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RTM Replacement
Posted by on 27 November 2024
Posted,
Ideally, and inline with your RTM articles of association two Directors should be appointed.
A majority of shareholders in our RTM Company are unhappy with our current managing agent and will no doubt replace them in 2025. We have other quality firms shortlisted and I am happy to supply details to you via the Editor or directly.
Our shortlist does not include R & R.
Siblings or other family members can act as proxy on behalf of shareholders at RTM meetings.
Ideally, and inline with your RTM articles of association two Directors should be appointed.
A majority of shareholders in our RTM Company are unhappy with our current managing agent and will no doubt replace them in 2025. We have other quality firms shortlisted and I am happy to supply details to you via the Editor or directly.
Our shortlist does not include R & R.
Siblings or other family members can act as proxy on behalf of shareholders at RTM meetings.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 02 December 2024
What happens when a RTM closes?
We live in a retirement block which used to be managed by FirstPort. About 5 years ago we got RTM but the directors now want to retire and no one wants to take it on, even as just being there as a name. Can we just tell Proxima that we are no longer RTM and carry on with our Managing Agent?
Posted by on 26 November 2024
Estates & Management manage all things Proxima. They use several companies of their own choice, none of whom have a particularly good reputation. If the development is large enough they may appoint Rendell & Rittner?
If the RTM collapses it may be that Proxima agree to the temporary appointment of the existing managing agent as they will be bound by a contract but as soon as they can get one of "their own" in to manage they will. Remember where their is no RTM it is the freeholder that appoints a managing agent.
If the RTM collapses it may be that Proxima agree to the temporary appointment of the existing managing agent as they will be bound by a contract but as soon as they can get one of "their own" in to manage they will. Remember where their is no RTM it is the freeholder that appoints a managing agent.
Posted by The Editor on 01 December 2024
Thank you Editor - and apologies for the needless second post!
Rendall and Rittner brings shudders down my spine in addition to the thought of having to open my wallet and saying "Take what you want - we have no say!".
It makes me more determined to 'find' someone to save RTM, even if its just as a 'name' as we are happy with our existing MA.
Rendall and Rittner brings shudders down my spine in addition to the thought of having to open my wallet and saying "Take what you want - we have no say!".
It makes me more determined to 'find' someone to save RTM, even if its just as a 'name' as we are happy with our existing MA.
Posted by on 01 December 2024
To “ Posted”.
It is shocking that the RTM should fail due to apathy of tenants.Not sure how many directors required for RTM or of non tenants can be a director. I assume you will be putting yourself forward ?
It is shocking that the RTM should fail due to apathy of tenants.Not sure how many directors required for RTM or of non tenants can be a director. I assume you will be putting yourself forward ?
Posted by Kim on 01 December 2024
For the life of me I have never understood as to why so many are not prepared to spend a few hours a year to take care of the biggest financial investment of their lives?
Posted by Michael Epstein on 03 December 2024
I cannot do it - if i did sadly we would have the same problem in a few months time. I think Ed that this is a genuine problem for retirement sites - people get health problem and family problems which take over their lives.
Posted by on 03 December 2024
Firstport deliberately target the elderly and the vulnerable. On behalf of those that do not have the strength to carry out a Right to Manage on their behalf it is our duty to carry out as many RTM's as possible to further weaken Firstport.
Posted by The Editor on 03 December 2024
To ‘ Posted’,
Or you feel,you cannot become a director , why would you expect others to be a director? You have to lead by example. Surely you have family who can be your proxy?
Either you and your fellow leaseholders sort this out or be prepared to be ripped off and don't whine about it. Leaseholders ( retirement) have to step up to the plate.” Family problems” are not a good enough excuse to not become a director.Goodness sake!
Or you feel,you cannot become a director , why would you expect others to be a director? You have to lead by example. Surely you have family who can be your proxy?
Either you and your fellow leaseholders sort this out or be prepared to be ripped off and don't whine about it. Leaseholders ( retirement) have to step up to the plate.” Family problems” are not a good enough excuse to not become a director.Goodness sake!
Posted by Kim on 03 December 2024
For evil to flourish it only requires good men to do nothing.
Anyone that is able to stand up to Firstport should do so, and if they can't, enlist family members to fight on their behalf.
It is the family that ultimately will face the consequences of Firstport management.
Anyone that is able to stand up to Firstport should do so, and if they can't, enlist family members to fight on their behalf.
It is the family that ultimately will face the consequences of Firstport management.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 03 December 2024
BBC West Castigates Firstport!
A recent BBC West investigation into Firstport severely castigated their poor performance.
They highlighted the case of a Mr McKinnon who had purchased a flat on a development managed by Firstport. Like other residents on his development he felt locked in to maintenance contracts, felt trapped by rising fees that have tripled in 5 years and suffered from poor service.
After affecting his health and personal relationships as well having to take time off work to resolve issues with Firstport he decided he could take no more so he put his flat up for sale. A buyer had been found but the sale fell through after Firstport failed to supply the information needed to complete the sale.
A Mrs Campell, living in a freehold house in Dursley with communal areas entrusted to Firstport to maintain described the rising service charges as "Frightening" adding "You just don't know how much the service charges will go up next year"
Meanwhile the Phillips family in Wells who also have a freehold house with communal areas maintained by Firstport pay more than £450 annually commented that "work was never done" and that "We feel we are being robbed"
According to Firstport they have carried out a thorough review of our service and introduced an on line service for greater transparency.
In the meantime RTM is the way to go. Any RTM carried out particularly against any management company that has been bought out by Firstport is especially damaging to Firstport since they paid to manage those developments.
They highlighted the case of a Mr McKinnon who had purchased a flat on a development managed by Firstport. Like other residents on his development he felt locked in to maintenance contracts, felt trapped by rising fees that have tripled in 5 years and suffered from poor service.
After affecting his health and personal relationships as well having to take time off work to resolve issues with Firstport he decided he could take no more so he put his flat up for sale. A buyer had been found but the sale fell through after Firstport failed to supply the information needed to complete the sale.
A Mrs Campell, living in a freehold house in Dursley with communal areas entrusted to Firstport to maintain described the rising service charges as "Frightening" adding "You just don't know how much the service charges will go up next year"
Meanwhile the Phillips family in Wells who also have a freehold house with communal areas maintained by Firstport pay more than £450 annually commented that "work was never done" and that "We feel we are being robbed"
According to Firstport they have carried out a thorough review of our service and introduced an on line service for greater transparency.
In the meantime RTM is the way to go. Any RTM carried out particularly against any management company that has been bought out by Firstport is especially damaging to Firstport since they paid to manage those developments.
Posted by The Editor on 23 November 2024
Dear Mr Editor,
There is a new website set up to take leaseholders step by step through the RTM process to help the ‘ Mrs Campbells, Mr McKinnons et al Firstport victims escape its tryranny.
I thank you in advance for allowing me to give the website details.www.leaseholders.co.uk This website empowers leaseholders and I urge all Firstport victims to tune in and start the RTM process. Full disclosure.I will be involved with. www.leaseholders .co.uk by giving advice and warnings of unscrupulous MA’s attracted to RTM blocks.
Let’s not kid ourselves that Labour is going to carry out any meaningful reform within the next 5 yrs.Not gonna happen!…Victims of nefarious MA’s cannot be expected to continue to put up with this dishonest MA’s. RTM is the only game in town to escape the clutches of FP and its flotsam and Jetsam operating in the residential property racket! COME ON FOLKS.BREAK FREE. Contact www.leaseholders.co.uk.
ps. Any MA’s or their mates masquerading as leaseholders will be sussed out!
There is a new website set up to take leaseholders step by step through the RTM process to help the ‘ Mrs Campbells, Mr McKinnons et al Firstport victims escape its tryranny.
I thank you in advance for allowing me to give the website details.www.leaseholders.co.uk This website empowers leaseholders and I urge all Firstport victims to tune in and start the RTM process. Full disclosure.I will be involved with. www.leaseholders .co.uk by giving advice and warnings of unscrupulous MA’s attracted to RTM blocks.
Let’s not kid ourselves that Labour is going to carry out any meaningful reform within the next 5 yrs.Not gonna happen!…Victims of nefarious MA’s cannot be expected to continue to put up with this dishonest MA’s. RTM is the only game in town to escape the clutches of FP and its flotsam and Jetsam operating in the residential property racket! COME ON FOLKS.BREAK FREE. Contact www.leaseholders.co.uk.
ps. Any MA’s or their mates masquerading as leaseholders will be sussed out!
Posted by Kim on 23 November 2024
I am encouraged by the Housing Minister's statement because it does not over promise. Instead it was rational, thoughtful and acknowledged the role played by unscrupulous managing agents in the failings of leasehold.
I am also encouraged that freeholders have taken to employing lobbyists connected to Peter Mandelson and Firstport have appointed lobbyists Camargue to represent their case to Parliament.
Clearly they are seriously worried as to how future reform will affect them.
That any of their representations will gain traction with Parliament will have been scuppered by the slew of bad publicity for managing agents including Firstport, RMG and Eagerstates across a wide range of media.
This bad publicity being aired at the same time is not by accident. It is designed to give the housing minister the ammunition he needs to regulate managing agents.
I am also encouraged that freeholders have taken to employing lobbyists connected to Peter Mandelson and Firstport have appointed lobbyists Camargue to represent their case to Parliament.
Clearly they are seriously worried as to how future reform will affect them.
That any of their representations will gain traction with Parliament will have been scuppered by the slew of bad publicity for managing agents including Firstport, RMG and Eagerstates across a wide range of media.
This bad publicity being aired at the same time is not by accident. It is designed to give the housing minister the ammunition he needs to regulate managing agents.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 23 November 2024
Micheal E,
I must say I disagree with you and say that I am throughly discouraged that the Labour government has been seduced by lobbyists and thereby kicked the leasehold reform can down the road!
Re: Regulation of Managing Agents.
There will be no regulation of managing agents anytime soon….It was promised in 2021.. It could be done overnight with the stroke of a pen.It won’t be. I believe your encouragement is most misplaced. We shall see.
I must say I disagree with you and say that I am throughly discouraged that the Labour government has been seduced by lobbyists and thereby kicked the leasehold reform can down the road!
Re: Regulation of Managing Agents.
There will be no regulation of managing agents anytime soon….It was promised in 2021.. It could be done overnight with the stroke of a pen.It won’t be. I believe your encouragement is most misplaced. We shall see.
Posted by Kim on 24 November 2024
We shall see!
The problems afflicting leasehold has always been about the money. Once offshore speculators realised they could exploit leaseholders who were vulnerable with few rights and make a very handsome profit at the expense of leaseholders, those leaseholders were doomed.
Even when a leaseholder challenges the service charges, even where there is clear cut evidence of over charging/false charging the tribunal process is far too complicated and is gamed by freeholders/managing agents to deploy any technicality they can in order to deny the leaseholder justice.
Yes, I do believe regulation of managing agents is on the horizon, however distant that horizon may be?
But crucially as that horizon nears those that have "invested" in those managing agents will take fright and divest their investments.
Take the opportunity of exploiting leaseholders out of the financial equation and many of the problems faced by leaseholders will be substantially reduced.
The problems afflicting leasehold has always been about the money. Once offshore speculators realised they could exploit leaseholders who were vulnerable with few rights and make a very handsome profit at the expense of leaseholders, those leaseholders were doomed.
Even when a leaseholder challenges the service charges, even where there is clear cut evidence of over charging/false charging the tribunal process is far too complicated and is gamed by freeholders/managing agents to deploy any technicality they can in order to deny the leaseholder justice.
Yes, I do believe regulation of managing agents is on the horizon, however distant that horizon may be?
But crucially as that horizon nears those that have "invested" in those managing agents will take fright and divest their investments.
Take the opportunity of exploiting leaseholders out of the financial equation and many of the problems faced by leaseholders will be substantially reduced.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 24 November 2024
Michael E,
I am not convinced by your argument..
If you put chimpanzees in a room together with a typewriter at some point in the horizon they would randomly type the complete works of Shakespeare..
Leaseholders apathy and infinite patience allows politicians to treat them as an irrelevance. Starmer said on BBC today that reform would take place within this Parliament…… I’ll bet 5 long years to wait and then an ‘ abolish leasehold’ carrot dangling just before the next election………..and then the empty promises begin again.I know I am right, but willing to be proved wrong! It’s like abusive his and or wife promising to stop the abuse but they never do….Leaeholders are akin to abused spouses, only it’s the freeholders and their hench men and women doing the abusing. Some leaseholders have committed suicide. Many are living in terror of the next invoice..
I am not convinced by your argument..
If you put chimpanzees in a room together with a typewriter at some point in the horizon they would randomly type the complete works of Shakespeare..
Leaseholders apathy and infinite patience allows politicians to treat them as an irrelevance. Starmer said on BBC today that reform would take place within this Parliament…… I’ll bet 5 long years to wait and then an ‘ abolish leasehold’ carrot dangling just before the next election………..and then the empty promises begin again.I know I am right, but willing to be proved wrong! It’s like abusive his and or wife promising to stop the abuse but they never do….Leaeholders are akin to abused spouses, only it’s the freeholders and their hench men and women doing the abusing. Some leaseholders have committed suicide. Many are living in terror of the next invoice..
Posted by Kim on 24 November 2024
Michael,
Offshore speculators will always be attracted to low risk high return investments especially ones that operate in a largely unregulated industry sector.
Before the playing field is transformed and effectively regulated many speculators will likely reinvest elsewhere in my opinion.
Offshore speculators will always be attracted to low risk high return investments especially ones that operate in a largely unregulated industry sector.
Before the playing field is transformed and effectively regulated many speculators will likely reinvest elsewhere in my opinion.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 24 November 2024
Agreed, Stephen.
Like the vultures that they are, the offshore investment caravan will feed on other pastures!
Like the vultures that they are, the offshore investment caravan will feed on other pastures!
Posted by Michael Epstein on 24 November 2024
Kim, Whilst I appreciate the chimpanzee analogy, I am not sure it applies in all circumstances.
No matter how many chimpanzees and no matter how long they spend at a typewriter I am not sure they would ever be able to explain the circumstances as to how Sebastian O'Kelly ended up pocketing £100,000 of LKP charity money?
Could your chimpanzee analogy have been influenced by the strange noises made by Sebastian O'Kelly in response to introducing yourself when you met him and when he became aware of your ethnicity?
No matter how many chimpanzees and no matter how long they spend at a typewriter I am not sure they would ever be able to explain the circumstances as to how Sebastian O'Kelly ended up pocketing £100,000 of LKP charity money?
Could your chimpanzee analogy have been influenced by the strange noises made by Sebastian O'Kelly in response to introducing yourself when you met him and when he became aware of your ethnicity?
Posted by Michael Epstein on 24 November 2024
Michael E,
I didn’t say the chimpanzee analogy applies on “ all circumstances “. I believe it does on this circumstance.
Let me elaborate . We put lots of “ Pennycooks” ( in this instance “ in a room with an iPad and they come up with a paper entitled “ Leaseholders are not as important as rich offshore freeholders who fund government “.
Re: Sebastian O Kelly/£100,000/ undulating.
Now, I don’t think a bunch of Silverbacks sucking on a pizzle could work out the £100,000 Charity money conundrum. I can say that my chimpanzee analogy was kinda prompted by O’ Kelly saying to me face to face “ Oh,m you’re the one with tge funny name and then started making strange noises that of charitable I could describe as ululating , which would be odd as it’s an expression of strong emotion in certain cultures of which I do not believe O’ Kelly is a part of….I could be wrong…..I would hate to,think that Mr O ‘ Kelly was making monkey noises because I am of African Heritage….? Surely not? However, a subsequent email sent to me by O’kelly described me as a “ mare who needs to be tamed”….Whoah. Where did that come from? I’ll let others make up their minds…
.
.
I didn’t say the chimpanzee analogy applies on “ all circumstances “. I believe it does on this circumstance.
Let me elaborate . We put lots of “ Pennycooks” ( in this instance “ in a room with an iPad and they come up with a paper entitled “ Leaseholders are not as important as rich offshore freeholders who fund government “.
Re: Sebastian O Kelly/£100,000/ undulating.
Now, I don’t think a bunch of Silverbacks sucking on a pizzle could work out the £100,000 Charity money conundrum. I can say that my chimpanzee analogy was kinda prompted by O’ Kelly saying to me face to face “ Oh,m you’re the one with tge funny name and then started making strange noises that of charitable I could describe as ululating , which would be odd as it’s an expression of strong emotion in certain cultures of which I do not believe O’ Kelly is a part of….I could be wrong…..I would hate to,think that Mr O ‘ Kelly was making monkey noises because I am of African Heritage….? Surely not? However, a subsequent email sent to me by O’kelly described me as a “ mare who needs to be tamed”….Whoah. Where did that come from? I’ll let others make up their minds…
.
.
Posted by Kim on 24 November 2024
It's not just about quality of service
We're a retirement block, and have just been through the struggle for Right to Manage. Five weeks later, FirstPort still refuse to hand over our reserve funds, or any individual service charge details to the new agents.
Posted by Nick Hadley on 23 November 2024
Nick,
We waited just over a year to get back what we were owed when we wen RTM
We waited just over a year to get back what we were owed when we wen RTM
Posted by RUTH on 23 November 2024
Great news
FP were exposed yesterday on Morning Alive when they interviewed a young couple and showed examples of neglect by FP.This morning more exposure on BBC Teletext which took up three pages warning people keep clear of them., and describing their poor care of people in their clutches.
Posted by RUTH on 23 November 2024
The Development Manager Socialises With A Resident Outside There Working Hours.
Posted on 19 October 2024
Posted on 19 October 2024
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Our retirement site was run by Firtsport and then we went RTM. The RTM is about to collapse as the directors no longer want to volunteer and no one wants to take it on, even just in name. Does anyone know who Proxima use nowadays to put back into a site as their choice of managing agent?