Goodbye Peverel OM, Hello OM Property Management
Firstly, we’d like to say a big thank you to all the ‘newbies’ that have e-mailed us in the last few days with their stories and were pleased to know that the TheTruthAboutSolitaire, is ‘helping’ you to deal with Solitaire Property Management / Peverel.
A very big thank you to ‘Jon Dyson’, who has been contributing some excellent information in regards to Right to Manage and the correct procedures / processes to follow when instigating RTM. We take a lot of pride in seeing this type of community spirit to help others, taking place on TheTruthAboutSolitaire. So Jon, keep up the good work!
That’s the ‘Thank Yous’ out of the way, so back to business…..
A few weeks ago, we mentioned that we’d heard ’Peverel OM Ltd‘ were going to be changing their name to ‘OM Property Management‘ and as a number of you have commented, this is know public knowledge and is taking place as of the 3 February 2010.
The Peverel OM website currently advises the following:-
National property managers Peverel OM, who manage over 1,100 privately owned residential developments will be changing their trading name to OM Property Management and launching a new look corporate identity and customer website on
Wednesday 3rd February 2010.
The new customer website has been designed to meet the needs of all customers living in Peverel OM managed leasehold properties throughout England and Wales. It provides useful information on the OM Property Management team and the services they provide to leaseholders, house builders, developers, housing associations/RSL’s, Right-to-Manage (RTM) and Resident Management Companies (RMC).
Customers will be able to use the ‘What You Need to Know’ section of the website to obtain useful information on how OM Property Managers work to provide customers with a quality, value for money property management service for every development. Detailed explanations on topics such as Service Charge estimates, Reserve Funds and Ground Rents are provided together with many Frequently Asked Questions.
So, why the change?
Prior to the purchase by the Peverel Group in 1998, Peverel OM was known as OM Management Services. Recent customer research had also suggested that there was confusion amongst residents between Peverel OM and the Peverel Retirement Division so by creating a simple name change would help clarify this to customers.OM Property Management is a trading name for Peverel OM Limited and the business remains a Peverel Group company.
Changing the company name will not affect the services that Peverel OM currently provides to customers.
If you are a resident living in a Peverel OM managed development please contact the customer service team at the Luton Head Office, who will be happy to assist with maintenance and account queries on your development
We’d also like to point out, that despite mentioning this, ’Andy’ wasn’t forthcoming in confirming this until today, when we received the following:-
Hi everyone,
Back in mid-December I promised to update you on any significant changes and I can now confirm that from the 3rd February 2010 Peverel OM will have a new trading identity known as OM Property Management – and a new customer website.
Customers living in Peverel OM managed properties will receive a letter explaining the changes from early next week, but we are happy to put everyone in the picture now, including our Solitaire customers.
So, why the change?
Prior to the purchase by the Peverel Group in 1998, Peverel OM was known as OM Management Services; that’s why we have chosen the OM Property Management name. Previous customer research had also suggested that there was confusion amongst residents living in Peverel OM and Peverel Retirement managed leasehold properties.
Creating a simple name change helps to clarify to customers who their managing agent is, and it prevents calls and emails being misdirected to the wrong Customer Services team. In fact, the decision to change the name was taken over a year ago, and we’ve been working hard to get everything ready for the official launch date of 3rd February.
The new OM customer website – http://www.ompropertymanagement.co.uk – is now live for everyone to view. It has useful information on the OM Property Management team and the services we provide to leasehold customers. In addition, the website also gives further information around house builders, housing associations, Right-to-Manage (RTM) and Resident Management Companies (RMC).
The ‘What You Need to Know’ section of the website explains how the OM Property Managers work and gives detailed explanations on topics such as Service Charge estimates and Reserve Funds. There’s also a helpful ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ section that seeks to address many common enquiries.
I should point out that this change only affects customers living in Peverel OM managed properties; customers living in Solitaire developments should continue to contact the Solitaire Customer Services team as detailed on our website – http://www.solitairepm.co.uk.
As I said back in May last year, we are listening, and more importantly, we’re working to make things better. In the Solitaire Customer Services team we’ve made real progress in responding to customer enquiries via email, but please know that we are far from happy with our response times for telephone calls made to the team.
We are working to implement telephony updates that will allow calls to be handled more effectively by identifying whether it relates to a maintenance issue or accounts enquiry. We hope that this work will be completed next month, but would like to apologise to anyone who has called with a problem and not been able to get through at certain times of the day.
Since the Solitaire team moved to Luton our Solitaire Property Managers are visiting developments more frequently than in the past. We are making further operational changes to the team to ensure that they continue to focus on the issues affecting you, and are able to resolve any problems on your development with greater effectiveness and efficiency.
We receive customer feedback by email, letter, phone and of course via this site; I will continue to respond to constructive comments where I can.
Thanks,
Andy
Solitaire Online Feedback Manager
Based on what ‘Andy’ has told us, the reason for the Peverel OM name change is purely because residents were confused by Peverel OM and Peverel Retirement…… So, it has nothing to do with the recent negative publicity and damage to the reputation of the Peverel brand, that has been dragged into the press following the CARLEX campaign?
Co-incidently, following this announcement and update from Andy, a new visitor to TheTruthAboutSolitaire contacted us to tell their story, which was quite enlightening:-
I have another name to add to your list of Peverel names. I live in Portishead on the huge Port Marine Development which has been managed by Peverel (appointed by Crest Nicholson) since conception sometime prior to 2003. In July 2009 by letter we were introduced to the new name and identity of Consort Property Management a division within Peverel OM Limited, the residential property management arm of the Peverel Group.
The letter stated “Consort Property Management was created last year to provide a dedicated property management team with the experience and expertise to manage the large scale, more complex residential and commercial developments within the Pever OM Limited portfolio. Your property is located on one of these developments. We have been working as a team for some time now but felt the time is now right to inform our customers.”!!!
Needless to say, we are managed by the same inefficient and insatiable team – “a rose by any other name” – and are presently actively pursuing the route to self-management.
As it says above, despite name changes, despite the promises, the operational side and management side of Peverel (which ever guise that maybe) doesn’t change – they still still provide the high charges, lack of services and have a lack of respect for their clients – afterall, ‘Andy’ continues to contribute to TheTruthAboutSolitaire, but never answers direct questions e.g. A N Oymous and Nicky Vogg to name a few.
Some of your Correspondence
We mentioned at the beginning of this post that we’d been contacted by many ‘newbies’, asking for help and assistance, so we thought we’d publish a couple, for others to comment on, whilst we also hope it will encourage others to contact us.
The following is from a resident called ‘K’, who lives in a development called ‘Odyssey’:
Dear Truthaboutsolitaire
Peverel are awful, and each year they increase the service charge.
At one point they put things down that did not exist like water features and TV in gym.
Nobody has the time to challenge them and there are no residents association and full of landlords who do not care.
What can we do ?
So greatful for your leaflet in our letter boxes.
We were very surprised by the message received from MW in Essex:-
We have a rather strange problem in our block of flats – Solitaire has failed to bill us for the September 09 – March 2010 period, despite repeated requests for them to do so.
We now have a state of the art electronic on-line payment facility. However we can’t pay our bill because Solitaire won’t add the outstanding account to the on-line facility and haven’t sent out a request through the post.
Is this unusual, or are other leaseholders having the same problem?
What’s surprising for us is that Solitaire haven’t billed, despite the client asking them to bill them – yet aren’t responding!!!! I wouldn’t be surprised if, once ‘Andy’ see’s this, he’ll be asking for MW to contact him so that his request can be addressed!
Goes to show that something isn’t quite right in the Solitaire / Peverel system. If developments are going missing, what hope do we have.
‘F’ from Hampshire told us:
We here have again written to our MP Rt Hon James Arbuthnot and to Hampshire Tradings Standards.
Got a visit from a VD (the new property manager) in April 2009 seemed OK she took notes and we asked loads of questions and also asked for answers.
That was in 8 months ago. Two letters one recorded delivery letter and 10 emails later since
April and we have heard nothing!Our letter to MP and Tradings Standards was detailed we have said it is daylight robbery and we will not tolerate being ignored.
They have both responded and we have given additional information.
It gets worse why oh why can’t people in power see that there is an extortion racket going on hiding under the so called law.
The fact this contributor actually met with their property manager and has still not heard anything, hardly supports what ‘Andy’ says above:-
Since the Solitaire team moved to Luton our Solitaire Property Managers are visiting developments more frequently than in the past. We are making further operational changes to the team to ensure that they continue to focus on the issues affecting you, and are able to resolve any problems on your development with greater effectiveness and efficiency.
Sometimes, we actually question what the point is of ‘Andy’ contributing to TheTruthAboutSolitaire, because much of the things he says are only to protect the brand / identity of Peverel and nothing more than that! Come on ‘Andy’, why can’t Peverel tell us the truth for once and stop all this mumbo jumbo about ‘things are improving’…. because it’s obvious that they arent.
Downing Street Petition
The Downing Street Petition is gathering support quickly and at the time of writing this post, we were up to 757 signatures!
A massive thank you to those that have signed it and to those that are bringing the petition to the attention of others.
More support is needed and we’d love to break the 1,000 barrier by the end of February – so please, please, if you haven’t done so already or know someone that should sign it, go to:-
Thanks
Admin @ TTAS
January 25th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
“a rose by any other name” indeed! Another popular phrase that springs to mind is the one about not being able to polish a waste product.
The new site does contain some new content but the site is essentially a re-badged version of the old. Avenue, Peverel’s Customer Extranet is again re-badged in nice new colours, but offers exactly the same content and features. The main reason for the new trading name is to dodge the recent adverse publicity associated with the Peverel brand. No worries it won’t take them long to create some new bad publicity in the name of “OMPM” as in my experience they never learn…
January 25th, 2010 at 4:32 pm
As I have commented previously, I see this “re-branding” as an attempt to dodge the recent bad press that Peverel have received (from pretty much every form of the media), and it seems I’m not alone in this view.
So, based on the above, all our “friends” at Peverel Towers have managed to do is waste even more money, and fool nobody (apart perhaps from themselves…). Doesn’t really matter what the company is called, the long-running issues will simply continue under the new name. Or do they cynically think that a new name will magically resolve all their well-published failings…??? Surely they can’t be that blinkered? Can they…???
Business as usual, I suspect…..
January 25th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Well put !!!!!
Admin, have the petition for solitaire has been handed over yet?
Can we deliver on or before 3 February to the right Company for record?
January 25th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
Hi,
I own a property managed by Peverel OM, or whatever they are called today. Each year the service charges increase for no good reason. When I first purchased the property the charges amounted to 1200.pa, 2 years and a few months on the charges are now £2000+ I find this absolutely unjustifiable as I have seen no \maintenance\ or \upkeep\ to our facilities.
I now join you in our quest to rid the world of such incompetent money grabbers! I am going to be sending each of my neighbours a letter highlighting that we are not the only ones suffering substantially high charges. The problem, as many of you have pointed out, is most of the flats in my block are rented out so it is hard to find someone who really cares. What if these fees affected the tenants rent, do you think people would forward my notice and request for change to their landlords?
Mr V
January 25th, 2010 at 10:20 pm
Mr V,
The first step is indeed forming a Residents’ Association and it is very daunting when so many properties are in rent. We had the same problem some time ago where over half of our flat are in rent but in time we got there.
A few tips:
1) Target the known owner residents – they quite often know other owners and your list of owners can soon snowball
2) If you have notice boards use them as Landlords will visit the site even if infrequently. Peverel actively encourage setting up RAs and they should not be disallowing this use.
3) Look for ads for flats and ring the landlord as if you are a prospective tenant, sometimes the ad is from an agent and sometimes the actual owner.
4) If you still struggle think about setting up a website
5) Last resort is the Land Registry – £3 a search – send a Letter to the title owner.
I hope that helps.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:03 pm
Follow on from Arthur Dent’s words of wisdom is a tactic we have been using in tracing owners of rented flats.
Walk into a letting agency and ask if they have any tenents renting in “………”. Found letting agents helpful.
Tenants have been helpful when you explain the service charges are rising and their rent might go up as their landlord needs the extra funding. Amazingly, tenants have felt part of the interaction to what is going on and can be supportive. It’s their home too!
Can only but try…is my motto;)
January 25th, 2010 at 11:24 pm
Be brave and knock on doors. If everyone feels strongly enough you’ll get the requisite amount to form a RA or better still, a RTM co. I found, having replaced Solitaire using RTM that people who sublet are usually equally concerned about balancing charges and sprialling costs as they have to absorb this, and can’t always pass it on to their tenant.
Remember, you only need 50% for RTM. Where I live – we got 100% RTM co membership. The whole prcess took about nine months.
January 25th, 2010 at 11:36 pm
Quick question to you Anon.
When you did the RTM, did you ask for monies upfront from leaseholders to fund everything?
January 26th, 2010 at 11:45 am
OM Property Management, When no one knows who is OM limited -
“The manager” or landlord
Certainly not Peverel, head of the legal department does, so who should one go to?
3rd October 2007 DE , Company Secretary and head of Legal Department declares, “The Landlord of the Property is Om Limited. Om Limited is a company which is part of the Peverel group Companies”
There are 2 statements which incorrect and hiding the truth:
1.Stuart Court Limited holds the freehold of 11 Millennium Drive. I own 20% of the shares in the company, therefore, DE statement is appalling and day light robbery by claiming OM Limited owns the freehold. He is hijacking the Company then declaring themselves as landlords.
2.OM LIMITED in my lease is the “The Manager” and not listed as the “The Lesser”( landlord) In my opinion DE and his staff is creating confusion and stress by threatening the poor old woman,me, to make her feel helpless so she let them carry on making money.
AB-G AIRPM , legal secretary to DE wrote on 16 March 2007,
“….we can confirm that we are the landlord and the Managing Agents and therefore are able to force entry to your apartment..”
It is clearly evident that Peverel legal department does not know who is OM limited – “The manager” or the landlord and now adding OM Property Management is additional spinning affect.
How changing the name to OM Property Management from Peverel OM which was initially listed in my lease OM Limited is creating less confusion? How would it make staff to be accountable to the leaseholders and provide service?
May I suggest Admin to put forward a proposal in our petition to the Prime Minister that current landlord name must be recorded at the Land Registry Office by law just like leaseholder name is? It will stop Management Companies to create confusion as I gathered one need to serve notice to the landlord for RTM and not to the Management Company.
January 26th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
Answer for Bella: When we started the RTM process, we asked everyone to pay £50 (per flat). The solicitor wanted this as cash on account. But it was also useful as it created a self-serving selection process. We soon had the minimum of half the flats required for the legal process to proceed, so we knew we’d be able to go ahead. The solicitor gave us an estimated figure for the whole process – some quote on a per-flat basis.
So we divided the solicitor’s quote by the minimum number of flats – it meant we all paid another £260ish. But the number of flats started to grow, so instead of re-calculating the fees per flat, we landed up over-paying or charging every flat the same. An amazing achievement given that we’d paid balancing charges on top of big bills to PPMG et al – but if people are annoyed enough, they’ll put their hands in their pockets.
When our claim notice was objected to, we referred our case to a direct access barrister – he had to be paid in advance (another £250/flat); and we also collected enough to cover him appearing at LV Tribunal. In the meantime numbers grew – we’re a small develpoment but we’ve just secured 100% RTM co membership.
In the event we did not need to go to the tribunal meaning we’ve got a few thousand pounds in our slush fund – and that’s after we spent about £1000 extra just on the solicitor, on top of his original quote.
The thing is to start a Residents’ Assoc – write to the freeholder with your constitution and if there’s interest from your neighbours, open a bank account in the name of your RTM company (even though you won’t have formed it yet). Then everyone pays the company, the company pays the legal bills. The solicitor (and counsel if you need them) usually only take instructions from one nominated person. But even in a relatively small private develpoment, you’ll normally find someone who’s an accountant, or understands the law and they will be a real asset in your claim for RTM.
You can go to companies who do the whole process, the trouble is, they become the RTM company AND the new property manager – they offer quotes as low as £50 per flat. We chose not to go that route. Our solicitor set up our RTM co – we now use outside auditors as our reg off, and to audit the books. I hope that helps. Do ask if you need anything else.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:13 pm
Nicky,
Firstly, OM Limited (OM) are a different company from OM Property Management (OMPM), in fact OMPM is a trading name of Peverel OM Ltd (POM). OM were bought by Peverel in around 1998 and they kept OM going as a company and also created POM.
The use of the term “Lessor” is quite fixed and should refer to the entity that granted the Leases. A “Lessee” or Leaseholder is also quite fixed in its definition and can refer to yourself or another such as a “Head Lessee”. For example if you are a Lessee of one flat there may well be a Head Lessee who has a Lease to all of the flats and the common parts. Your Lease and their Lease will probably have been granted by the same Lessor.
The term Landlord though can be used in a variety of contexts. It sounds like your Lease is very similar to mine and it is probably the case that OM are the Head Lessee and they can be described as your Landlord even if they are not the ultimate Freeholder.
Peverel have often described themselves as the Freeholder to me, when they are not, and this is either to give themselves more importance or they just dont know the legal definitions of these words.
I hope that helps.
January 26th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
I’ve been thinking about writing a letter to the 40-odd other flats in my development, to see if anybody else shares my views on the levels of service provided by Solitaire. Not sure I want to actually set up a resident’s association myself, but I’d certainly be part of one, if one existed….. And I guess an active, well-attended resident’s association can serve as a good initial spring-board for the possibility of going down the RTM route, if sufficient leaseholders are in agreement…???
I’m an owner occupier, but I think the bulk of the flats in my development are rented out, so that might make interest from other residents harder to attract, although when it’s pointed out that inflated management costs are partly passed on in rent increases, perhaps they might then be more interested….. I also know details of a couple of local letting agencies who regularly deal with vacant flats in the development, so I can always approach them directly too.
I feel a letter coming on…..
January 29th, 2010 at 5:53 pm
To Anon,
Many thanks for your reply. Very helpful, as ever.
February 11th, 2010 at 4:42 pm
NEWS FLASH>>>> OM MANGEMNT NEW WEBSITE
I HAVE TAKEN THE LIBERTY AND PASTED A PART OF THE WEB PAGES.
“At OM Property Management we provide customers with a quality, value for money property management service.
We look to set the standards in the industry for property care, administration and financial control and by utilising the latest technology, to ensure our customer communication is s second to none.
Leaders in property management
OM Property Management is one of the UK’s leading managing agents. We manage over 1,200 privately owned residential developments in England & Wales, corresponding to nearly 70,000 individual properties.
We’ve invested heavily in technology, to ensure all property owners and tenants have access to the information they want when they want it. This service includes accounts and service charge details and the convenience of making secure service charge payments online.
OM Property Management is a member of the Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA), with a management team that is committed to improving standards and supportive of regulatory reform in the industry.
“INVESTERS IN PEOPLE”
Congratulations for achieving the IIP Standard. There has been some very encouraging work in the area of expectations and roles of managers. Ann Barratt, Investors in People
I AM HAVING HUGE CHALLENGE TO SEE CONTRADICTION AND MISREPRESENTAION. AM I NOT CONSIDERED TO BE A PART OF PEOPLE BY MY MANAGEMENT COMPANY WHO THEY INVEST IN OR HAVE I BENN THROWN OUT OF THE SOIECTY ?
WHAT HAS WRONG OR AM I NOT WORTHY OF THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDE FOR 69,999 OTHERS IN THE COUNTRAY?
NICKY VOGG