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From: Michele Hillgarth michele@hillgarthart.com Subject: Re: Management of Mitre House - old queries
Date: 1 July 2011 14:40
To: Graffiti Editions Limited studio@graffiti.biz
Dear Paul,
I think it is very good of you to query all these endless bills that should not exist, and am very grateful that you are following it up as well. I think that if we do go ahead with buying the head lease for Mitre House there will be an urgent call for a new managing agent with a list of directions right from day 1 so there is no misunderstandings. As I said, I think there is an awful lot of pettiness which I am not prepared to take part in, and I hope if this does happen, will the start of a new life.
As promised I have tried to get hold of my surveyor - Mr Manton - in order to assess what we should do on 14th July should nobody bid at auction, but unfortunately he has been in meetings every since. I shall keep pursuing this and let you know the outcome.
With best regards, have a good weekend, Michele
Mich le Sigg 07850100247 michele@hillgarthart.com
----- Original Message -----
To: Michele Hillgarth
Sent: Thursday, June 30, 2011 9:32 PM
Subject: Re: Management of Mitre House - old queries
As we mentioned over our lunch - the various complaints I made (as I do every year when accounts are presented - and I you get copies of accounts....?), none of which actually gets sorted to satisfaction and you can see the broken window complaint - incroyable, sacre bleue...
sent to Julie on 15 October last year.....2010
re: Accounts queries outstanding
Electrical repairs £2690 - was that Matrix re: basement install of new fuseboxes etc? Very high.
Matrix seem to be on a very easy wicket charging £260to simply re-glaze one small windowpane - and
replacement drainpipe for £1365 (it was purely 2 cuts and an insertion piece) and electricity repairs and fitments £2655 - that windowpane should have been done for much less than even £100 at most so can we keep a closer eye on tradesmen invoices in future when they seem unreasonable as would any householder in same situation - £260 for a windowpane could incur a visit from that TV programme that identifies Rogue Traders! You could have replaced the entire door with windows with a brand new door for £260 - it should be queried with Matrix as at present they seem to be able to present any invoice they wish without someone checking it for reasonability. £260 to replace a small windowpane in a door is ludicrously high.
Locks keys and door repairs £324 - on whose behalf - I think should have been charged to offending tenant. Drain cleaning & maintenance £1366 - whatever they did had no effect?
Light Bulbs £116 - that's one helluva lot of light bulbs - I know of 2 that went at around £5 each.
Legal Fees - that sounds like chasing slow service charge payers again and was at the centre of a long dispute some years ago - any fees charged should be paid by defaulting tenants, surely?
I note your reply re: expenses this current year, namely Since the 1st January we have spent a total of £947 on electrical repairs and drain cleaning.
Electricity query:
Electricity for Mitre House (British Gas) - it is noted that on the Service Charge Expense Detail Report for year ending December 2008 items for the Electricity account are not detailed with Inv. Numbers so as to be easily identified (as they are on the accounts for year ending December 2009) - could I please see a copy of the six items listed as they seem alarmingly high at an overall £1794 - there should be two quarterly bills as we have 2 meters which equates to 8 bills to see - only 6 are listed and without correct reference, invoice no. etc are impossible to check properly.
Electricity costs for Mitre House (a previously raised query) have fluctuated alarmingly as the following annual costs in the accounts amply testify:
From: Graffiti Editions Limited
Electricity costs to Dec 2006 - £192