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Stunning Victory For Residents!
Posted by The Editor on 08 January 2025
OMG!
Posted by Kim on 08 January 2025
MR EDITOR
More great news, a wonderful start to 2025. Faversham Lakes seems to be a lovely place to live,so it must be a big blow to FirstPort,but great news for you. Lets hope and pray that other blocks do the same. Persistence does pay off, so be encouraged and keep up your good work .
More great news, a wonderful start to 2025. Faversham Lakes seems to be a lovely place to live,so it must be a big blow to FirstPort,but great news for you. Lets hope and pray that other blocks do the same. Persistence does pay off, so be encouraged and keep up your good work .
Posted by RUTH on 08 January 2025
Editor,
More excellent news.
More excellent news.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 08 January 2025
Well Done Bellway!
After serious concerns over the conduct of Firstport Bellway have decided to end Firstport's contract to manage on a large UK Bellway new development.
Let us hope Bellway repeat this over all their Firstport managed developments.
When raising issues with Firstport it is always worth copying in the freeholder/developer.
Let us hope Bellway repeat this over all their Firstport managed developments.
When raising issues with Firstport it is always worth copying in the freeholder/developer.
Posted by The Editor on 06 January 2025
MR EDITOR
Well done you too!
Wonderful news for the beginning of the year. Keep up your good work and let's
hope other companies do the same.
Well done you too!
Wonderful news for the beginning of the year. Keep up your good work and let's
hope other companies do the same.
Posted by RUTH on 06 January 2025
Let's not forget that this follows on from Crest Nicholson being so angry with the conduct of Firstport at one of their developments they too have ended Firstport management contracts.
Posted by The Editor on 07 January 2025
NEW YEAR
Wishing Michael E and all contributors to AF a very happy and healthy New Year. Hoping Michael will achieve his goal!!!
Posted by RUTH on 01 January 2025
This year we will keep the pressure on Firstport a company that has no place in property management and brings discredit on those property management companies that does a good job.
The past few years campaigning has brought tangible results both in the number of residents escaping the clutches of Firstport which forced Firstport to burn cash to buy up other property managers to maintain market share and of course the last ditch "rescue" from Emiria who thought it would be such a great idea to buy in to the UK property management sector on the cheap. Act in haste repent at leisure as they say!
That MP's didn't swallow the line peddled by Firstport CEO Martin King was very good news in 2024.
Remember to copy in your MP with any issues you have with Firstport.
The past few years campaigning has brought tangible results both in the number of residents escaping the clutches of Firstport which forced Firstport to burn cash to buy up other property managers to maintain market share and of course the last ditch "rescue" from Emiria who thought it would be such a great idea to buy in to the UK property management sector on the cheap. Act in haste repent at leisure as they say!
That MP's didn't swallow the line peddled by Firstport CEO Martin King was very good news in 2024.
Remember to copy in your MP with any issues you have with Firstport.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 01 January 2025
Michael,
An excellent detailed synopsis of the past Years achievements.
I am aware of several reputable property managing agents out there who provide competitively priced services to their truly valued customers.
It is a tragedy that firms of that calibre are some times "tarred with same brush" as the above.
I believe that the Government should produce and make available to the public a National register of all managing agents in order of best to worst, by applying the results of key performance indicators. I suggest KPI's should include the total average service charge cost paid, and a separate note showing the average actual cost or fees, commissions or other costs charged, applied or included in each service charge cost header.
The above must be enshrined in Law in my opinion. Codes of conduct have proven to be totally ineffective in this highly toxic, feudal, fleecehold, leasehold industry sector in my view.
An excellent detailed synopsis of the past Years achievements.
I am aware of several reputable property managing agents out there who provide competitively priced services to their truly valued customers.
It is a tragedy that firms of that calibre are some times "tarred with same brush" as the above.
I believe that the Government should produce and make available to the public a National register of all managing agents in order of best to worst, by applying the results of key performance indicators. I suggest KPI's should include the total average service charge cost paid, and a separate note showing the average actual cost or fees, commissions or other costs charged, applied or included in each service charge cost header.
The above must be enshrined in Law in my opinion. Codes of conduct have proven to be totally ineffective in this highly toxic, feudal, fleecehold, leasehold industry sector in my view.
Posted by Stephen Burns on 01 January 2025
Stephen,
I am broadly supportive of your ideas, but I am not sure they are all workable in practice.
There are simply to many variables to compare fees and service charges.
However, what is desperately needed is statutory regulation of managing agents. Regulation must include a comprehensive breakdown of what is included in management fees, fuller access to information regarding work carried out and the costs of any work should be an automatic right of every leaseholder.
An independent body should be set up as a simpler alternative to the overly complex and expensive tribunal system that we currently have.
That independent body should be able to bond managing agents in proportion to the number of units/developments under their management. The independent body should be able to use bonded funds to rectify the wrong doing of a managing agent and have the power to expel them, meaning they can no longer trade.
Beginning with new build before expanding all leasehold developments should automatically offer the leaseholders a Right to Manage company and no initial management contract should last for more than 2 years, after which the leaseholders have the absolute right to either stay with the current managing agent or appoint another one of their choice.
Where a managing agent is taken over by another managing agent affected leaseholders should have the automatic right to appoint an alternative managing agent.
Codes of conduct have been totally ineffective as you rightly say. At best they give a veneer of respectability to the unscrupulous, who unbeknown to many are headed up by the unscrupulous managing agents who cheat so many residents.
Equally ineffective and something to beware of, are campaigning groups who offer phoney accreditations to some really bad people in property management in exchange for funding. They let everyone down.
I am broadly supportive of your ideas, but I am not sure they are all workable in practice.
There are simply to many variables to compare fees and service charges.
However, what is desperately needed is statutory regulation of managing agents. Regulation must include a comprehensive breakdown of what is included in management fees, fuller access to information regarding work carried out and the costs of any work should be an automatic right of every leaseholder.
An independent body should be set up as a simpler alternative to the overly complex and expensive tribunal system that we currently have.
That independent body should be able to bond managing agents in proportion to the number of units/developments under their management. The independent body should be able to use bonded funds to rectify the wrong doing of a managing agent and have the power to expel them, meaning they can no longer trade.
Beginning with new build before expanding all leasehold developments should automatically offer the leaseholders a Right to Manage company and no initial management contract should last for more than 2 years, after which the leaseholders have the absolute right to either stay with the current managing agent or appoint another one of their choice.
Where a managing agent is taken over by another managing agent affected leaseholders should have the automatic right to appoint an alternative managing agent.
Codes of conduct have been totally ineffective as you rightly say. At best they give a veneer of respectability to the unscrupulous, who unbeknown to many are headed up by the unscrupulous managing agents who cheat so many residents.
Equally ineffective and something to beware of, are campaigning groups who offer phoney accreditations to some really bad people in property management in exchange for funding. They let everyone down.
Posted by Michael Epstein on 02 January 2025
Indeed, Statutory Legislation of Managing agents is imperative,although the self styled leaseholders charity doesn’t seem to think so…I refer you to a piece written by O’ Kelly In December of last year.
Wearing my ‘ Activist Hat’, I am going to keep the pressure on WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL LTD Thank the sweet baby Jesus, it is no longer our managing agent, all thanks to me. However, I have reason to believe it is no better than FIRSTPORT!
Wearing my ‘ Activist Hat’, I am going to keep the pressure on WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL LTD Thank the sweet baby Jesus, it is no longer our managing agent, all thanks to me. However, I have reason to believe it is no better than FIRSTPORT!
Posted by Kim on 02 January 2025
Caution in 2025!
As we come to 2025 residents maybe tempted to check their Firstport On Line account, but some are finding that their virus protection provider identifies the Firstport portal as being at risk and blocks access to the portal.
Some residents have disabled their virus protection in order to access their account.
Please, however tempting, never disable your virus protection to access the Firstport site. It is simply not worth the risk to your computer and any sensitive information you may have on your computer.
Some residents have disabled their virus protection in order to access their account.
Please, however tempting, never disable your virus protection to access the Firstport site. It is simply not worth the risk to your computer and any sensitive information you may have on your computer.
Posted by The Editor on 27 December 2024
Dear Mr Editor.
Re: “ Caution “… As you and the visitors to this august know,WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL LTD was due to be sacked by myself and my fellow leaseholders. It got wind of this and promptly resigned on 5 the October 2024 which was two days before the EGM…
The new agent appointed on 1st December has informed me that WR has charged for the whole 4th Quater, even thought it should have only charged for 29 September to 5 October 2024. As you know, I am owed £6,144 + interest + Court fees …I refused a credit note and continued to pay my Service charge. WR have deducted £600 from the credit note….of course, this £600 would have come out of the service charge!
What WR has done is in clear breach of its contract of which I have a copy….
I plan on reporting them to the RICS and if the money is not returned along with the £900 interest which was earned on our service charge monies, they will be brought to Tribunal. Shocking way for an LKP accredited company to behave! They along with Firstport need to be booted out of the property management industry.
Re: “ Caution “… As you and the visitors to this august know,WESTBURY RESIDENTIAL LTD was due to be sacked by myself and my fellow leaseholders. It got wind of this and promptly resigned on 5 the October 2024 which was two days before the EGM…
The new agent appointed on 1st December has informed me that WR has charged for the whole 4th Quater, even thought it should have only charged for 29 September to 5 October 2024. As you know, I am owed £6,144 + interest + Court fees …I refused a credit note and continued to pay my Service charge. WR have deducted £600 from the credit note….of course, this £600 would have come out of the service charge!
What WR has done is in clear breach of its contract of which I have a copy….
I plan on reporting them to the RICS and if the money is not returned along with the £900 interest which was earned on our service charge monies, they will be brought to Tribunal. Shocking way for an LKP accredited company to behave! They along with Firstport need to be booted out of the property management industry.
Posted by Kim on 28 December 2024
NEW RTM COMPANY
A happy and prosperous new year awaits the residents and Directors of Homedane House in Hastings , Firstport are no longer their managing agent , well done
Posted by the holy mole on 26 December 2024
Delighted to hear the news. Let's hope the improved and less expensive services will become known to residents living in the locality and they realise that they do not have to live under the corrupt and oppressive Firstport regime.
It's such shame Hastings Borough Council got rid of their Town Crier, the news of residents escaping Firstport would have made for a great "Cry"
It's such shame Hastings Borough Council got rid of their Town Crier, the news of residents escaping Firstport would have made for a great "Cry"
Posted by Michael Epstein on 27 December 2024
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Faversham Lakes is an Anderson new build development consisting of around 400 homes. Up until 2022 all was well. Maintenance had been done to a reasonable standard and the service charges were not burdensome either.
However, in 2022 along came Firstport the nations most talked about property manager and persuaded the developer to appoint them to manage the development.
Almost immediately the standard of maintenance collapsed. Even worse service charges nearly doubled. Similar properties were receiving completely different charges, accounts were not produced and no explanation was ever given as to how the charges were arrived at.
The residents began a campaign to rid themselves of Firstport Within a matter of weeks they attracted over 100 members of their Whatsapp group. They involved their local media, MP's and the original developer
One local MP had been part of a group that had called Firstport in to Parliament to express their anger at Firstport's conduct.
Fortunately the developer still owned the freehold to the land that Faversham Lakes was built on and has taken decisive action.
They have sacked Firstport as the property manager and from February 1st will take back the management of the development.
Given the well honed campaigning skills of the Faversham Lakes residents they will not settle for just the sacking of Firstport they will want all the overcharges they were forced to pay refunded.
Well done to the residents and developer.