Wheler street

[Sam Faulkner]

Dear Simon,

I received the June service charge bill last week.

I had always thought that prompt demands for payment was the main aspect of property management which Starchain excelled at.

Once again we are facing a bill despite another 6 months of shoddy maintenance and broken promises.

On the 4th February 2009 you wrote "I will have the step looked at when the carpenter is down next week."

Over 18 months later the step is still broken and a health and safety risk.

When you contractor did come to look at it (about 8 months ago), he made a completely inadequate, but quite typical, bodge of it (see attached image). He was so ill prepared for the job that I had to supply him with a screwdriver.

The carpet he removed has not been replaced securely, where the underlay had been stapled now it is loose, so rather than mend the step, he has in fact left it in a worse and more dangerous condition than before he came.

I have attached some photographs to illustrate the problem.

On the 4th February 2009 you wrote "The lights are also being changed to a more efficient system as many of them are defunct". The lights in the courtyard still do not work properly. It is very dark and as winter draws in this is becoming increasingly a problem. What goes for the court goes equally for the stairs and corridors, where maybe just over 50% work. 

We left walking up dangerous stairs in bad light carrying infant children. This is completely unacceptable and needs to be sorted out IMMEDIATELY.

On the 17th July 2009 you wrote "Once the payments for this section of Service Charge have been received the work in the building will carry on. This includes the new post facilities." 14 Months on and still no new post facilities.

On the 4th February 2009 you wrote "The communal area of 23 will be getting a new coat of paint this quarter". As you have previously recognised to me in person, (when you came round to discuss the freehold), the paltry redecoration that was carried out was of a very low standard. The previous colour is clearly visible below large sections of the water thin emulsion that was applied. The wood work was not stroked by a single brush bristle and the whole thing looks poorly maintained, dirty and uncared for. 

After the key-pad lock was put on the access door from the courtyard, the contractor left the door frame in a unfinished untidy state, see attached picture. This is typical of the general lack of care taken of the maintenance of the building.

The double barn doors into the courtyard from Wheler Street are very badly scratched and need repainting.

Regarding the Budget for 2010....

Please can you confirm that you do have a Rentokil contract. I have never seen a contractor and the bait traps do not exactly look like they have been regularly visited or maintained.

The £200 you are charging for bicycle clearance... when you actually going to do this?

Please can you confirm how much cleaning takes place in the communal areas.... just how many hours a week are spent here by the cleaner.

Given that we are paying for an audit please can you send me a copy of the latest audited accounts.

Please can you let me know what the current balance of the reserve fund is.

Are you still planning on selling the freehold?

As soon as I have received answers to my questions and the work that was promised over 12 months ago has been carried out I will pay my service charge straight away.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Best Wishes 

Sam

[Sam Faulkner]

Thank you for your message and for addressing some of the maintenance issues I raised.

I sincerely hope that the problem with the stair will be fixed this week. 

As well as the particular issues of maintenance that I brought up, there were a series of questions regarding the budget that have not been answered.

They are...

1. Please can you confirm that you have a Rentokill contract

I have never seen a contractor and the bait traps do not exactly look like they have been regularly visited or maintained.

2. There is at least one bicycle locked up that have never moved since I have lived at Wheler Street (2004). It is the one under the silver cover to the right of the entrance to our side of the building. See picture attached.

This bike has not had its cover removed or tyres pumped in the last 6 years. Please can you let me know which resident has claimed it.

3 Please can you confirm how much cleaning takes place in the communal areas. Just, how many hours a week are spent here by the cleaner.

4. Please could I have a copy of the last audited accounts. Please can you confirm who your auditors are if it is not clear from the document you are going to send.

5. Please can you tell me what the balance of the reserve fund is and how much of it is outstanding due to the resident your are suing not paying. Is it an owner occupier or am absentee landlord?

6. Please can you provide a bit more information on the nature of the breaches of leases by other leaseholders. Have they made alterations that require planning permission? If so how does it impact on other leasees?

As soon as the stair is repaired and these questions are satisfactorily I will pay the June service charge. 

If the repair to the stair is not completed by Monday I will instruct my own carpenter to under take the work and deduct the cost from my service charge payment.

Best Wishes 

Sam

On 5 Oct 2010, at 10:06, Simon moriarty wrote:

Sam,

It is always our intention to have the work done as we say we will. Every time service charge invoices are raised I have to chase almost all of the residents for payment. Not only that but many dodge constantly. It is impossible to run a building when this is happening, and you have been guilty of this on many occasions in the past. One of your fellow residents whom we are suing, is responsible for almost all of the sinking fund by not paying on either of his properties.

This is not a full time job for me Sam. It is made very difficult when all of my time that I allot to it is spent chasing people for money to make sure insurance and bills are paid. Maybe you could use your mailing list better by rallying the residents in being prompt and supporting the management so that we can get things done.

All of the bikes in the courtyard have been claimed by residents. You may notice a few of the older ones have actually gone.

I will endeavour over the period leading up to Christmas to clear all of your issues, if you feel you would like to stop your payment until then, so be it, I can only fix things when there is money in the pot. 

The lights are being replaced today from Midday. If you have any further issues for the electrician please don't hesitate to talk to him while he is there. His name is Daibhid Gray. The safety hazard in you stairwell will be fixed again by the end of the week. The carpenter has been notified.

We intend to sell the freehold as soon as possible. Due to two leaseholders breeching their leases we have to sort out planning and other council issues before we can do this.

Regards

Simon