Mgmt agent and affordable unit purchased from DCC

Hi Folks,
I'm just wondering if there is anyone out there with a similar issue to myself...brief summary below.

I purchased my affordable unit (2 bed apt) from DCC last June....I'm paying my service charge to the Mgmt Agency. Since moving in (early July '09) there have been a number of things going awry....the usual moving-in teething problems perhaps.

The latest issue is the water pump.....miniscule water pressure since yesterday morning and grinding noise coming from the pump itself; not being an expert I'd imagine the motor is gone on the pump. So contacted the Mgmt Agency just now as I'm unable to use any of my taps (barely flusing the loo as it is!) since yesterday....their response was "it's within the apartment so you're responsibility." I've no issue with that and expected as much from them tbh...but at my AGM last Wed pump isuses were mentioned. So in my communication to the MA I stated this alongwith given I'm only in the apt 9 months I'm expecting them to resolve the problem.

Again no-can-do.....my apartment was signed for in 2008....not by me though, presumably DCC. So all my appliances are out of warranty and presumably were out of warranty when I purchased I'd imagine. My next step is to contact DCC as they will have to look into it....but is this normal???? A council buy the property and it sits vacant for a couple of years then it's purchased under the scheme and the unsuspecting FTB is left with all the expense cos everything within the apt is no longer under warranty!!!!!!!!!!!

Some will say you should've got your solicitor to check it out....and at the time I did and he said no issue although I never recevied copies of the warranties on anything! At the time I was having huge wranglings with my solicitor on a sperate issue so didn't think too much of it once he said everything was fine.

Has anyone out there been in the same predicamanet or have any advice?

Thanks,
FTB1975

It is likely that there is a central set of pumps to distribute water to the units and that was possibly what the management company discussions refer to.

The management agent is the administrative arm of your management company, neither of which sold you the apartment. In the simple world, you would chase the builder that an apartment was bought from and they would tend to fix things that break soon after purchase. In your case it is more complicated with DCC involved. Have a look at the pump to see if there are details on it that might indicate if it is still in warranty, also contact DCC. It would be worthwhile finding out from other tenants whether there have been widespread problems with the pumps and how the others resolved them.

Thanks Ontour,
It seems other residents had issues while their pumps were still under warranty. I've dropped DCC a line so hopefully they'll be able to help.
Thanks,
FTB1975

Hi FTB. To the best of my knowledge everything within the 4 walls of your property should it break down or stop working as your water pump has done, you are required to bear the cost of getting it repaired. As the other poster mentioned, the Management agent is only there to run the complex on a day to day basis on behalf of the management company which is generally made up of the developer and all the property owners within the complex. I had an issue with my place which i bought from DCC with a blocked drain from my balcony which resulted in what could only be decribed as an artifical lake being created under the decking on the balcony. Because it was outside the 4 four walls of the apartment it was the developer who ended up fixing it (after a bit of haslling them mind you). It might be no harm for you to find out who the developer of the complex was, and chance your arm in trying to get them to replace the pump for you seeing as you've only been in the place a few months? If your firm enough and awkward enough with them they might just decide to replace it for you. Equally though they might tell you to go and sort it yourself. Best of luck with it all

I had this exact problem.

I moved in january 2009, had a few problems with some appliances and my water pump and was told by my mgmt co. that I should have a year warranty with everything in the apartment, but it was nothing really to do with the mgmt co.

So regarding the appliances: I phoned the companies directly, told them I was within my year and they said fine they would send someone out. When she looked on her system she could see the appliances were bought over a year ago...but i basically told her that the warranty is only valid from the day the apartment is sold, and I have a solicitors letter to state the close of sale so I'm well within my rights. I dont think she was bothered arguing with me so I had all my appliance issues sorted out in no time.

Regarding the pump...this was an issue with the builders. I managed to get my hands on the mobile number of the foreman and I basically HOUNDED him till it was resolved. It took me about 6 months to get it sorted but got there in the end. Same thing really...I annoyed him so much i think he fixed it to make me go away!

All in all...I feel happy that I got my year out of them, and I'm more than happy now to pay for anything that goes wrong from now on.

doris said:

So regarding the appliances: I phoned the companies directly, told them I was within my year and they said fine they would send someone out. When she looked on her system she could see the appliances were bought over a year ago...but i basically told her that the warranty is only valid from the day the apartment is sold, and I have a solicitors letter to state the close of sale so I'm well within my rights. I dont think she was bothered arguing with me so I had all my appliance issues sorted out in no time.

Click to expand...

This is most unusual - the guarantee on appliances, speaking as someone who has worked in sales for appliances many years ago, is from date of purchase ie in this case, the date they were bought by the developer. Technically you weren't within your rights to go after the companies, if you had a guarantee from the developer that everything would be ok for 12 months after purchase of the unit, then the developer was responsible not the manufacturers of the appliances. You got a lucky break in the customer care representative you dealt with, but you weren't entitled to that service.

I agree with you that I got a lucky break...but it happened on 3 different occasions so I guess you could say Im really lucky!

No harm in trying though, OP has nothing to lose.

BTW...she asked me if I had a receipt for the appliances to prove they were within the year, but I said i didnt as they came with the apartment...but I did have a dated solicitor letter for the apartment so she accepted this as receipt.

I guess it depends on getting a sound customer care person!