golden mean
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Would be grateful for any insights into what makes a good residents' association, and how much they can reasonably be expected to charge for membership.
Residents' Association
- Thread starter golden mean
- Start date
I was instrumental in forming the RA for our estate,and am the current chairperson, in my third year. We 3agreed at outset thet 3 years was the longest term one would serve in an office.
There are 24 house's in the estate and first aim was to take care of the common areas, we have 3 or 4 evening or morning session of gully clearing, edging etc.
The large grass area we looked
1. buying a ride on and doing it our selves but rejected the idea
2. a few of us cutting the area with ordinary mowers
3. employing someone to do it.
He came suggested 12 cuts per season and gave us a price
The per +house charge the came to 150euro which would have left 1000 euro for planting trees a bin maybe etc.
21 houses are in private owership
3 are rented
1 house joined first year but declined to join again
2 of the rented houese paid in full
and 14 of the private house paid infull
We didnt do door to door,and had maybe 5 meeting in the Sec house.
We did some planning comments, and had a spokesperson at tidy towns
We looked at insurance from ACRA?, the umberalla body but havent pursued it yet.
Let your local council and councillers know u exist, you get some correspondance and such.
Many RA form to combat a local issue but we think we are in for the mutual support. Our estate is not handed over yet so we laisie with builder still.
have enjoyed it sofar, the minues get circulated to all houses paid or not, as do any notices. Some will always take and not give but thats life.
Hope this helps
There are 24 house's in the estate and first aim was to take care of the common areas, we have 3 or 4 evening or morning session of gully clearing, edging etc.
The large grass area we looked
1. buying a ride on and doing it our selves but rejected the idea
2. a few of us cutting the area with ordinary mowers
3. employing someone to do it.
He came suggested 12 cuts per season and gave us a price
The per +house charge the came to 150euro which would have left 1000 euro for planting trees a bin maybe etc.
21 houses are in private owership
3 are rented
1 house joined first year but declined to join again
2 of the rented houese paid in full
and 14 of the private house paid infull
We didnt do door to door,and had maybe 5 meeting in the Sec house.
We did some planning comments, and had a spokesperson at tidy towns
We looked at insurance from ACRA?, the umberalla body but havent pursued it yet.
Let your local council and councillers know u exist, you get some correspondance and such.
Many RA form to combat a local issue but we think we are in for the mutual support. Our estate is not handed over yet so we laisie with builder still.
have enjoyed it sofar, the minues get circulated to all houses paid or not, as do any notices. Some will always take and not give but thats life.
Hope this helps
It's very unfair that one house opts out of paying, whilst still enjoying the maintained amenities- how does that sit with those who do pay? There's no RA formed yet where I live but I imagine it will probably need to happen within the next 12 months or so. Interesting and informative feedback.
I can imagine that this is quite a common situation. In our development, 18 houses, only one house doesn't pay and hasn't paid since the houses were built 7 years ago.
They appear to be quite well off, 4 children in private school, large 2 storey extension being built at the moment, driving expensive cars, etc. So money does not appear to be the issue. Their children play on the green areas and they enjoy living in a well maintained estate, but choose not to pay for it.
The treasurer of the Residents' Association approached them in the first two years for payment and they just said that they felt the developer was responsible for the upkeep of the area as the estate hadn't been taken in charge yet by the local Co. Council.
There's always one!
golden mean
Registered User
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Interesting replies, thanks. Kerak- did I read correctly that it is 150 euro per household per year to join?
One other question- do you do anything when new people arrive- drop in a welcome letter or anything?
One other question- do you do anything when new people arrive- drop in a welcome letter or anything?
amazinevents
Registered User
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We have a residence association in our estate. we reelcect once a year and charges are per thing we need them for as if we are paying for grass cutting we all chip in ect. Unfortunately ours isnt brilliantly ran because the elected people think they are in charge and ultimately make all the final decisions on matters rather than letting the residents have a vote or a say. this is something you want to avoid when starting this up also it is a residents asssociation not an owners association so remember the people who are renting have an equal share if they pay their fees. Some wont because they think its the owners responsibilty but anyone who pays the annual fee for the association has the same rights whether they are owners or residents. this is an issue in ours as the tenants do not get treated fairly. they are not being very democratic about it they think they are fidel castro. that is a joke btw but u know what i mean so just make sure it is fair
golden mean
Registered User
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- 78
Amazinevents- that is my fear exactly. I imagine that it is pretty hard to avoid- on the one hand you want to have some leaders to get people moving in the same direction but on the other hand even a very moderate amount of power goes to some people's heads. I have enough office politics at work- I don't need to make more where I live... so how would the RA keep open and inclusive without losing all momentum or spending all its fees communicating with itself?
Hi, yes we charge 150 per year, which just covers our grass cutting. If and when other things need doing we reconsider fees. Photocoping paper etc is just supplied!, as are phone calls etc.
We have an upto date house list ,with names , kids names, phone numbers which we circulate with their permission to every house. Also an ice breaker when new people move in( only happened once in 3 years).
We will investigate Neighbour watch before my term finishs and hope to be handed over to the council as well. Our builder is very good, if a little slow to react but it does ifnally get done and hes quiet house proud himself.
Just remeber been handed over to the council wont get the grass cut!
And yes we have had one or two houses saying the issues we try to improve are actually the builders problems, and maybe they are right, but its our area and we live there not the builder.
As to decasion making, hmm chair, sec and treasurer decide if we pay for grass or not, what else is there to decide? Its not local government.
When more house where proposed for next door estate, we had a meeting about 11 people there out of 24, and we agreed to spend 25euro making a submission. There was also some community pressure , all organisations in town where making the same point.
However,if a commitee is elected then they should be let do the job they where elected to do.
When we lived in south dublin, the RA formed to object to a development and then evapourated when issue was over. In the area there was also a community group made up of reps from about the 20 RA in there area and it was very policitial, with one party making sure it had all the reps positions from their own RA's and it became quiet messy at times. To be avoided, as this group tried to say it spoke for the entire area, and actually undermined the position of the RA
Good debate
We have an upto date house list ,with names , kids names, phone numbers which we circulate with their permission to every house. Also an ice breaker when new people move in( only happened once in 3 years).
We will investigate Neighbour watch before my term finishs and hope to be handed over to the council as well. Our builder is very good, if a little slow to react but it does ifnally get done and hes quiet house proud himself.
Just remeber been handed over to the council wont get the grass cut!
And yes we have had one or two houses saying the issues we try to improve are actually the builders problems, and maybe they are right, but its our area and we live there not the builder.
As to decasion making, hmm chair, sec and treasurer decide if we pay for grass or not, what else is there to decide? Its not local government.
When more house where proposed for next door estate, we had a meeting about 11 people there out of 24, and we agreed to spend 25euro making a submission. There was also some community pressure , all organisations in town where making the same point.
However,if a commitee is elected then they should be let do the job they where elected to do.
When we lived in south dublin, the RA formed to object to a development and then evapourated when issue was over. In the area there was also a community group made up of reps from about the 20 RA in there area and it was very policitial, with one party making sure it had all the reps positions from their own RA's and it became quiet messy at times. To be avoided, as this group tried to say it spoke for the entire area, and actually undermined the position of the RA
Good debate
amazinevents
Registered User
- Messages
- 12
Well with our RA came about actually because they wanted 50 per house to plant trees and matching bushes by our gardens. Alot of us were opposed to the idea just because we should be able to decide what we do with our gardens and not be subjected to having bushes some of us neither wanted or cared for personally we paid just because we didnt know who was and who wasnt and didnt want to be considered the one that didnt pay one morning while we were sleeping someone came in our garden and planted shrubs that we didnt care for we lived with it for about 6 months when i decided no i really hate these bushes and my husband pulled them out of the ground and gave them to someone else.
Then there was a matter of some of us wanted a gate at the entrance to our estate, others wanted to do something for the kids at easter time and there was a problem of some neighbors not watching their children and they were basically running riot in all our gardens and if you had your door open they would just walk in it got to the point where we had to keep our door closed even when it was nice. Also quite alot of us wanted a meet the neighbors bbq as this is a new estate most of us living here only for a year. There were so many issues that they decided we needed a residency committee and we also pay for things as neccesary or as they come up instead of an annual fee. The problem we had as most everyone just voted for the tree planting crazy's (laugh) thinking they'd be good and we got trees but then all our other issues were just swept under a carpet and they made the decision they werent good ideas and that was that and in an estate our size alot of us think we should have a say and originally thought that was what we were getting when we organized it instead we got a fee for trees and our ideas gone. Next year when we vote as we vote once a year I am going to make a point of this it will probably stir some problems but the way things are arent fair. NOt all committees get political or have control freeks in charge but you really want to make sure when a committee is chosen they can represent the whole estate and not just their three houses wants.
Then there was a matter of some of us wanted a gate at the entrance to our estate, others wanted to do something for the kids at easter time and there was a problem of some neighbors not watching their children and they were basically running riot in all our gardens and if you had your door open they would just walk in it got to the point where we had to keep our door closed even when it was nice. Also quite alot of us wanted a meet the neighbors bbq as this is a new estate most of us living here only for a year. There were so many issues that they decided we needed a residency committee and we also pay for things as neccesary or as they come up instead of an annual fee. The problem we had as most everyone just voted for the tree planting crazy's (laugh) thinking they'd be good and we got trees but then all our other issues were just swept under a carpet and they made the decision they werent good ideas and that was that and in an estate our size alot of us think we should have a say and originally thought that was what we were getting when we organized it instead we got a fee for trees and our ideas gone. Next year when we vote as we vote once a year I am going to make a point of this it will probably stir some problems but the way things are arent fair. NOt all committees get political or have control freeks in charge but you really want to make sure when a committee is chosen they can represent the whole estate and not just their three houses wants.