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Retirement housing specialist Goldsborough Estates received three silver medals in the annual awards presented by the Association of Retirement Housing Managers. The awards are presented to retirement housing providers performing the best in customer satisfaction surveys. Goldsborough Estates received silver in all three ARHM award categories – ‘Participation in management and decision making’, ‘Satisfaction with the overall service provided’ and ‘The service charge represents good value for money’. The

[extra:quotes:boxoutcopy=1] Ponds can be attractive features for any garden or open space. However, if they are not managed properly they can become polluted, overgrown and attract pests. To prevent this it is important to carefully consider ongoing management and maintenance plans. Good water quality is key to the healthy life of a pond and must be kept clean to provide suitable habitat for animals and plants. Water can be cleaned naturally, through planting special water plants to filter impurities

The role of the managing agent is central to the management of a Residents Management Company (RMC) or Right To Manage (RTM) block. Often the role of director is taken by an unpaid volunteer with little or no prior knowledge of company law, their duties, responsibilities and potential personal liabilities. The board of directors will expect the agent to carry out its wishes and it is therefore imperative that the agent fully understands the relationship and also the company’s constitution. Every company

There has been a steady growth of actions within the Leasehold Valuation Tribunals since the Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Act of 2002. With the requirements to send section 153 and section 158 notices with any demands or administrative fees to leaseholders explaining their statutory rights and obligations the law has created a system of leaseholder led regulation. In the event that leaseholders believe their service charges are unreasonable they can challenge them through the Tribunal system. Whilst no

Property Manager Tony Martin, from Caxtons, one of the largest independent property practices in the South East, and his colleague, Gemma Weighill, took part in the recent British Heart Foundation’s London to Brighton cycle ride. They raised in excess of £300 and said they were following in the footsteps of former Chairman, James Pilcher, a keen fundraiser. Sadly, James died of cancer last November.

The Construction Act is changing and if you are not prepared you may find yourself out of pocket. If you do not issue the correct notices under the Act, as a client you could be forced to pay for commercial construction and maintenance works which have not been properly carried out and you will be unable to correct the position until the next pay date. The new Construction Act has changed the way payments are made, and you will need to update your internal procedures and notices. There is also a greater

Award winning property company, The Ringley Group, who have recently been shortlisted for another award (a National Training Award by Investors In People), are working with the London Apprenticeship Company (LCA), to offer apprenticeships for people aged 16-23.

An Absolute prohibition on subletting is rare but can be found in some leases. If present, then it is hard to avoid. It is not a term that an individual leaseholder could apply to the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal (LVT) to vary under section 35 of the Landlord & Tenant Act 1987. An absolute bar on subletting could be the subject of an application under section 37 of the 1987 Act, provided a substantial majority of the leaseholders are in favour of variation. The most common clause requires the leaseholder

[extra:quotes:boxoutcopy=1]   Solvency II is the biggest regulatory challenge currently facing European insurers and replaces 13 existing EU insurance directives. EU member states must transpose Solvency II into their own national laws and insurers must show that they meet all of its requirements by 31 October 2012. Solvency II is a new system of supervision for assessing the overall financial position of insurers to ensure that they are better equipped to cope with adverse developments worldwide. I

[extra:quotes:boxoutcopy=1]   When Colonel Tim Collins addressed the 1st Battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment, poised just south of the Iraqi border, his message was one of respect. Respect your enemy and you will succeed, be ferocious in battle but magnanimous in victory, and allow them dignity in death. This was the start of the war of “Hearts & Minds”. I’m not suggesting that standing in the Kuwaiti desert on the eve of a war bears any similarity to the role of an Estates Manager. However, in our

Many leases are often poorly drafted and defective. For example, the lease may not specify the party responsible for some repair and maintenance within the demised premises, or who pays for work that needs to be done or more commonly, may allocate service charges in proportions that do not add up to 100%. Landlords, leaseholders and property managers should know that remedies are available to resolve a defective lease situation. Generally, there are two ways to vary leases: By obtaining the consent

NOTB: Tell us a little bit about your background. I come from a customer services and support background, with a number of years spent in the IT sector. I have been involved in the leasehold sector since 2004. NOTB: So, how did leasehold matters first spark your interest? My interest in leasehold issues was sparked by simply wanting to re-decorate the kitchen of my flat. I needed to find out how to contact the freeholder or the managing agents, eventually learning that the freeholder was deemed ‘absen