HANOVER HOUSE RESIDENTS' WEBLOG

PARTS OF PEVEREL IN ADMINISTRATION

The Financial Times is reporting that Peverel has gone into administration.  However, the bit that runs St George hasn't gone into administration according to the call centre when Heidi rung them to ask.

That's all we know at the moment.

ELECTRIC BILL - URGENT ACTION REQUIRED

Dear All,

I imagine you have all received the bill from Peverl with the service charge adjustment in the region of an extra £ 500 (for a 2 bed flat ) to b paid in full by next month ...

The majority of this amount is due to an unexpected ( = miscalculated ) electricity bill. From a quick look it appears that Hanover which is usually budgeted for 10 K has now received an 80K electricity bill to pay.

I believe we should take collective action and refuse to pay this adjustment until proper clarification is obtained from Peverel. I have called them yesterday and they said the amount will be taken next month.

I HAVE THEREFORE PROVISIONALLY SUSPENDED MY DIRECT DEBIT PAYMENT UNTIL CLARITY IS OBTAINED - PLEASE DO THE SAME IMMEDIATELY.

My objections are 3:

1- I would like to see these bills in great detail. I have already made a rough calculation that doesn't justify an 80K bill. This is only giving us a ball park figure and, although I believe it is right, you can not take it officially as I have run it out of my mind without any figures or data from St George

Permanent lighting

WE have 7 light bulbs per floor of 28 watts each = 200 watts

14 floors = 3000 W ;    24 hours = 72 KW;      365 days = 26K.000 KW   5 years = 131.000 KW

Assuming an average KW cost of 15 pence, the cost for running permanent lighting over 5 years is only

20.000 pounds. This is already raising the suspicion that we can't have spent 130.000 pounds electricity in 5 years.

Of course there are the lifts ( I am not that clever to calculate their consumptions just like that unfortunately) and they are very power hungry. But not used all the time I guess ?

There is the occasional use of vacuum cleaners. Some machinery I am not aware of perhaps ...

This is why I would like to have those charges demonstrated to us and the bill discussed with EDF before even considering paying.

2 - My second point is if it is professionally acceptable from Peverel to ask us to be liable for effectively their mismanagement of the charges dating back 5 years ago. If they forgot to have the meter read for 5 years this tells us a lot about theifr efficiency. Aren't they entitled to have a service charge adjustment only for the previous year? What is the penalty that they are going to pay for their mistake? Points we need to discuss and perhaps try to add this to the law case that our neighbours are taking to court against Peverel ( on that front, everybody, please please try to support them as much as you can, join the SGWRA. This week is the deadline to send the form that allows them to represent you in court. These guys are doing an amazing job going through Peverel's accounts and fighting them)

3 -  My third point is asking if it is appropriate for Peverel to ask immediate payment of that amount. Not only it is unfair as we don't budget for things like that and some of us would not have access to it immediately, but this appears to be the produce of their mismanagement so at least don't be arrogant when asking fro the payment ... 

These are just my just thoughts and I am not sure how we should approach PEverel about this yet so we need to discuss but it is important that we all take action and that we are seen united on this front.

Alex

F 592

a_galli@yahoo.com

DODGY BILLS AGAIN

The dodgy spivs at Peverel have again not paid attention to the law and sent out bills wrongly.  Again.  There's no word on any progress re legal action against Peverel for its dodgy dealing from the main resident's association but here's something they are suggesting we do:

Dear St George Wharf Residents,

It would appear that Consort, the managing agent of St. George Wharf, has failed to send a summary of tenant's rights and obligations with their latest service charge demands of January 2010, as required by section 21B Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 and the Service Charges (Summary of Rights and Obligations) (England) Regulations, Statutory Instrument 2007/1257 (a copy of the Statutory Instrument is hereby attached for your information).
 
You do not have to pay your service charges if your January 2010 service charge demands arrived without the said summary of tenant's rights and obligations!

The Residents’ Association has been trying to make Consort (formerly Peverel OM) to comply with all statutory notices and consultations. It has been a exhausting and tedious process. Consort frequently ignores statutory requirements and pushes ahead with decisions without adequate consultation or disclosure. We are trying to make Consort does things correctly. We urge you to withhold payment of the January 2010 service charge demands thereby forcing Consort to re-issue the correct paperwork. We believe this is the only way that Consort will learn.

Best wishes.

The SGWRA Team

YOU NEED TO CONTACT THE SPIVS

Ken from the main resident's association tells us that those over-charged for their service charge by the sleazy ones have to contact them to get it fixed.  Disgusting as they are you need to speak to them sadly as they're happy with their booty. 

SERVICE CHARGE: NEW INVOICES COMING

Whoops!  Did we over charge you?!  New invoices are being sent out but you may still need to go to war to get the cash they accidentally took.  

PEVEREL OVERCHARGING

The main residents association have found Peverel "accidentally"overcharging every flat in St George - small amounts but the ever at it spivs on the make should make themselves a tidy £20k, minimum.  Whilst we all regard them as rather disgusting con men, we're sure they have a logical explanation but sadly you'll have to go to hell and back if you have already paid.  Fortunately, you can find the chart telling you how much they're ripping you off for (£20 quid roughly...) and "continue reading" for a letter you can send to remedy it.Here's the letter explaining it all, the figures are in a PDF at thend and you click "continue reading" for the letter.

The letter...

Dear SGW Residents, The Residents Association has examined the breakdown of the 2009 service charges. It was noted that Peverel has invoiced a number of owners about £20 more than the appropriate amount for their half-yearly charges to 30 June 2009. The Residents Association is concerned that the practice is widespread. Please find attached a file entitled "SGW Service Charge 2009.pdf" which lists the amount that each apartment should be charged. You are urged to check your service charge invoice against the said file. Should Peverel over invoice every apartment £20, approximately £20,000 will have been overcharged. This money belongs to us and not Peverel. You should not pay the service charge if you have been invoiced incorrectly. You must write to Peverel and demand an invoice showing the correct amount before making any payment. It is much harder to try to get your money back. If you have already paid then you must write to Peverel for a refund. Email should be addressed to Dear Clarke, Regional Estate Manager at Peverel (dean.clarke@peverel.co.uk) and copy to Mark Griffiths, Managing Director of St George (mark.griffiths@stgeorgesl.com) and Steve Whittaker, Estate Manager at SGW (steve.whittaker@peverel.co.uk). Please find attached a word file containing draft wording to Peverel for your consideration. Best wishes. Kenneth Soo Joint Secretary St George Wharf Residents Association The document....

Download SGW Service Charge 2009 

The letter to send is below...

HALL DOOR WORKS: PLUMBING

The works on each floor are apparently required after "remedial work"- work required to fix stuff still remaining from the original snagging list with faulty pipes.

Fortunately we've since learned that the frames are being replaced as the plumbing has leaked behind the doors and damaged the frames requiring them to be replaced.  Hopefully that means the dodgy plumbing has been fixed properly.

What we're seeing is not the finished thing so don't worry until we see the finishing.

In a sentence: they're fixing damage caused by previous works.

 

LOOK BEHIND YOU!

We've had a couple of unpleasant incidents recently. The latest was on Friday  when our lift (left) was tagged... Mirror, not the metal. Tagging is where somebody puts their "signature" on something via a permanent marker. V teenage. 

Gav & Alex managed to remove it with some effort. However, we all need to start making sure that we ...

1. Be brave.  Seriously.  If anyone follows you in ask them if they live here?
2. Don't buzz anybody in.
3. Remember that looking after entry means you won't end up with some random people wandering around our lovely home.

People are concerned are about the kids from Hobart(ians) who we've caught several times trying to get in.  They're bored, and their 'statement' dogs are banned etc.

DELIVERY HELL & EXTORTION

Some residents have claimed that Peverel is stopping anything being delivered to residents in two crafty ways noting we don't pay for them to take deliveries in the management office.

1.  Delivery vans have been told they can't stop at the dropping off point and must use the car park... which they must pay for even tho they're in for five minutes. 

2. If they do pay they're told they can't get in by concierge and nor can they leave things like small boxes of fruit etc at doors as it's a health and safety hazard. 

Ocado, Abel & Co and DHL have all reported problems so far.  Given many literally cannot get out or wait outside the development on the pavement all day for a delivery, this really screws up living at St George Wharf for many.  No alternatives solutions to receiving deliveries have been offerd to Hanover House.

Is this your experience?  Let us know as we need to gather facts, give them the chance to fix it and if they refuse to begin loud protests in liason with relevant contacts.

IS ANYBODY THERE ST GEORGE?

Frankly no, there's nobody there... or more accurately, not enough of them.  Gavin spoke with a very professional woman at St G today who spoke to Peverel who said to her that the new customer service (sic) number (08453 370 272) is basically unable to cope with demand.  Shock news.

Here's what to do: if it's a simple thing like rubbish or damage, we should contact the concierge directly. 

However, if it's to do with the cash we pay them in vast amounts (known in polite society as a the 'Sevice Charge' (but also known as holding somebody over a barrel with legal impunity) you can try ringing Peverel's Head Office on 01582 393 700.  The St G woman said it took them two and a half minutes to answer her - so much for four rings etc.  If/ when they take your call, ask them to try and put you through to one of the few staff evidently raking in, counting and managing the cash.  Not very good.

Next?  Our lovely St G woman couldn't comment on whether Peverel were sorting out the problem or if St G were reviewing things - there must be a Service Level Agreement for example.  The only solice offered was that every St George resident is being treated as badly as we are...

Is it worth having a meeting?  Pooling our resources etc?

Oh and do remember this weekend St G launch the new building shoud you wish to warn any prospective buyers that St G have hung us out to dry with Peverel....  Perhaps now they're aware of it they'll do something before we do.