Management Company only now in place

irishmoss

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My father bought an apartment in 1999 in a small complex of two blocks consisting of 16 apartments in total. Service fees were to be charged but were never invoiced for or collected. This year a management company was set up and they are looking for an annual fee of 1000 euros which is fine.
I asked would the hallways be cleaned and hovered and he said only if there was money left over and proceeded to say the fees could be higher next year! The common areas are in a shoddy way and hovered a couple of times a years and the walls need to be painted. My father is in a nursing home but we still want to protect the property.
Once we pay the fee for this year are the management company obliged to give any paperwork? I notice on citizens information they mention fire certificate and share of membership.
 
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A primary issue for all apartment owners is the state of their management company and whether or not they choose to try and get involved.

Too often, there is a "disconnect" going on - a sort of "us" the apartment owners and "them" the management company. That comes across loud and clear from your post. In reality, it is the apartment owners who should be running the management company

The best thing you can do is educate yourself about management companies. Read up on them. Maybe talk to your solicitor. If your father is unable to deal with the
situation and you are stepping into his shoes, you need to decide if you/ the family are going to get involved "to protect the property".

This link below is a good starting point.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...anagement_companies_for_apartment_blocks.html


mf
 
My sibling has a house in an estate. The large grass area in the front needs cutting. One civic minded individual, who also does unpaid weeding etc, and has brought up the place in value, asked everyone to contribute to a lawnmower. She minds it and then asks each neighbour in turn to cut the common area. All works beautifully.

If 1K doesn't cover all the costs how about you going along once a year and hoovering the whole area and asking for a fiver off all the other owners and paint the place. Alternatively ask your tenant to hoover once a month and pay them a tenner.

I suggest you find out what your 1K is buying and understand the headache of collecting it and of people complaining about it going up and expecting way too much from 1K. Be glad there's a management company now and that they are actually doing something.
 
A primary issue for all apartment owners is the state of their management company and whether or not they choose to try and get involved.

Too often, there is a "disconnect" going on - a sort of "us" the apartment owners and "them" the management company. That comes across loud and clear from your post. In reality, it is the apartment owners who should be running the management company

The best thing you can do is educate yourself about management companies. Read up on them. Maybe talk to your solicitor. If your father is unable to deal with the
situation and you are stepping into his shoes, you need to decide if you/ the family are going to get involved "to protect the property".

This link below is a good starting point.

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/e...anagement_companies_for_apartment_blocks.html


mf

You are right about the "disconnect" between owners and management companies. Too many people have bought into apartments without realising the legal position and the fact that they are actually shareholders in the management company.
A complex of 16 apartments should be relatively easy to manage if the cooperation of all the owners can be got. There will be an amount of work initially which will involve election of Directors, a committee including a treasurer to manage the finance, arrangements to employ cleaners, organise block insurance etc. The apartment is a valuable asset and the owner should take on the responsibility of maintaining and enhancing its value
 
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