Management of Shared Areas/Estates

kippy

This may be better in the legal forum but I will put it here for the moment. Mods feel free to move.

Can anyone give some opinion as to why there are so many housing estates, of varying vintages and legal standing, that are:
1. Still under the charge of a management company?
or
2. Not under the charge of a management company but not "taken on" by the local authority?

Why exactly have local authorities not taken on more estates that are not managed by a management company or that are managed by a management company?

Owners in these estates may be paying management fees as well as property tax at this point or may be having issues selling homes due to the fact that the shared spaces are not under management.

Finally, does anyone know what is involved in getting these areas taken over by the local authority - if the bond from the developer is already in place?

davindub

Some estates elect to remain managed by a management company (which may consist of the residents themselves), they may feel that they can do a better job themselves or smaller estates which are gated might want to remain private access. Etc.

Anyway Council has to take over the management of the estate if the majority of property owners vote that way, or the developer applies for it, but the council will usually try and delay until it is sure that all planning regulations have been complied with (After 7 years after the expiry of planning permission, the council cannot reject the proposal, the council is responsible for enforcing the planning regs within 7 years).

But the council won't take over anything not related to the planning permission, for example if a playground was required by planning permission, it will maintain it, if not it won't. The same for open spaces, the council won't maintain them.

Other estates are leasehold only, or part lease hold.

athtrasna

It's in the planning permission of some estates that the council won't take them in charge