It is a big decision to end the role of a residential house manager that has wide ranging implications for the future of any development.
So you need to know the "facts" and you need to ask the right questions and do the right reseach.
For whose benefit is the ending of the role of a residential house manager is it?
Is it the residents or Firstport?
Remember Firstport cannot sell the house manager's flat without the agreement of residents to replace the residential house manager with a visiting one.
Ask Firstport why they need to sell the house manager's flats?
Residents will have paid all the maintanance charges for the house manager's flat but will receive nothing back from the sale of the lease on the flat.
Ask why Firstport want to sell the flat?
Ask Firstport if they have a mortgage secured on the flat?
Ask Firstport if they have declared that the flat is restricted to the use of a residential house manager when they secured a mortgage on the property?
Ask Firstport how they came to be "awarded" a lease on the house manager's flat?
Ask Firstport how much they paid for the lease?
Ask the development/area manager if they have ever received a communication from Firstport senior management telling them to increase their efforts to persuade residents to dispense with a residential house manager?
Ask the development/area manager what commissions they have been offered by Firstport that are payable once a house manager's flat is sold?
Ask the development/area manager if commissions have been increased?
Ask the development/area manager what savings can be made?
Get all the answers in writing. anything verbal is not worth the paper it's not written on!
Seek out other Firstport managed developments that have dispensed with a residential house manager. Compare property prices.
Service charges? How do they compare with Firstport promises?
Normally a development with a residential house manager will be sold at a premium to one without. Residents will have already paid this premium when they purchased their flats.
If having received written answers to these questions if you are still minded to go ahead do so, it is your choice?
But beware! Once the residential house manager has gone, that is it, no going back?
Residents have a great deal to lose and not much to gain(especially when savings are put at less than £4 per week)
If residents really want to save money the only way is to carry out a Right to Manage action, sack Firstport, appoint a managing agent of their choice and they will save on average 30%-40% of their current service charge demands?
