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Your essential guide to recruitment. Some of this features articles include: Block management from job to career My CPD year Client and candidate tips for interviews Independent industry practitioners offer some advice in our comprehensive pull out and keep supplement about recruitment.

Bournemouth-based blocks of flats insurance broker Deacon has further demonstrated its commitment to supporting local young homeless people, by presenting a cheque for £13,717.07 to New Forest Nightstop Co-ordinator, Jude Todd (pictured third from the right). Ringwood-based New Forest Nightstop provides emergency overnight accommodation for homeless people aged between 16 and 24 via a network of volunteer households, throughout the New Forest. Deacon’s Marketing Manager, Dave Hitchins says, “As a spec

The Court of Appeal in Magnohard v Cadogan has decided that it is not reasonable to call a block of flats a house for the purposes of enfranchising the building under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967 Act. The case concerned a building in Chelsea which was constructed in 1888. Had the leaseholder succeeded, they could have forced the landlord to sell the freehold to the building to them.

Two managing agents are independently raising money for a range of good causes through a sponsored walk and bicycle ride. Jonathan Smith and Angus Cooper from Trinity Estates are going to be climbing Ben Nevis and cycling through it for the charity ‘The Neuroblastoma Society’. Meanwhile, Rob Robertson from Crabtree Property Management is going to be recreating the 2011 historic 52 mile Ridgewalk to be completed in 24 hours for SENSE, a charity dedicated to helping deaf and blind children and adults.

The foyer of Nell Gwynn House in Chelsea, London which has been refurbished at a cost of £125,000. Designer Tim Gosling, instructed by managing agents Crabtree, highlighted the art deco heritage of the 430-unit building, which in London is only matched by The Connaught and Claridges Hotels. Ben Hopkinson of local estate agents, Moretons, said: “Nell Gwynn House is an important building in Chelsea and it’s important to keep in good order, by doing that it will remain popular and stay a premiere residence i

The Government has introduced into law an outright ban on clamping cars on private land. The legislation has been passed in the new Protection of Freedom Act. In response, the Federation of Private Residents’ Associations (FPRA) which represents flat owners in England and Wales has accused Home Office Minister Lynne Featherstone MP of ignoring flat owners and tenants. Bob Smytherman, FPRA Chairman explained that they had unsuccessfully lobbied the Home Office because: 1. Residents and leaseholders o

Midway Insurance Services is throwing down the challenge to other insurance brokers to up their game in the blocks of flats market with the launch of their updated flats product “Ultimate Flat Owners”, which is underwritten by Aviva. Paul Robertson, Managing Director explains that the buildings insurance market for blocks of flats is one of the few remaining markets that fails to offer its end customers competitive choice. So, he is challenging brokers to up their game in three areas: 1. To improve the

Most residents of blocks of flats may expect to find some junk mail leaflets mixed up with their post - a few local pizza companies, or a taxi firm perhaps. However, it is not everyday that a leaflet from the Ministry of Defence turns up explaining that a missile battery is going to be placed on the roof of the building where you live. However, that is what happened at Bow Quarter where the Ministry of Defence have installed a missile battery for two months to protect the Olympics - much to the chagrin of

If you are a flat owner wondering why your service charges are too high, the service from your managing agent is lacking, or why you are in despair at what you can do about it, now you know. It’s your own fault. Or at least that’s what you may think if you paid attention to the comments from the Government in a recent House of Lord’s debate. The debate concerned service charges and other matters relating to residential blocks of flats. It was the first time for many years that issues affecting over 3

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The winners of the Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards 2012 (the ERMAs) were revealed at a glittering award ceremony held at The Congress Centre and hosted by celebrity, Dominic Holland on Thursday May 24th 2012. We received a huge amount of entries for this year's Enfranchisement and Right to Manage Awards, demonstrating the dedication and passion (and competitive nature!) of those working in the industry. During a gruelling session, the independent judging panel compared notes, having individual

News on the Block catches up with the new Head of Sky Communal TV, Brendan Hegarty.     NOTB : With the digital switch over (DSO) now almost complete, what has been  the take-up of communal systems in blocks of flats?   B: Obviously DSO has been very good for us, and the industry over the past year or two. To be honest our view is to look at what comes next.  With the industry people I speak with, there seems to be a certain doom and gloom about what is coming after DSO. We take a very different