Customer case studies

Case Studies

A Court Appointed Manager by virtue of a Court Order stands in the Freeholder's shoes. To these leaseholders this meant finally knowing where their service charges were going, getting the building maintained and enabling their flats to attain the true market value for the road. Read the full case study »

A PR offensive was needed by this block of 82 flats. Why? After 20+ years of neglect £500,000 had to be raised to put works in hand. Re-siting the bin area became extremely contentious as did educating persons unwilling to pay, assisting with re-mortgages of those unable but more importantly everyone liable to contribute needed to see the works were good value. Read the full case study »

Many small blocks have unworkable leases. Leases that say the Freeholder has to pay for everything then get his money back later. Alright when the freeholder is a rich investor, almost unworkable when it is the 5 leaseholders. Ringley's Legal Services Team delivered varied unworkable terms in the lease to give the block a lease that works. Read the full case study »

Case Studies - full details

Case study #13 flats simply wanted the freeholder to collect reasonable service charges and carry out the freeholder's covenants within the lease. Ringley put a case together for the Leasehold Valuation Tribunal and became the Court Appointed Manager and now stand in the shoes of the freeholder with the duty to uphold their covenants. (Kirkton Road, London N15)

Case study #2 82 Flats near Belsize Park, north London. Appointed 2004, leaseholders overthrew almost the entire board who appointed us not many months later. We unraveled the issues (cost of major works programme and proposed relocation of bin area) and worked on a strategy to build confidence at leaseholder level. We filled the communication hole left by the last agent, put together a news offensive with pictures justifying what needed to be done. Met with leaseholders and resolved a compromise solution for the bin area. Worked through both the County Court and Leasehold Valuation Tribunal to deliver judgments for 1 professional non-payer who owed more than £15,000. When, in retaliation, the professional non-payer who was denied office as a Director of the freehold company lodged a application to the Tribunal to appoint an alternative manager, we liaised with the original 8 leaseholders who had supported the action. They all withdrew, destroyed his case and continue to work with both the Board and in the interests of the leaseholders as a whole for a Ringley led era of open communication, total transparency. It all seems rather quiet now!

Case study #3 After an expensive legal bill to recover long term service charge arrears from a professional non-payer this site wanted a lease that worked. A lease that meant they could budget for the year and collect service charges against it, a lease that meant that the goodwill of 2 leaseholders need no longer be abused in loaning money to the service charge until the lease allowed recovery from the leaseholders based on service charge accounts, which can only be compiled say 3 months after the year end. We delivered notice to call a meeting to pass a resolution to draft a new service charge clause for the leases, resolutions and new draft clauses. We dealt with obtaining mortgagors consent to the supplemental lease and deed of variation, executed the documents, dealt with the registration and stamp duty land tax forms. This block now works.

My 30+ years of practical property and senior managerial experience has involved me in all types of properties from major historical London Estates to complex modern mixed use schemes both within prime central London and beyond. Over the years I have probably encountered most block management issues and both personally and through my teams have strategically managed solutions. The momentum of continuous improvement both here at Ringley and that is building within our sector makes it an exciting time to be in Property Management. Stephen Gayer BSc (Hons), MRICS, FIRPM, Managing Director - Property Management Tel: 020 7428 2052 Email Stephen