Common Areas in Estate

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Frank

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Recently got a letter from the residents commitee looking for 50 quid a year from each house to get common green areas cut by a contractor.

Seems reasonable enough, but I thought the council looked after this.

I know the council cut the greens around my folks house in Dublin.

My house is in Arklow.

Whats the story here?
 
Is your estate privately managed with a management company (of which all householders would be members/shareholders) and perhaps a management agent employed by the company or is it taken in charge by the local authority? If in doubt check your mortgage deeds and documentation for a management company covenant/agreement.
 
I live in a private estate and therefore the council doesn't cut the grass and the estate commitee is collecting the money every month. EUR 50.00 a year is a bargain, my commitee is asking for EUR 10 a month because they have fancied ideas about the green area/estate.
 
It is a private estate, apparently the builder is leaving site soon, so they won't be doing it any more.

I assume probably the same as Samantha they will st\rt off with getting the grass cut then get higher notions.
 
You should check the legal documentation relating to the property to see what, if any, arrangements were put in place in terms of having a management company (of which the householders would be members/shareholders) and/or management agent employed by the management company to take care of matters. If the development is private and not take in charge fully or at all by the local authority then there will most likely be a lot more than just common areas maintenance to be taken care of - for example you will probably need public liability insurance, a sinking fund for maintenance/renovation jobs, utility (e.g. street lighting, sewage, waste water etc.) rental maintenance, fire mains rental etc. etc.
 
Hi - I too live on a new housing estate and the builders are due to leave site soon. The residents committee collect €5.00 a month off us because apparently the local council won't tend to the green areas for a certain time after the builders leave. After this time limit they will tend to the common green areas. Maybe this is what your residents committe are refering to.

Our residents committee have agreed with the neighbourhood that even after this time limit they will keep collecting the €5 to get fancy signage, and shrubs for the green areas.
Hope this helps.
 
c.5 years is the norm for an estate, then it gets "Taken In Charge" by the council.
 
Anyway thought, to be honest, the council cut maybe one every 4 weeks, and they don't collect cuttings.
Guys you pay yourself cut maybe once a week and collect cuttings...it makes some difference in appearance...
 
€50 p.a. sounds reasonable enough, tbh. I live in a small (36 houses, cul-de-sac) estate adjacent to a main road in Limerick city, and after the Corpo (sorry, 'Limerick City Council' :rolleyes: ) 'took it in charge' a few years ago, a bunch of us got together - after 12 months' growth was beginning to obscure the light... - and engaged a local contractor, and have voluntarily traipsed around collecting subs once a year ever since.

The guy does a good job, in fairness. Nothing fancy, but in addition to mowing the green areas and taking away the cuttings he weeds out and tends the few straggly shrubs. He's usually fairly discreet about where he parks his '05-reg Mercedes van, too...

The only bit about it that really p1sses me off is that half the owners - notably the renting landlords - decline to cough up, while still reaping the benefits. So 18 or 20 of us pay €50 a year, instead of 36 of us paying €25 or €30...
 
It is a private estate, apparently the builder is leaving site soon, so they won't be doing it any more.
Click to expand...
Don't hold your breath waiting for Wicklow Co. Co. to take the estate in charge - they are notoriously slow!

I live in Wicklow and our estate was completed 6 years ago and we're still paying for our own grass cutting etc. The Council has issued a list of estates to be taken in charge this year and, guess what, we're not on it.

But then Wicklow was close to the bottom of the 'dirtiest towns in Ireland' list and the 2ft high weeds at the sides of the roads and streets in the town are testament to the fact that the council are better at flying off on 'junkets' than keeping the streets clean!:mad:
 
Where you're talking about a 5-6+ year wait between a non private development being finished and being taken in charge by the local authority what happens in the meantime if stuff like public liability insurance claims or utility problems and so on arise? Who deals with them? Who foots the bill?
 
Probably a bit of a damned if you do/don't situation. If the residents are maintaining the common areas themselves then the council will leave them to it but if its an overgrown mess they'll eventually have to do it themselves ?
 
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