CHAINBOW'S MD personally promised me to send out my round robin email to all the other leaseholders asking if they felt happy with the way things are run. That was last week and so far the email has not gone out and Mr Southern has not responded to emails asking when it will go out... I wonder what his promise was actually worth?
Got an email from one Ben Lamb who is a member of the 'committee' telling me that they are all good people and volunteers - when I emailed back asking who and with what qualifications made the decisions that 'works' were needed responded that he did not have time for emails and would telephone me to discuss it all. That too was last week and the silence has been deafening...
I am sad people do not do what they say they will do....
Friday 24 June 2011
Sunday 19 June 2011
Chainbow made an offer but so far not fulfilled it...
Had a pleasant exchange with CHAINBOW's MD called Roger who said of course he would send out an email on my behalf... On Thursday I sent him the 'round robin' email as below but up to now it has not been sent out... I await next week with interest to hear from fellow leaseholders if they have received my email sent via CHAINBOW...
what I wrote in the email really sums up my concerns..
it is as follows:
My name is Michael Briant and I am the leaseholder of Flat 13 Stewart House.
I and other owners/leaseholders are becoming concerned at the level of expense generated by our management committee on repairs and maintenance of the block of flats at Stewart House, Leroy Street.
The latest demand for £1,000 per flat for future works on the courtyard is a worry.
A solution to this problem is that we require the management committee to consult on any works which are going cost an individual flat more than say £200 in any year. A proper assessment of what is actually essential maintenance and what is cosmetic, should be presented to all leaseholders and a democratic vote taken on it by email - one flat - one vote.
The works contemplated on the external courtyard worrying.
What are these works?
Why are they needed?
What is essential and what is cosmetic?
How was the decision to do these works arrived at?
How come quotes are quoted with and without scaffolding? Pointless to even mention quotes without scaffolding as it is hugely expensive.
I am of the opinion that any improvements should be subject to the wishes of all leaseholders and not just committee members.
If you feel as I do, that we need some control over the actions of the management committee, who are not the freeholders, but merely people appointed to manage the day to day running of the flats, then I suggest you email me briefly as follows including the no of the flat you own in Stewart House and your name.
michael@michaelbriant.com
I agree that the management committee needs to have restrictions on the way it spends our money.
or
michael@michaelbriant.com
I disagree and believe the management committee should not be restricted in the way it spends our money and is doing an excellent job.
If you want to know more about me then please visit http//www.michaelbriant.com - I am not in the habit of writing this sort of email. I have read the demand for £1,000 sent to another flat and decided it would be prudent to find out, before I receive the demand, what other leaseholders - flat owners feel. There is no obligation on us to pay this demand if a majority feel it is unreasonable.
The secretary and committee are our servants - in the end they are obliged to do what the majority of leaseholders require. To be fair I think they are well intentioned but in this age of austerity perhaps a little to free with our monies.
If a minority reply saying they are happy to pay the £1,000 then I will drop the subject immediately. If a majority have the same concerns as I do, then I will suggest that the management committee consults more and has restrictions placed on it's power to spend our money without consultation.
Because I live in Spain, Chainbow have graciously agreed to send this email to all flat leaseholders/owners on my behalf and to give me a list of flats that do not have email address's so I may write to them individually. I thank them for that.
Thank you for reading this
regards
Michael Briant (Flat 13)
what I wrote in the email really sums up my concerns..
it is as follows:
My name is Michael Briant and I am the leaseholder of Flat 13 Stewart House.
I and other owners/leaseholders are becoming concerned at the level of expense generated by our management committee on repairs and maintenance of the block of flats at Stewart House, Leroy Street.
The latest demand for £1,000 per flat for future works on the courtyard is a worry.
A solution to this problem is that we require the management committee to consult on any works which are going cost an individual flat more than say £200 in any year. A proper assessment of what is actually essential maintenance and what is cosmetic, should be presented to all leaseholders and a democratic vote taken on it by email - one flat - one vote.
The works contemplated on the external courtyard worrying.
What are these works?
Why are they needed?
What is essential and what is cosmetic?
How was the decision to do these works arrived at?
How come quotes are quoted with and without scaffolding? Pointless to even mention quotes without scaffolding as it is hugely expensive.
I am of the opinion that any improvements should be subject to the wishes of all leaseholders and not just committee members.
If you feel as I do, that we need some control over the actions of the management committee, who are not the freeholders, but merely people appointed to manage the day to day running of the flats, then I suggest you email me briefly as follows including the no of the flat you own in Stewart House and your name.
michael@michaelbriant.com
I agree that the management committee needs to have restrictions on the way it spends our money.
or
michael@michaelbriant.com
I disagree and believe the management committee should not be restricted in the way it spends our money and is doing an excellent job.
If you want to know more about me then please visit http//www.michaelbriant.com - I am not in the habit of writing this sort of email. I have read the demand for £1,000 sent to another flat and decided it would be prudent to find out, before I receive the demand, what other leaseholders - flat owners feel. There is no obligation on us to pay this demand if a majority feel it is unreasonable.
The secretary and committee are our servants - in the end they are obliged to do what the majority of leaseholders require. To be fair I think they are well intentioned but in this age of austerity perhaps a little to free with our monies.
If a minority reply saying they are happy to pay the £1,000 then I will drop the subject immediately. If a majority have the same concerns as I do, then I will suggest that the management committee consults more and has restrictions placed on it's power to spend our money without consultation.
Because I live in Spain, Chainbow have graciously agreed to send this email to all flat leaseholders/owners on my behalf and to give me a list of flats that do not have email address's so I may write to them individually. I thank them for that.
Thank you for reading this
regards
Michael Briant (Flat 13)
-- http//www.michaelbriant.com
Thursday 16 June 2011
Reply to email from CHAINBOW
I received an email from Roger Southern who is 'important' at Chainbow telling me he wants to help but cannot... I emailed him as follows but so far have received no reply
Dear Roger,
Thank you for the email which is somewhat disingenuous.
We will willingly send out any communication to all leaseholders on your behalf
What you fail to add was that it would cost me a considerable amount of money for you to do this - that is what I was told yesterday.
For me to send a 'round robin email' via your address list, of all the leaseholders of the flats in Stewart House, is going to cost me what exactly? Is the charge you intend making , the reason you appear to be unreasonably withholding information (email address's) of fellow leaseholders?
An overdose of PC is very unhelpful and is frequently used to avoid transparency... I really hope not in this case.
So let me pose the following questions.
Does any person with a leasehold in Stewart House receive any financial remuneration from yourselves - commissions etc or pay a lesser amount of monies than the rest of us for the various charges or otherwise benefit in any way whatsoever by being either the secretary or on the committee? Were they ever paid a 'reward' for bringing the business to you? If so what?
Yours truly
Michael E Briant
Dear Roger,
Thank you for the email which is somewhat disingenuous.
We will willingly send out any communication to all leaseholders on your behalf
What you fail to add was that it would cost me a considerable amount of money for you to do this - that is what I was told yesterday.
For me to send a 'round robin email' via your address list, of all the leaseholders of the flats in Stewart House, is going to cost me what exactly? Is the charge you intend making , the reason you appear to be unreasonably withholding information (email address's) of fellow leaseholders?
An overdose of PC is very unhelpful and is frequently used to avoid transparency... I really hope not in this case.
So let me pose the following questions.
Does any person with a leasehold in Stewart House receive any financial remuneration from yourselves - commissions etc or pay a lesser amount of monies than the rest of us for the various charges or otherwise benefit in any way whatsoever by being either the secretary or on the committee? Were they ever paid a 'reward' for bringing the business to you? If so what?
Yours truly
Michael E Briant
Wednesday 15 June 2011
There are several SE1 forums which it may be worth following. I will write individually to every leaseholder via their SE1 address as Chainbow who I/we payfor refuse to give me the email address of other leaseholders in Stewart House.
May I suggest that we all publicise our discontent with the management committee and secretary who are merely leaseholders like us - have no special authority and should consult with the rest of us before spending our money.
One useful forum I have used is
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/forum/list/8
May I suggest that we all publicise our discontent with the management committee and secretary who are merely leaseholders like us - have no special authority and should consult with the rest of us before spending our money.
One useful forum I have used is
http://www.london-se1.co.uk/forum/list/8
Tuesday 14 June 2011
Are you a concerned leaseholder?
I am becoming very concerned about the way the secretary and directors of the management commitee commission expensive works, without any consultation with the leaseholders,, who have to pay for these decisions. This is not Peabody estates!!!!
Chainbow refuse to give me a list of leaseholders so that I may consult with them. To withhold this information is totally unacceptable and I wonder what they have to hide?
Proper consultation should be exercised with leaseholders before tens of thousands of pounds worth of work is undertaken and perhaps we should look at finding a less expensive management company, which will be more user friendly.
If you are happy with the amount of your money that is being spent then don't bother to reply or comment but some 6 leaseholders I have already contacted are as concerned as I am about what's going on.
Please contact me at michael@michaelbriant.com or via this blog.
regards
Michael
Chainbow refuse to give me a list of leaseholders so that I may consult with them. To withhold this information is totally unacceptable and I wonder what they have to hide?
Proper consultation should be exercised with leaseholders before tens of thousands of pounds worth of work is undertaken and perhaps we should look at finding a less expensive management company, which will be more user friendly.
If you are happy with the amount of your money that is being spent then don't bother to reply or comment but some 6 leaseholders I have already contacted are as concerned as I am about what's going on.
Please contact me at michael@michaelbriant.com or via this blog.
regards
Michael
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