Management Company woe

murraymar

I have an apartment and paid an annual management fee of €2000.00. There is a huge flood outside my door and when I complained to the management company president I was told there was no money there to fix it as someother owners had not paid their fees.

I had previously received a letter from the management agent asking for two years of managment fees. I had already paid these so sent on the receipts of same. I am now very concerned as I have to walk on the grass to leave my apartment as the ground is too slippery underfoot to walk. With winter coming this is a massive health and safety issue. What to do next?

Ms Doubtfire1

I would think you'd need to seek legal advice..

intheclouds

What is the cause of the flood?

If the path you have to walk on is a public path (although it may be on private property - if its not a gated development then members of the public may also walk on it) then I would be informing the management agent that you will have to contact the environmental safety section of the local council for advice on how to proceed.

You could also get a quorum of signatures and call for an EGM and get other neighbours interested and attending and ask what the mgt company intends to do to to get the outstanding monies so that the development can be maintained.

You should certainly raise the point that if I slip and fall on the path while visiting you I will be suing and this will cost the management company a lot more money than resolving the problem.

You might also want to speak to a local counciller and see if they can offer you and assistance.

Its not really good enough to refuse to maintain the grounds but if there is no money there is no money - however they need a plan to get the money that is owed. Sometimes this is as simple as appointing a new agent who actually chases up non payment.

murraymar

Thanks for your response. Its a gated community. The flood is from a earthen mound behind the apartments (theres trees and bushes growing on it) but everytime it rains there is a landslide).

intheclouds

murraymar wrote: »

Thanks for your response. Its a gated community. The flood is from a earthen mound behind the apartments (theres trees and bushes growing on it) but everytime it rains there is a landslide).

So its a drainage issue? And it only happens when it rains?

That does put a different spin on to be fair - its not like a burst pipe that the management company are refusing to fix - nor is it a public pavement that many people are affected by.

Why dont you build some kind of diversion so that the path outside of your own apartment is not affected? You could sandbag the path - when they see that they might decide to act?

My earlier comments about calling an EGM re cashflow etc still hold.

murraymar

thanks. The flood is there constantly (we have had a period of dry weather) and its not subsiding. I can't park my car up there as its so flooded and if I try to walk on the path as I mentioned due to the mixture of mud, silt and moss from the water the area is really slippy. I will try sandbagging it. Its so unsightly now it makes no difference. Thanks for your advice.

intheclouds

murraymar wrote: »

thanks. The flood is there constantly (we have had a period of dry weather) and its not subsiding. I can't park my car up there as its so flooded and if I try to walk on the path as I mentioned due to the mixture of mud, silt and moss from the water the area is really slippy. I will try sandbagging it. Its so unsightly now it makes no difference. Thanks for your advice.

Yeah the moss is a real sign its been neglected for a long time.

You should try and get your immediate neighbours on board too and ask them to complain to the management company also.

You could put together a leaflet in microsoft word asking people to support you in this as the unsightly nature of it affects everyone and post the leaflets to all the apartments the development? You could point out how it negatively affects property values to have an unsightly flood in the development, the health and safety aspects, the fact that stagnant water can cause ingress over time and cause more expensive issues, its blocking parking spaces etc....

Contact these guys to discuss as well:
http://www.epa.ie/

murraymar

I contacted the EPA there but they said I have to get in contact with the City Council so thats my next step. Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

antoinolachtnai

You should check how much is in the developmemt's sinking fund. This is the money intended for significant capital works like this.

Could you dig a trench and put in a drain linked to the surface water sewer? If it isn't too far or if it is across grass then it mightn't cost much to do yourself. I know, the management company should do it but this might be less hassle.

o1s1n

antoinolachtnai wrote: »

You should check how much is in the developmemt's sinking fund.

Pretty much this.

As you're an owner occupier, do you not get yearly updates from the management company showing their finances?

murraymar

o1s1n wrote: »

Pretty much this.

As you're an owner occupier, do you not get yearly updates from the management company showing their finances?

The last time I received management accounts was Spring 2015. They claimed they sent them to me last Jan but I never received them. I asked them to email a pdf but they refuse to do so. In the hands of my solicitor since this afternoon. Thanks for all the advice

Del2005

murraymar wrote: »

thanks. The flood is there constantly (we have had a period of dry weather) and its not subsiding. I can't park my car up there as its so flooded and if I try to walk on the path as I mentioned due to the mixture of mud, silt and moss from the water the area is really slippy. I will try sandbagging it. Its so unsightly now it makes no difference. Thanks for your advice.

Not the best solution but a solution that makes the flood less dangerous to yourself, could you get a yard brush and sweep the silt and moss off the path? At least then it'll just be water and a bag of salt would cover freezing conditions.

I hope the management company is getting proactive with those who don't pay, as least to reduce them to the minimum and deprive them of as many benefits as possible.