How long should we pay management fees ...

[Henny Penny]

The management company in our estate has 4 directors - the builder, his wife, the original landowner and his wife. The fee we are charged annually is 434 euro.

There are 22 houses in the estate 4 of which are as yet unsold. The estate is finished - ie tarmac and kerbs in, grass area and lights in. The management fee supposedly covers the insurance, esb.

How long will we be expected to continue to pay management charges? Is it until the estate is taken in charge by the county council? If so will the county council take the estate in charge while there are still some properties unoccupied (finished but not yet sold)?

I dread the thought of having to pay this management fee indefinately ...

As always thanks in advance for replies ...

 

[Butter]

It depends on what was in the contract you signed with the management company when you bought your house. It may be a charge that is payable on an ongoing basis. What exactly does the fee cover?

The local authority may take the estate in charge and become responsible for the roads, sewers, lights etc but that is a long drawn-out process and won't happen until the estate is finished to the council's satisfaction.

Some county councils (example Meath) will not take responsibility for maintenance & landscaping so you may well end up paying for this yourselves even if the estate is taken-in-charge.