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-68673216.amp
A Conservative peer – and ex-adviser to Boris Johnson – has warned “fleeceholds” will be “the next great scandal” to hit the housing market.
The term is used to describe the plight of homeowners on new-build estates locked into private maintenance contracts for communal areas.
More than 40 Tory MPs have called for a ban on such contracts.
Lord Moylan, who advised Mr Johnson when he was London mayor, blamed councils for abandoning their duties.
“They will accept the additional council tax that is generated by the new properties but they will not take on the responsibilities for maintaining those common amenities,” he told peers during the Lords’ second reading of the bill.
He added: “I think this is the next great scandal approaching the housing market.”
