Mangement Fees [Article]

Marcais

Interesting (but I'm not condoning non-payment of fees as a way to get the Council in!)

http://www.villagemagazine.ie/article.asp?sid=1&sud=10&aid=3261

Residents made to fund defence fees for their own potential claims
by Emma Browne
Thursday, October 19, 2006


An estate-management company is charging residents a legal fee of €25 in order to defend any potential court cases taken against them by those same residents. Last month a resident from Castlecurragh Estate in Mulhuddart won a small claims case against Castlecurragh Property Management Company on the basis that she had paid her management fee and the company was failing to supply some of the services. She was entitled to a partial refund of her fee. The management company are now appealing the decision to the Circuit Court. In order to fund the appeal of this case and to defend against another case a resident is taking against the company they decided at a recent AGM to levy a legal fee on all residents.

Socialist Party councillor, and resident in Castlecurragh, Ruth Coppinger says the legal fee charge is "scandalous, but not surprising".

The management company was set up in 2001 at the request of Fingal County Council (FCC) in order to manage the estate of private and social and affordable housing which was built by FCC in conjunction with Shannon Homes Ltd. FCC has 104 votes in the company represented by the 105 social-housing units they own in the estate. The rest of the shares are owned by residents.

When residents first moved into the Castlecurragh Estate they were charged a management fee of €900 for a two-year period. Residents say they were under the impression that after the two years the management company would cease maintaining the estate and management would return to FCC. After the two-year period was up residents then refused to pay the management fee. In 2005, just 400 out of 720 units paid their fee. As a result of a lack of money, the management company was then forced to withdraw their services in early 2005. Some maintenance has been ongoing since then but on a "sporadic" basis according to one resident.

In June of this year under pressure from local residents, FCC agreed that they would maintain the roads and footpaths, clean the roads, cut the grass and maintain the lighting.

Emma Browne

Jonege

Glad to see this issue has finally reached this point, over the coming months and years I feel this is going to be the major issue which will effect all residents of Charlesland. The current charges which could be called "rip off" must be challeged by all the Management Committee. The recent meeting in Charlesland Golf Club gave a very "unclear" picture.
I am very happy to assist all resident groups on this issue in the coming weeks.

birdwatcher

Ah! this old chestnut again!
Got my invoice last night........PUB LIABILITY??????.......Don't make me laugh!And I see the Agents fee has increased too.
Anyone apart from residents in the Court feel they're getting stiffed again this year. I'm still waiting for my receipt from last year.
This feels like financial rape.

denise05

I am considering purchasing a property in a privately managed estate. Having been advised of 3 different fees by the EA, I decided to take the initiative and call the management company who would surely be able to provide transparency re charges and basic services rendered?? Apallingly, I have so far gotten yet two more different yearly rates from the management company and an outright refusal to supply a specimen contract for review by prospective buyer. They have said that they do not hold the lease agreement and I need to contact my solicitor re same. Surely this is 'caveat emptor' gone too far? Surely I do not have to wait until signing day and incur legal fees to discover the rates and terms of what may be a 999-year financial committment. I am waiting on feedback from a couple of sources, any ideas in the meantime?

future_plans

Is there one Management Company for the whole Charlesland development? Or are several companies employed for the wood, court, etc. If so, are the charges the same for each company? I know for apartments, companies normally decide on each rate depending on bedrooms in the property.