Being asked for contribution

Pablo_Flox

Are you already paying a management company? If so surely they should be the ones organizing it?

jrosen

Well thats community spirit for you, isn't it great to have neighbors that are happy to give up their time.

However, they should set up a residence ass and do things the right way.
Why dont you pop around and ask to see the receipts

coffee_cake

tom_murphy112 wrote: »

So the 100 euro ain't a problem. But we are part of a local WhatsApp group too, why not post on it saying we plan to do up the green, any suggestions etc. Make everyone feel part of the process and maybe help out with some of the work etc.

I am also not scared they will run off with the money. Just the fact we aren't asked for opinions or suggestions, but only to pay the contribution.

"hey all, the new area looks great, good work on doing it up. i am definitely happy to contribute to projects like this. i was just wondering if someone could give me a breakdown of the costs? also are there any plans to do more of this? again happy to throw in the money thanks"
is prob what i'd go with... you're not a stinge, you're asking for a breakdown, you're saying you want to know in advance so they don't surprise you again

ted1

100 is a bit much , unless they building walls, adding benches , tables etc.

E30M3

bluewolf wrote: »

"hey all, the new area looks great, good work on doing it up. i am definitely happy to contribute to projects like this. i was just wondering if someone could give me a breakdown of the costs? also are there any plans to do more of this? again happy to throw in the money thanks"
is prob what i'd go with... you're not a stinge, you're asking for a breakdown, you're saying you want to know in advance so they don't surprise you again

And are you volunteering your own time and energy also? Frankly when asked for a contribution towards estate upkeep (the estate hadn't been taken in charge by the council) I paid up promptly and thanked the organisers for giving of their time. I was only too glad to have people prepared to organise the grass and hedge cutting as the estate needed it.
I would feel a bit distrusted if asked for a breakdown without offering to help.

Either get involved and contribute or just contribute would be my view but I'd be very careful as to how I'd query the costs incurred if not offering to help.

inthenip

Does the work actually look like it cost four grand is the big question here.

Cunning Stunt

E30M3 wrote: »

Either get involved and contribute or just contribute would be my view but I'd be very careful as to how I'd query the costs incurred if not offering to help.

Whats wrong with asking how the costs add up? the world is gone mad

Dr Turk Turkelton

Lol reading this thread makes me see why so many estates are sh1tholes.
100 freaking euro and you don't have to lift a finger and the estate is improved.
I also don't get where people are saying 4k- I'd say they will be lucky to gather 1500.
I live in an estate of about 80 houses spread out with a few green areas. We gladly pay 100 every year and the residents committee who look after the place arrange for grass cutting, trees cut back and every third year the edges around the whole estate are done by a machine.
They also buy a lot of tools and one of the guys stores them in a work shop he has.
Also a bbq with bouncy castles etc every summer for the kids.
Great value in my opinion to keep the estate looking great.

tom_murphy112

Pablo_Flox wrote: »

Are you already paying a management company? If so surely they should be the ones organizing it?

Nope - it is housing estate and it is a common green area at the start of the estate. (maybe 40m x 20m) - so fairly small

tom_murphy112

So just to add some more info - They are doing a raised bed of sorts, topsoil, mulch with underlay - 4 trees evenly spaced, couple of baskets being put on the concrete wall for flowers, crawling plants along the concrete wall and some random small bush plants of sorts. They are adding two benches for folks to sit as well.

All the work being done is towards the side of the green area, where it meets the boundary wall of a property. So only a small portion of the green is being done.

Honestly I threw the 100 euro earlier today, but lets just say I will think hard if they come again looking for money in few years ! Especially if they do the work and then ask folks for money, think it ain't fair.

You'd want to tell them not to get used to it without receipts in future.

tom_murphy112

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

Lol reading this thread makes me see why so many estates are sh1tholes.
100 freaking euro and you don't have to lift a finger and the estate is improved.
I also don't get where people are saying 4k- I'd say they will be lucky to gather 1500.
I live in an estate of about 80 houses spread out with a few green areas. We gladly pay 100 every year and the residents committee who look after the place arrange for grass cutting, trees cut back and every third year the edges around the whole estate are done by a machine.
They also buy a lot of tools and one of the guys stores them in a work shop he has.
Also a bbq with bouncy castles etc every summer for the kids.
Great value in my opinion to keep the estate looking great.

So the grass cutting is already done by the county council and every few years they do trim all the branches and such.

tom_murphy112

inthenip wrote: »

Does the work actually look like it cost four grand is the big question here.

I am certain it isn't 4k worth. A good 40% will be renters so assuming they won't fork the money ! So maybe they are expecting a lot less.

E30M3

Cunning Stunt wrote: »

Whats wrong with asking how the costs add up? the world is gone mad

I didn't say it was wrong to asked I said I'd be careful how I phrased it, The people who made the effort may feel as if their integrity and/or honesty are in question if it handled in an inappropriate way.

E30M3

E30M3 wrote: »

I didn't say it was wrong to asked I said I'd be careful how I phrased it, The people who made the effort may feel as if their integrity and/or honesty are in question if it handled in an inappropriate way.

In this country it's become a fair assumption. I'd be dubious when they haven't offered any breakdown without being asked anyway, doesn't bode well.

E30M3

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

In this country it's become a fair assumption. I'd be dubious when they haven't offered any breakdown without being asked anyway, doesn't bode well.

I can think of more effective get rich quick schemes TBH.

salmocab

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

Lol reading this thread makes me see why so many estates are sh1tholes.
100 freaking euro and you don't have to lift a finger and the estate is improved.
I also don't get where people are saying 4k- I'd say they will be lucky to gather 1500.
I live in an estate of about 80 houses spread out with a few green areas. We gladly pay 100 every year and the residents committee who look after the place arrange for grass cutting, trees cut back and every third year the edges around the whole estate are done by a machine.
They also buy a lot of tools and one of the guys stores them in a work shop he has.
Also a bbq with bouncy castles etc every summer for the kids.
Great value in my opinion to keep the estate looking great.

But the OP made it clear this wasn’t done by a residents committee, some people got together did the work then come looking for the money. The intentions were probably good but that’s no way to go about doing things. Most people posted about the order of doing things as opposed to saying don’t pay. Handing over money without knowing where the cash is actually going is foolish.

Dr Turk Turkelton

salmocab wrote: »

But the OP made it clear this wasn’t done by a residents committee, some people got together did the work then come looking for the money. The intentions were probably good but that’s no way to go about doing things. Most people posted about the order of doing things as opposed to saying don’t pay. Handing over money without knowing where the cash is actually going is foolish.

No I realise that it was a few go getters from the estate that got up off their ar$es to try and make the place look nicer.
Be a lot of people in this thread would be better off doing the same rather than sitting on their holes moaning and looking for receipts and breakdowns.
That's not directed at you op you were only asking for advice as opposed to all the forensic accountants in here.

Dav010

Dr Turk Turkelton wrote: »

No I realise that it was a few go getters from the estate that got up off their ar$es to try and make the place look nicer.
Be a lot of people in this thread would be better off doing the same rather than sitting on their holes moaning and looking for receipts and breakdowns.
That's not directed at you op you were only asking for advice as opposed to all the forensic accountants in here.

Apparently those that do want to make the place look better are schemers, chancers and thieves. Who would have known so many posters live in really dodgy estates.

dubrov

Dav010 wrote:

Apparently those that do want to make the place look better are schemers, chancers and thieves. Who would have known so many posters live in really dodgy estates.

To be fair, it was fairly presumptive if them to just go ahead and do it maverick style without any consultation. Their idea of making the place look better may not match everyone else's

E30M3

dubrov wrote: »

To be fair, it was fairly presumptive if them to just go ahead and do it maverick style without any consultation. Their idea of making the place look better may not match everyone else's

At what point do you then proceed? When everyone has agreed? When everyone has responded? When Everyone who has made a Contribution Agrees? When everyone who says they will make a contribution agrees? When a Majority agree?

Sounds like a recipe for inertia and likely to end up with with no improvements being made. When are you ever going to get all residents to contribute and agree 100% on every detail?

Dav010

dubrov wrote: »

To be fair, it was fairly presumptive if them to just go ahead and do it maverick style without any consultation. Their idea of making the place look better may not match everyone else's

No guarantees if everyone was asked that it would match everyone’s idea of how it should look. They asked for a contribution, it isn’t a demand, this is the point that most are missing. Every estate has a few people with the initiative to want to improve how it looks, and the knobs that think they are doing it to thieve from their neighbours. You think you don’t get the same issues when there are OMC’s or RA’s? You will always have people who refuse to pay, that is why subscriptions have to be so high each year.

I don’t see why the people asking for the contribution would have an issue with providing receipts. In fact, just to show the knobs, they should provide copies to all who contribute, automatically. When it’s finished, invite all who have contributed out for a drink in the common area.

antix80

€100 will get you a lot of flowering plants. 50 or more.
Or 4 apple trees. Or 10 small shrubs.

I'd contribute if they can provide a budget and an income and expenditure account.
They'd also want to have receipts.

dubrov

E30M3 wrote:

At what point do you then proceed? When everyone has agreed? When everyone has responded? When Everyone who has made a Contribution Agrees? When everyone who says they will make a contribution agrees? When a Majority agree?

If the general feedback is positive, that would be enough. It is a shared space so making changes without flagging it first is a bit cheeky

CalamariFritti

I'd be wary of anything that involves elaborate beds, mulch, gravel. I hate the idea of underlay with a passion.

Not only is it an awful and idiotic thing to do to bury plastic mats for the looks it also doesnt work and requires permanent and ongoing attention. Those €100 aren't going to be a once off, thats going to be a regular fixture.

Tell them to plant a couple of trees and shrubs on a lawn and be done with it. Something that requires grass cutting and no more. Offer a €50 once off.

E30M3

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I'd be wary of anything that involves elaborate beds, mulch, gravel. I hate the idea of underlay with a passion.

Not only is it an awful and idiotic thing to do to bury plastic mats for the looks it also doesnt work and requires permanent and ongoing attention. Those €100 aren't going to be a once off, thats going to be a regular fixture.

Tell them to plant a couple of trees and shrubs on a lawn and be done with it. Something that requires grass cutting and no more. Offer a €50 once off.

So you suggest 'telling' the volunteers what you want done and how much you are prepared to contribute? How do you see that playing out?

De Danann

During the major lockdown, our neighbours decided it would be a nice idea to freshen up the grass verges and paint the walls on the estate. One of them knocked into us and explained what they were planning and told us if we wanted to contribute a tenner towards the paint and seeds we could pop it into their mailbox in an envelope, which we happily did.

I wouldn't be paying 100 euro for something that's already been done, without a tonne of evidence (receipts etc) and only if I considered the work to be a substantial improvement. They've done this whole thing backwards in my opinion and it all seems a bit dodge. €100 is a lot of money per house.

Dav010

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I'd be wary of anything that involves elaborate beds, mulch, gravel. I hate the idea of underlay with a passion.

Not only is it an awful and idiotic thing to do to bury plastic mats for the looks it also doesnt work and requires permanent and ongoing attention. Those €100 aren't going to be a once off, thats going to be a regular fixture.

Tell them to plant a couple of trees and shrubs on a lawn and be done with it. Something that requires grass cutting and no more. Offer a €50 once off.

While I agree with you that if you pay the money, you are entitled to have your opinion considered, but if you really want to influence what is done, be prepared to volunteer your time and get your hands dirty.

I must admit, I’ve never associated mulch with over elaboration, the plastic helps to keep weeds down.

CalamariFritti

True too. I'd just hate to get sucked into something overelaborate because someone else felt they wanted it. Its a tricky one.

Keyzer

Not a chance...