New Regulations
| July 18, 2013 | Posted in Featured Article | Post a comment |
Hi All
Under the lease should I wish to issue new regulations I am obliged , by Schedule 4 Regulation 25 of the lease , to consult and consider the wishes of the majority. I’d like to issue the regulations below in mid September. Your comment is invited. You may comment by using the website or by replying to this mail or by letter to me at Flat 4 De Montfort Court. Please comment before the 31st August. The website link is
In accordance with the lease I am issuing some new regulations. For those subletting please ensure that your subtenant is aware of these especially parking and storage as I’ll charge you and hope that you can recover from your tenant. If you can’t you will still be liable as the tenant’s breach is yours so far as I am concerned. Regulations are in bold below ; explanation is not emboldened
GROUND RENT AND SERVICE CHARGE
The good news is that , at present , service charges are 100% up to date and no one is even one month late. That is great news and I am able to plan expenditure more easily and no one is being carried
On Ground Rent , payable to Caledonian Roofdwellers Limited , the picture is more varied. In June there were seven late payments and I ended up collecting five late payments. I forgave two because each were usually good early payers. As Ground Rent is due at £37.50 on the 24th June and the 25th December each year and that won’t vary until 2029 it is not difficult to set up a Standing Order so I won’t be making further exceptions It is not difficult to detect late payment and I take little time to draft the email.
Charges for late payment fees will be set at £17.50 for the first reminder , £10 for each further reminder (at two week intervals) and £50 should I have to notify the mortgagor (rare but possible)
More often than not I find out about a new subtenant by accident. That means that I have to invest some time in working out what has gone on and investigation. Those who are subletting are either running the flat as a commercial enterprise or are using the subtenant to assist with the mortgage (usually because it is proving hard to sell the flat). In either case the landlord and management company should be informed as soon as possible
Fees for failing to notify both Caledonian Roofdwellers Ltd and De Montfort Court Management (Leicester) Ltd will be set at £30 per occurrence with reminder fees at £10.00 per reminder (at two week intervals).
It is hard to believe but we find lobbies (which are fire exits) blocked by household stuff including bin bags , shoes and furniture. People park in parking spaces owned by others. People park on the paved areas. One especially scruffy bunch recently used the Common Parts as a giant ashtray , throwing butts out of windows.
If a lobby or any other part of the Common Parts is not cleared within one day of a notice we will clear it and charge £35 per hour for the work involved. Similarly we will charge £35 per hour for clearing items such as cigarette butts. In repeat cases we will instruct occupants to cease use of the Common Parts for storage (we allow such storage so long as there is no obstruction of those areas). In cases where a fire exit is blocked I reserve the right to clear it immediately. Notices for such breaches will be charged at £17.50 per notice.
ALTERATIONS MADE WITHOUT AUTHORISATION
The building is in a Conservation Zone and we have to be aware of the limitations that imposes. It is also a rather beautiful and elegant part of the neighbourhood.
Recently I’ve detected aerials erected without permission , new wiring being affixed to the building , a hose reel being affixed to the building and holes being drilled in unagreed locations. In the past windows have been replaced by UPVC versions. Alterations include installation of gas , internal works to walls including skirting boards. I want to be clear that all alterations to the building must be agreed with Caledonian Roofdwelllers in advance. We usually discover such alterations on inspection tours and then have to investigate.
Fees for failure to notify and agree alterations in advance will be set at £50 for the initial notification. No fee will be charged if alterations are agreed in advance. It may be that a final agreement on an unapproved alteration will require a further payment by you (and one tenant paid £250 for his UPVC window) or reinstatement of the flat to its original condition.
Flat 20A
| January 16, 2013 | Posted in Featured Article, Tenant area | 1 Comment |
Hallo All
I am just writing to you all to confirm that we are making progress towards the creation of a new one bedroom flat at the east end of the block , above flat 20.
Haward
Bad news ; I’m afraid. We’ve been refused planning permission for flat 20A and although we are considering an appeal I am not optimistic.
I say it’s bad news because Flat 20A would have generated a much need extra service charge and might well have meant no increase in service charge next year. I think it likely that we’ll have to increase service charge by around 5-10% next year , 4% of which would have been taken up by a 20A service charge.
2013 maintenance and comment
| January 16, 2013 | Posted in Featured Article, Tenant area | Post a comment |
We have tried to catch up with all the small jobs around De Montfort Court at the beginning of the year
- doors to no 2 and no 8 have been repaired
- the smoke alarm at flat 17 has been fixed
- the light bulb at flat 15 has been replaced
- we have organised moss clearing at the rear
Keep telling me or Karen what jobs need to be done and we'll get them done! Use this site or use email or phone us