Frequently asked questions
Feel free to contact us with your questions any time, but the answer may also be here:
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How many years have you been in the property management business?
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Ringley set up in 1997 and has grown steadily and now employs circa 40 people in 3 divisions:
- Estates which encompasses Property Finance, Legal Services & Estates Operations
- Professional Services which includes the disciplines of Building Surveying & Valuation
- MBMRingley which is the groups Estate Agency arm
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How large is the Estate Management team at Ringley?
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20 people manage our estates on a daily basis.
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How many blocks do you manage?
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130+ blocks
5,000+ individual units
Largest site: 350 units.
Smallest site: 3 units.
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Describe your panel of contractors. (Plumbers, electricians etc...)
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Our contractors cover all trades from small to major works.
We are an ISO9000 accredited company and all contractors are performance managed. We operate a strict purchase order system to quality control and ensure works are completed. We can operate payroll in-house for porters, caretakers or other directly employed staff.
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What selection criteria do you use for contractors on your panels?
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Known performance, client recommendations. References are taken for larger contracts as part of the pre-start negotiations.
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Does the proximity of your offices to our site affect the service we will receive?
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No, because each Estate Manager has a nominated day each week when they are not in the office but are out on site inspecting their portfolio. Our Property Services Officers will deal with maintenance and non-strategic matters whilst the Estate Manager is out and about.
It is our policy to notify Directors of the management or freehold company, by email, of forthcoming visits. An email is sent on the Monday of the week that the visit is scheduled for.
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How often do you visit the blocks you manage (for example, to check whether contractors are fulfilling their obligations)?
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The number of times we carry out routine inspections largely depends on the size of the estate, complexity of equipment installed and is based on the following guidelines:
50 + Flats 10 routine site visits
100 + Flats 12 routine site visits
Additional visits would occur for emergencies or during major works contracts.
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Where and how do you keep service charge monies? How are they administered and who receives any interest?
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Service charge monies are kept in interest bearing client accounts administered in accordance with Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) "Client Money Protection Scheme".
All interest accrues to the residents. All accounts are managed to the RICS Code of Practice for Residential Managing Agents and are reconciled every 5-6 weeks.
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What IT facilities do you have and what information can you record and keep updated?
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Bespoke property management accounting system.
Goldmine document tracking system for client calls, contractors, site information & scheduling. On screen, our surveyors can read your lease, open an electronic copy of your insurance policy, see the last insurance valuation, service charge estimate and letters sent to clients.
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Can we pay by direct debit?
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Yes.
Direct debits ensure good cash management for clients and leaseholders and are safeguarded by our membership of the Direct Debit Guarantee scheme.
We have invested in a seamless system, which electronically posts transactions, we carry out an annual review of direct debits (to coincide with the new service charge budget for each site) and write to leaseholders to advise them of any changes to their direct debit payments.
Direct debits are far superior to standing order arrangements because we do not have to wait for bank statements to be able to give you an accurate picture of what is in your account.
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How do you deal with unpaid service charges - what procedures are in place to deal with non-paying lessees?
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A request for payment and polite reminder precede a final demand for payment.
In the event of non-payment a County Court Judgment (CCJ) is lodged and administrated by our legal team.
There are several methods of enforcement, which include:
seeking an attachment to earnings order by calling the defaulting leaseholder to court for questioning then seeking the court's permission to instruct the leaseholder's employer to discharge the debt direct from their wages.
lodging a unilateral notice against the property putting potential buyers on notice that there is a debt against the property that needs to be fulfilled.
lodging a charge against the property so that the leaseholder cannot sell property without fulfilling terms of the judgment.
Where a leaseholder claims that a service charge is "unreasonable" we have in-house surveyors who will present a case arguing the reasonableness (of the service charge) at a Leasehold Valuation Tribunal.
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How do you deal with lessees in breach of their leases?
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Our legal team issues letters reminding them of lease terms.
A lawyer's letter chargeable to the lessee in default if required (typical cost to lessee in defaults service charge account £20 + Vat).
As a last resort a Section 146 Notice (a notice to preceding action to terminate the lease ) is issued.
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Do you offer an out of office hours service for emergencies?
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Yes.
Our main office number (020 7267 2900) provides an out of hours, emergency service number which connects to the Estates Manager on call.
We are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
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List any professional or trade bodies to which your firm belongs.
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Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS)
Association of Residential Managing Agents (ARMA)
Association of Building Engineers (ABE)
Investors in People
ISO9000
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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
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For more information Call: 020 7267 2900or Email Us »
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