Yet Again The Same Story
By admin | March 5th, 2009 | Category: Past Articles | 2 commentsYet another story that has been received from ANOTHER Solitaire Customer…
As customers of Solitaire for 5.5 yrs, we are at our wit’s end. Only last Oct. (08) did we find out we were assigned a property manager. Last week, we have a new property manager….at no point was any of this communicated by a letter. We pay in excees of £1100 a year, not including ground rent, in a small market town in Cheshire. For comparison, this is double what we would pay where we live in Edinburgh city centre.
Since receipt of Sept. invoice last year, there has been an on-going email, letter and telephone communication requesting copies of all invoices relating to the services carried out at our property – as per Clause 10. on the Rights and Obligations list sent with invoices. Our former property manager seemed motivated to sort this out for us. However last comms were in Nov. 08 and to date I’ve had nothing. Still paid nothing, although was sent to a debt recovery agency despite open issue on account. Property manager blocked it but didn’t email me to say so, which could have prevented a great deal of stress for me.
Letting agency told me communal lights had not been working for 9 months. Solitaire would not pay them to get their contractor out to do a temp fix. Found out today it has been dealt with now, although the lights stayed on all the time…..so had to done again…….hardly cost effective..outside window cleaning is Solitaire’s responsibility too, ours were filthy and my retired mother had to clean ours (As we don’t live in the area) the day before our current tenant moved in…..
So, I am querying what I’m paying £100 a month for. If they have shoddy contractors, then this needs sorting.
Finally, we bought the flat from Jennings who were bought over. I would like to know when the contract with Solitaire was up for renewal as I suspect in nearly 6 yrs, it has been. However we have never been contacted to ask if we’re happy with their service.
So like the rest of you, we’re sick of being bent over a barrell by this company where incompetence and extortion prevails. Contacted MP who is willing to act on my behalf….and so it goes on
So Mr Middleburgh…. when are things going to start improving…..
Well my blood is boiling! I’ve today received a reply to queries I submitted to Solitaire. They are insisting that I am responsible for repairs to a flight of stairs relating to flats at our site, even though I own a freehold house and have nothing to do with the flats. They are also saying that we have to pay the extra gardening costs incurred when new gardeners took over, due to the previous gardeners not doing their job properly. Never mind the fact that numerous residents complained that the work wasn’t being done but Solitaire refused to act on these! Why should they bother acting when they can just charge the residents for any extra work incurred!
The excuses being given at the moment are that our old Property Manager has left the company and it is difficult to work out what she hasn’t done but said she would do. Therefore us residents are having to pay for the incompetence of Solitaire staff – yet again!
I am so angry at this, after many years of frustration with Solitaire, that I am determined to fight it all the way and seek legal advice if I have to. What is the point of Solitaire if they ignore complaints and just charge what they want, when they want and we have no come back whatsoever?
hi , i am in exactly the same situation as you on an estate in ethe south east , i have done a lot of research into the acts and laws relating to what applies to freeholders and as to what pmc’s can get you for, landlord and tenant act 1985 section 19 which applies to the below case law/1987 and ammended acts, leasehold property repairs act 1938,defective premises act 1972, commonhold and leasehold reform act 2002 also look up dilapidations. it all comes down to the exact wording in your land registry agreement , they can only charge you what it says in there and no more,also case law ” continental property ventures v’s white and white you will find very useful its just undrstanding the legal jargon, it can be daunting understanding it all but its worth it, i dont want to leave my details as i have a pending court action but i can contact you if you would like to know more