View the Channel 4 Broadcast
If you missed the Channel 4 Broadcast that was aired on the 1st September 2009 in regards to the Consensus Business Group and the retirement home side of Peverel.
The TruthAboutSolitiare have embedded the broadcast so that you can view it online.
Although this broadcast was mainly on the retirement homes / properties, we’d like to bring it to the attention of everyone that the views expressed in this program are shared by regular lessees and freeholders, that have to pay management fees to companies associated with the Consensus Business Group mainly:
Peverel Property Management
County Estate Management
Estates & Management
Solitaire Property Management
One useful link that has been listed on the Channel 4 website is the link to CARLEX – (Campaign Against Retirement Leasehold EXploitation) http://www.carlex.org.uk/
September 2nd, 2009 at 4:15 pm
I have just viewed the Channel 4 broadcast and I find Mr Rapley’s comment that ‘we absolutely do not rip people off’ laughable. To most people a rip-off is a situation where people are being overcharged for something. Therefore the term ‘rip-off’ sums up perfectly the relationship between Peverel/Solitaire and their clients.
I have found a website called ‘ripofftipoff’. It is a Trading Standards website where people can report fraudsters, swindlers and other unscrupulous organisations.
September 3rd, 2009 at 9:25 am
See the thing is, Channel 4 whilst raising a much needed point, failed to go the whole way and mention “the other side”.
Hopefully they will come back to this again soon.
September 3rd, 2009 at 10:59 am
The Consensus Business Group appear to be responding to the broadcast, just not in the way many people would like. Various managers and marketing people are heading up to London today for a meeting to discuss how to respond to this. They are also recruiting someone just to handle bad publicity on the net take a look at https://www.ourcareers.co.uk/job_details/37
Unfortunately improving their service and lowering their charges are not their priorities.
September 3rd, 2009 at 1:53 pm
Interesting….. Charlie – how do you know that “Various managers and marketing people are heading up to London today for a meeting to discuss how to respond to this”…??? Do you know one of them, or have insider information, or…???
The job advertised at Peverel (“Social Media Assistant”) via the link Charlie has posted is very entertaining as well. Is this in addition to the role already undertaken by “Andy”…??? And it will only pay £16-21k – for the amount of work (and flack…) that it will no doubt involve, I would think whoever ultimately gets the job will be looking to re-negotiate their contract soon after starting….
Our service charge fees will no doubt have to increase to meet this additional salary – it is our activity on the web that has lead to this vacancy, after all…!!!
September 3rd, 2009 at 5:26 pm
It just goes to show what exactly we are dealing with and the scale it is on !!!
Lets just hope that more features like this are made by the media to force The Office Fair Traiding to do something about these companies!!!
September 4th, 2009 at 9:46 am
It’s a joke. After months and months of negotiations with Solitaire and then waiting for months and months more for a revised invoice with reassurance from the regional manager that we won’t be subject to hassle for payment, they’ve had the nerve to send a notice before legal proceedings! Not only ripoff merchants they obviously don’t know their arse from their elbow. I’m shocked they’re still in business they’re so inefficient, unprofessional and incompetent.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:49 am
Further – this is a great site, is there a Facebook page to promote it?
[ADMIN EDIT]
Not yet – you’re more than welcome to set one up, although there are quite a few ‘Solitaire Property Management’ groups on Facebook.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:58 am
Hopefully those groups are giving Solitaire the reviews they deserve?
September 4th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Group created. Please all join!
September 4th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Hi Kate
Thanks for your postings,I have passed your concerns directly on to your Regional Manager,who has informed me that she replied to you today with answers to the queries you raised with her in your email.
Please feel free to email should you have any further queries regarding this matter at andy.solitairepm@peverel.co.uk
Thanks
Andy
Solitaire Online Feedback Manager
September 4th, 2009 at 3:45 pm
These people have a great business model:
Take over a development from a friendly developer
Ensure they have a significant freehold interest to thwart any resident groups
Let the developer fix anything in the 2 year guarantee period
Sit on any problems during the 10 year NHBC rather than make a claim which will reflect on the premiums of their friendly developer – also bear in mind they have their own insurance broker
Leave repairs until they become major costs
Dispense with maintenance contracts in order to keep charging for call outs
Split major projects jobs to come in under the notification amount of £250
and so on and so on and so on
plus sorting out any problems raised incurrs a cost !!!
almost as good a business ‘rip off’ model as the banking sector
September 8th, 2009 at 10:54 am
I own a leasehold property in a development managed by Peverel OM(not a retirement complex). We are just opening a can of worms relating to management fees charges for insurance, maintenance etc. The owners here are sick of them. What should we do legally?
September 8th, 2009 at 1:09 pm
Somebody correct me if any of the following is incorrect, but…
Eric – Right To Manage (R.T.M.) is what you’re after, I believe. You need to get 50% (or more) of the leaseholders to agree to it, but once you’re over that magical 50% barrier, you can instigate RTM, whereby you effectively sack the management company, and then employ your own chosen company in their place.
A company served with RTM notice cannot contest it (and has to co-operate with requests for accounts etc.), and I don’t think the freeholder of the development can block it either – bearing in mind that the freehold of many Peverel-managed developments is owned by a Peverel / Solitaire sister company (Estates & Management Limited, for example). Any leaseholders who aren’t in agreement also can’t block the RTM procedure.
If you haven’t already done so, canvass your fellow leaseholders on your development to initially gauge their feelings and potential willingness to agree to RTM. Then investigate it further, if you think you’ve got at least 50% in agreement. It does cost, so you’ll have to weigh up whether it’s worth the legal fees or not…..
September 8th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Eric
I would recommend that you firstly speak with other residents and ask them what their views are of Soltiaire / Peverel.
What I found when I did this was at my estate, I discovered that everyone shared the same views, yet none knew where to go or what to do.
If you discover that you all share the same opinion, look to implement an unofficial ‘residents association’. I say ‘unofficial’ as if you get enough people onboard, you are 99% there in regards to setting up the RA officially.
Then contact local property management companies (use the ARMA Members list, but be wary of Consensus Group guises) and approach them to quote you for your development.
Don’t forget, also approach any contractors you see (cleaners / gardeners) and ask what they are charging. Then compare these figures to your annual accounts (trust me, you’ll see differences!!)
This will then give you an idea of whether you are getting ripped off.
Let me know how you get on with the above and then I’ll give you more advice.
September 8th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
Thanks Matt and Sheps. We have a RA, established four years ago but we had achange of Committee last year and since then things are beginning to move. We are uncovering massive overcharging, with outpayments lost in a welter of things and in some ways disguised Does anyone know Marks Consultancy? This is somebody Peverel have used to get meters changed from one Elecrticity supplier to another. We seem to think that it is connected to Peverel somehow, jobs for the boys?
We will certainly ask contractors the pertinent questions. We are finding John Prescott’s book useful.
What about the Peverel Action Group, any knowledge?
Thanks again, I’ll keep you posted
September 11th, 2009 at 10:52 am
According to the documentary, each case has to be fought separately. Why is this so? It seems that decisions are purely arbitrary (I am new to all this, so forgive me if I do not have any facts; I’m obviously learning from scratch) Our Manager has a flat in our home but is soon to get married and has bought a house in the area. Does the flat come with the job? If it is let after she leaves, will this mean a reduction in our rents?
September 16th, 2009 at 9:18 am
Hi Chris and Eric
My role on this site is to help any customer whether Solitaire or Peverel OM contact and deal directly with us by helping resolve any queries that they may have regarding their development.
I am not part of either the Solitaire or the Peverel OM Customer services teams who are responsible for all of the properties we manage.
My role is to ensure that any queries raised via postings or direct emails to myself are dealt with and you receive a detailed response to your issues.
Please feel free to email me directly if you have any further queries: andy.solitairepm@peverel.co.uk
Thanks
Andy
Solitaire Online Feedback Manager