Lymewood Mews

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Hello,

I mentioned it to my solicitor about the problem with the playground/insurance. She checked the original plans and confirmed that the playground was on this. She seems to think that at that time it was marked down as a public playground which would make it Fingal Co. Councils responsibility insurance wise but would then be open to anyone that chose to avail of it. However if it belongs to Lymewood Mews and if everyone agrees we are entitled to do whatever we chose with it. She mentioned that some of the county councils have removed swings in their playgrounds because of insurance costs so why should we have leave one there. What exactly is in the playground? Is there a swing?

H
 
Hi Hokey,

I have the full plans at home - so will revert as soon as I get to look at them. From memory ( and I've just checked with the other half as well! ), however, there are swings, a slide combo thing and a rocking horse, 2 benches and bins. Who is expected to pay for the caretaker the management company told me about?
 
Afraid I don't know any more than that. I expect if it belongs to Lymewood Mews and a caretaker has to be employed that will also be added onto the management fee. Can mangement fees be increased after people have already paid up for the next year?
 
Apparently so!!! My friend bought an apartment in Swords and when they moved in, there were no huts for the domestic rubbish, so they were build, unknown to the residents, and the residents were charged accordingly.
 
Hi All,

Some further updates!!

Had the builders in this morning who advised that there will be hedging going up around the playground and the fence between ourselves and the gym car park.

As well as that, Elliot contruction will be starting phase 2 of Lymewood mews just at the end of block C opposite TLC in the spring - 400 hundred residential apartments that will be similar to ours if not exactly the same. Accross the road, is all commercial, with big shopping centres and commercial buildings - the work here as you have already seen has started already!

Thats it for now.
Rgds
Lucky
 
It appears that we will have to have the meeting to sort the playground issue out....one way or the other...

Has anyone done the snag on Block A yet? I was just wondering if they have a roof garden or not, if so will all residents in Block A have access?
 
Hi Easy Rider,

The first residential meeting will be in 2 months time according to the management company!! As for roof gardens, I know that there is definitely one in block A as I was on it today and it is for all residents and yes some people have snagged already and I also found out that there is actually a roof garden for all us residents in Block B as well ( something I hadn't a clue of!! ) By roof garden though, its little more that a whole load of pebbles in a very confined space, so personally speaking, I shouldn't imagine that too many people will be availing of it, but it is better than a kick in the teeth!

Anyway, hope this helps.
Best regards
Lucky
 
Will be very interesting Vladamir, as I know that Parklands are much smaller apts and yet about 30K more expensive!!
 
Lucky said:
Hi Easy Rider,

The first residential meeting will be in 2 months time according to the management company!!
Click to expand...
General meeting of the management company-the owners (not residents)
 
Hi Ginger,

Great to hear your comments! I would imagine there is a roof garden in Block C as there are definitely ones in Block A and B.

Sorry I dont have any confirmation.


In addition, can anyone from Block C tell me if they can hear any noises at all above them as we can hear switches being turned off etc!

Rgds
Lucky
 
Hi Lucky,

Yes i can hear switches and the odd tap on what must be wood floors.
Most annoying of all is the creaky doors, i can even hear the ones accross the hallway from me!
This problem is quite simple to fix, just a quick shot of WD40 on the hinges of the offending doors, i did all the doors in my apartment.

The joys of apartment living eh !

Rgds,
Mac
 
Hi All,

Is anybody on a corner apartment, 2 bed, facing out to the empty field? (block a)

Had a look in one of the windows on the bottom flow and the living room and bedrooms looked alot smaller than on the plans for a 85.5sq metre (around 918 sq feet) apartment...or it could just look that way without furniture...cheers...bicycles, outside of block A just outside the side entrance there is a small box building, is this for bicycles or rubbish?

Any update on the playground?
 
Hey Mac

yeah the doors are getting seriously creaky in our place and we're only in a few months - is that normal?! It's no biggie but it's a bit irritating at the same time.

We can hear taps going on that sort of thing, but not a huge amount of it, certainly can't hear switches going on or off...

M
 
Hi all,

Let me tell you, you are well lucky - we can hear everything, right down to the point that I could actually tell you where the people above me are at - from switches to mobiles to even flushuing toilets - really annoying and I tell you I wont be putting up with it! I've been on to the management company so still waiting to hear back but the last thing that I really dont want to be able to hear is the couple above me shagging! We're actually getting concerned that they could be able to hear us too - will revert with update as soon ( If I ever ) get one!

Mac, if its affecting your sleep, you need to do something about it as this will begin to grind on you and put it this way, you didn'y spend all this money to listen to other people floating about! I've done all the doors as well but I wish others would cop on - can you hear the people across from you coming in and out at night?

Easy rider - no news on the playground as yet but you know what they say - no news is good news and all that!! No idea about the size, ours is a 2 bed and very spacious!

Lucky
 
Hi everyone,
This is my first time on the site and I think its wonderful that Lymewood Mews (LWM) residents have a place to voice their opinions openly. Lets keep it going. This is so “high-tech”. I think all apmt complexes should have something like this. I’ve lived in Dublin 8 years, been in 3 apmts, and have dealt with 4 Apartment Management Companies (AMC) and we never had something like this. Its great!

Ive read thru all the entries that people have posted, to catch up on whats going on, and I wanted clarify fact from fiction, answer a few things and put peoples minds to rest on some of the topics (as there seems to be a bit of scaremongering going on).

Lets start with the “hot topic”…….

1) The Playground –

*Insurance for Playground- Well it is currently included and covered under the Public Liability (PL) insurance that we currently pay. PL ins. covers for any accident or injury that occurs to any person (resident or visitor) while on the LWM property. Therefore there is NO ADDITIONAL COST to insure the playground. Reason I know [/quote]is because my best friend works for the Insurance Company that is providing cover for LWM and the playground is included in this cover.
· Insurance for LWM Complex- We currently have PL Insurance and Employers Liability (EL) Insurance. EL ins. covers for accidents that happen to anyone we employee i.e. cleaners, ground keeping, maintenance staff etc while working at LWM.
· Each insurance block is insured for - All 3 blocks are insured for a total sum of €39 Million
· Maintenance of Playground - the Management Company (WYSE) will hire a caretaker who is responsible for looking after the grounds (i.e. bushes, flowerbeds, sweeping, grass, playground, etc. This is NOT AN ADDITIONAL FEE but is include in the budget. It is estimated that we will be paying €12,000/ yr for Garden & Ground Maintenance
· Outside visitors to Playground – We cant start policing which child can and can not enter the playground as that’s silly and taking all the good out of it. However if residents start seeing a pattern where someone is misusing the playground than it should be reported to WYSE
· Yes or No to Playground? – Im in Block B , south facing and am very close the playground and I, for one, don’t think it’s an eyesore and was delighted to see it built.I am in my early 30’s and will be having children soon so it’s a great comfort to me that I can have my children play on the premises and I can have a watchful eye. To the people who are against it (im assuming your in your 20’s w/o children), think 10 years down the line (if your even still in LWM by then), because you may want children in the future. From past experience, first time buyers usually leave their first home within 5 years so whoever is voting NO now may not even be here in 8 years time. Please think of the longterm aspects of having a playground 10, 15, or 20 years from now, when half of us wont even be living in LWM anymore. Aside from that im sure you all have nieces & nephews who will visit and could use it while the adults have a nice peaceful chat & a glass of wine indoors. So my vote is YES to the playground. Also remember that
· Will playground devalue property?– Ive enquired with 3 real estate agents and all 3 said a playground may not necessarily increase nor decrease anybodys particular apmt since the buyer will be more interested in the apmt they are buying and the location. But they said it will be a great selling point to couples with young children. Anyway there are 2 apmts for sale now – Apt 182 selling at €315,000 (thru HOK) & Apt 194 (thru Lowes) selling at €330,000. Both have the same layout as mine and have increased in value by €26,000 in 1 year!!!! Now there’s real added value!!!


2) Trees along south boundary wall of LWM – As for putting trees along south boundary wall of LWM, it would require 6 - 10 fully mature trees (not saplings) that are 30- 40 feet tall to cover the gym parking space. Each tree would cost approx €25,000 - €30,000 so the cost could run as high as €300,000. I, for one, am not willing to pay for that extra expense. All the original brochures showed that southfacing apmts would be overlooking either the grounds, crèche, gym & the playgound. So I really don’t understand why anyone is surprised that they can see all these things from their apmt??? Didn’t you know what you were buying? And since Northwood trees are protected we may not have planning permission to add/ cut down trees (ie.ecosystem).


3) Apartment Management Company (AMC)
· Contact # – Tel # on the “Handing Over” sheet (we all received when getting our keys) is incorrect. The correct number is David Ward, 94 Lower Baggot St, D2, Tel # 647-0600
· Fees - the Fees are scandalous. Highest around!! In my previous apmts it was €800 per year (w/o lift). But now im paying €1742 per year. Someone suggested that the AMC fees were calculated based on the number of lifts. That’s actually not correct. AMC fees are calculated based on the internal floor space of each apmt. Therefore the bigger your apmt the more you have to pay. Spoke with Dave from WYSE and the reasoning they give is that the bigger the apmt the more wear & tear. However I know of no other AMC that calculates fees like this. Anyway I disagree with this reasoning, because im 1 person in a 2 bedroom apmt so im using less wear & tear than a 2 person 2 bedroom. I feel this is very unfair and I will definitely be bringing this up at the next meeting. He said if the owners get together and agree, we could negotiate a fair price for all (ie.have the fees equally divided amongst all 199 apmts).
· Can we change WYSE? –
o My experiences with AMC’s? I had 1 management company who took all “the owners money” and headed to Spain, never to be seen again. We (the owners) were nearly bankrupt. From then on in, we hired a new AMC and the Secretary had to countersign any cheques the AMC issued on our behalf. I also had another AMC that were a bunch of cowboys - the roof tiles in the complex were loose which was a safety hazard, so the AMC hired a company to sort it. The company did a poor job, charged the owners €3000 but the AMC claimed €15,000 from the insurance and the AMC pocketed the difference.
o No legal comeback - Schoko or Hokey32 said earlier “At the moment residents have no legal comeback and it is up to residents to supervise their management company and the accounts tightly. Don't want to scare anyone but as we are all new residents in lymewood possibly best if we adopt a professional approach as possible from the start with the management company”. I COULDN’T AGREE MORE. Like I said earlier I have dealt with AMC’s before and THERE IS NO LEGAL COMBACK. Sorry but that’s the truth. I already have spoken to a solicitor about this as I was going to sue the last AMC. AMC’s are not regulated!! So they can do & charge what they want. There is no “template” for them to follow. We have to be very careful here !!!!! Just remember if they don’t perform to our liking WE CAN SACK WYSE. Lets just keep a watchful eye for now…..
· The Sinking Fund – The purpose of a sinking fund is its an “emergency fund” that is only used in such cases where our normal Management Fees cant cover a “once-off” big cost, then we (“the owners”) all have to agree to dip into the sinking fund to pay this “once-off” expense otherwise if the sinking fund is gone, it will come out of our pockets. Again, this money will only be used in emergencies!!!!!!!!!!


4) Carpark spaces–
· Underground Carpark – will be completed in 3 weeks
· Visitor Car parking – Jenny in HOK have reassured me that there will be designated “Visitor” car park spaces in the front on LWM (The spaces will have “Visitor” written on tarmack or have no writing). Although I don’t see where they will have them??? Legally there must be between 5-10 Visitor spaces
· Car Parking Spaces are preassigned – 1 car park space for each apmt unless you want to buy an extra space for €10,000 from HOK.


5) Completion of Block C - to be completed in by April (if not sooner)


6) Roof Gardens – only in Block A & C (not Block B) and its available to all LMW residents


7) Settling into your apmt –
· Bikes & Laundry on balconies – There may be a bike shed in the basement for people to use. I'll find out from HOK and get back to all of you. Laundry should not be hung out on balconies as it lessens the sharp look of the complex. So I think people should be considerate regarding this
· Digital TV – I went with NTL for basic and Digital Max Box in 2 rooms its costing me €35 per month. With Sky you don’t get a box but a satellite dish that’s installed on the outside of the building. These dishes are actually against House Rules. They’re unsightly looking anyway and can make the place look cheap.
· Wooden Floors – I,like many of you it seems, was never told by my solicitor that Wooden Floors were not allowed. Ive already seen many apmt (including myself) with them on. My only advice is wear socks and be considerate to your neighbours. If its still an issue consult WYSE.
· Rubbish Bins – At the moment the only bin collection center is at the side of Block A. This is only for Bins and not for bikes.


8) Problems in your Apmt?
· Does anyone have any aerial problems with their Mobile phones. I only get reception in my sitting room.
· The volume on my Intercom is low to hear people? Is anyone else the same?
· Ask builder to fix anything inside your apmt while they are onsite for the next 5 weeks because after that it’ll be up to each apmt owner. Might as well take advantage of their help while we have them. To be honest they are very obliging & efficient if you have a problem
· Break-ins in Block A – I heard that there were 3 break-ins on the ground floor in Block A. Is this correct. Can anyone confirm? Was it recently?


9) Apmts for sale in LWM: Apt 182 selling at €315,000 (thru KOK) & Apt 194 (thru Lowes) selling at €330,000. Both have the same layout as mine and have increased in value by €26,000 in 1 year !!!!


10) New Developments in Northwood – For more info go to www.northwoodpark.ie
· Lymewood Mews No. 2 - HOK are the real estate agents. I spoke with Gemma and I can confirm that there will be approx 100 apmt (not 380 as said before – theres not enough area for that anyway) being developed. There is no offical name or website for the apmt complex as of yet and they wont be advertising for it until Planning Permission is accepted in Mar or Apr 06.
· Commercial Business Park - will be from Ballymun entrance as far as the Gym.
· Gulllivers Shopping Centre­ – will be opening in July 2006.


11) Amenities in Northwood - For more info go to www.northwoodpark.ie
· Gym – Is going to be run by Westpoint (sister gym to that of Blanchardstown). Opening approx Mar – Apr 06. Annual Membership will be approx €500 and there is NO Pay As You Go Service
· Mandalay Restaurant – Tel # 842-8786. I went in over the holidays. The interiors are decorated in a beautiful far-eastern style (the toilets are even gorgeous), the service is impeccable, and the food was fantastic. Only thing is its dear. For lunch (where the portions are like dinner) we had 2 starters, 2 mains, 1 dessert, 4 beers = €80 (including tip). Bit expensive for lunch. But a nice treat.


12) Transport to / from Northwood
· Buses – If your looking for bus routes from Northwood try www.dublinbus.ie
· LUAS - will be running from town to the airport via the Ballymun Rd. How fab is that! No more taxis & buses. Bad news is it wont be built until 2016. For more info go to www.luas.ie .


We’ll everyone, I hope ive helped to clarify things for you and make you feel more at ease!


We have all saved hard over the past year(s) to get here, so sit back, put up your feet , enjoy your apmt and the fruits of your hard labour. I know I will !!!


This forum so far seems to be focusing on the negative aspects and not much on the positive. I, for one, am delighted to be living in LWM. I was living in town for 8 years in “concrete jungles” where there was no plantlife or wildlife. Isnt it great that we have 100 acres of protected forestry on our doorsteps. Who else in Dublin City Centre can say that? So far i’ve seen rabbits, birds, & squirrels. Wait until the summer when the trees are in full bloom. Its going to be breathtaking.


I think this forum is wonderful. Lets continue it and welcome other new residents into it as well. At the moment we all seem to be “owner-occupiers” but in years to come that will change due to changes in our own lives (kids, jobs, traveling) so lets get to know eachother and our neighbours while we can. Maybe we could even have a LWM Welcoming Party in July 06.


Lets not let this forum turn into a negative one where all people ever do is complain. Instead lets use this forum to share our experiences with restaurants, prices of furnishings, new developments in the area, any deals with tradesman and the odd complaint etc. Wouldn’t that be a better use for this forum?

Well that’s it from me…….


Its great to talk to all of you.




P.S. Lucky, from all your entries you sound very upset and not at all happy with anything. Are you sure you want to stay in LWM?
 

That is not true.

The sinking fund will have to be dipped into in a number of years-for SCHEDULED maintenance of the apartment blocks. If there is not enough in the sinking fund the owners will be surcharged that year. It is not just for emergencies.
Also it is not a LUAS (tram line) being built- it is a metro. Look up the differences regarding capacity.
And for the last time-the owners are the memebrs of the management company-Wyse are management agents.
jd
 
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