estate management tender process

[exeterbay]

Hi all,

We live on a new development which was built by David Wilson/Barratts. The grounds are maintained by Chamonix - they are shocking and very expensive!! 

A few of us residents are wondering how they were given the contract and how do we get rid of them?

Chamonix look after many sites around the country for DW apparently.

 

Could someone confirm the process that happens? How do DW award the tenders? how long are the tenders for? can we as residents refuse to renew the tender at the end of the contract? we would like to put it out to tender and choose the maintainence company.

 

we are told that as residents we employ Chamonix and should be having AGM's etc?

 

any help greatly appreciated

 

Matt

[honeybee13]

Hi.

 

I knew the name was familiar, we have a couple of other threads about Chamonix. If you go to the top of this page and type the name into the white Search box, you'll find them. It could have some useful information for you.

 

HB

[exeterbay]

Hi Honeybee, thanks for the quick response! i read the other threads and really i suppose i want to know how the tender process works for these contracts? David Wilson/Barratt just appear to hand them the job and then Chamonix keep it forever!

We'd like to challenge them so im looking for info on the process..

 

many thanks

 

Matt

[honeybee13]

Other people know more about this kind of stuff than me, but do you have a residents/ committee for example?

 

HB

[exeterbay]

no we don't, this is our first step at looking into this..

[Manxman in exile]

Are you an owner or a tenant?  I'd expect you only have a legal relationship with the person you bought or rented from (I presume David Wilson).  What do your conveyance/lease documents say?   I doubt you have much say over who they (DW) appoint or how.

 

(I may be entirely wrong though - not my area of expertise

[exeterbay]

Hi Manxman,

Thanks for the reply! we have a mortgaged house - so ours,  but i believe the maintenance company have a charge on the mortgage? i think? possibly?

i need to do a bit of digging i think...

 

thanks 

 

Matt

[Manxman in exile]

So you're an owner-occupier?  Must admit I was expecting you to say you were a tenant.

 

As I said, this is not my area of expertise, but I'm not sure I understand why the maintenance company would have a charge against your property?  The mortgage company, yes - but not the maintenance company. 

 

Having said that, I've not bought a new build house on a new development before so maybe it makes sense.  But it seems very odd to me that if you are the owner that anybody other than your mortgage company would have a charge on the property, or that you would be tied to using a particular maintenance company.

 

If I were you the first thing I'd do is look out all the paperwork your conveyancing solicitor gave you on purchase and see what the documentation actually says.  Pay particular attention to any questions your solicitor asked you and any points they particularly drew to your attention.

 

That's all I can suggest I'm afraid.  Maybe someone with more knowledge of this sort of house purchase can give more useful assistance.

[stu007]

Hi

 

Could you Clairfy are you a Home Owner or Leaseholder?`

 

How long have you been in your present property?

 

When did you Officially Complain in writing to the Property Management Company on this matter?

 

Could you Clarify that this issue is before the Pandemic with COVID-19 which placed numerous Restrictions/Lockdown thourghout the UK and we are at present in another Lockdown throughtout the UK

 

I would find it very hard to believe if the maintenance company had a charge on your property. (could you clarify why you may think this?)

 

now this link and other is I would pass onto other residents within your estate.

 

Property management redress schemes – what leaseholders need to know - The Leasehold Advisory Service:
https://www.lease-advice.org/article/property-management-redress-schemes-what-leaseholders-need-to-know/

 

How do I form a residents association? - The Leasehold Advisory Service
https://www.lease-advice.org/faq/how-do-i-form-a-residents-association/

 

Federation of Private Resident's Association:
https://www.fpra.org.uk/  (if you loof at there publication section there are a lot of useful guide but please note a cost may be involved)

 

As for inquiring about their tender process the simple answer is you must writing to them and asking them for full clarification how the carried out their Tender Process for i.e. Ground Maintenance Contract and for a copy or their Tender Process Policy.

 

For the Tender process for i.e. Ground Maintenance this should be place out in the open and then companies place BIDS on that contract, it is then whittled down to a minimum of 3 companies, they are then invited this is where due diligence takes place where the companies how have placed these bids are looked into and vetted then each invited to be interviewed, after that again due diligence it should not be the case of 
taking the cheapest offer is the service may be substandard after scrutiny. Then more due diligence before it is agreed who has won the Contract and they are notified.

 

 

[exeterbay]

thankyou Manxman and thankyou Stu007 i will do some digging on this and get all the paperwork out but we are homeowners (mortgaged) and live on a David Wilson development in a detached house. The maintanence contract is  to look after the  grass verges and dog walking field...