|
Garden Rate 1999/2000
The Garden Rate for the coming year will be £252 per
household which is to be made in two payments of £126
(firstly in December 1999 and then in May 2000). The
breakdown of this cost can be seen below.
- Garden maintenance £9,913
- Additional planting and
tree lopping £1,200
- Road gully cleaning £205
- Path and street lighting
£2,000
- Water charges on standpipes
£1,450
- Postage, printing and
stationery £175
- Auditor’s fees £430
- Solicitor’s fees £625
- Maintenance and
contingencies £1,000
- Subtotal £16,998
- Managing agents fees @17.5%
£2975
- Director’s liability
insurance £368
- Public liability insurance
£182
- Reserves for roads, paths
etc. £3150
- Grand total
£24,194
- Therefore £252
per property per annum.
You will see that the garden
rate has risen by approximately 5% of which 1% is
accounted for by Director’s Liability Insurance.
Although this insurance has not previously been taken out
by BML, it has now become necessary due to the past
actions of particular individuals and it has been
recommended to the directors during discussions with
existing residents.
Keeping
down costs
During the past year the Directors have freely given
their own time to rebuild the bollard lights, maintain
the bulbs and paint white markers on the steps for
improved visibility and safety. We have also achieved the
stated aim of freeing the roads and parking areas of vans
and untaxed vehicles and at minimal cost to the
residents. Unfortunately, we have not been able to
eliminate pavement parking and this is still a cause for
concern as the pavements are not reinforced to take the
weight of cars and the resulting repairs are very costly.
Pavement parking is also an
inconvenience for pedestrians and in some cases this
causes people to have to walk in the road which is
particularly unsafe for people with prams and pushchairs
and parents with small children. This situation, as with
most problems, could be resolved in the main by giving
more consideration to other users of the area.
We would like to achieve a
reduction in the annual expenditure of garden rate funds
on Solicitor fees. These are incurred to some extent
under the statutory obligations of a limited company but
are increased every time we are required to seek legal
advice or clarification on a legal or constitutional
matter. Wherever possible, please discuss any problems or
queries with the directors first and we will endeavour to
answer your questions, attempt to resolve your problem or
give advice where possible.
Please help to keep down the
cost of garden rate collection by making your payments
promptly. Late payment reduces the interest earned on the
funds and thereby reduces the capital available for the
necessary maintenance works. This then leads to a greater
annual increase in the garden rate than would otherwise
be necessary.
Vandalism
We apologise for the long delay in replacing the two
damaged lights on Yew Tree Way and thank residents for
being so tolerant. We have now consulted with the
residents who will be directly affected by the
replacement standard lamps and an order for suitable
fittings is being placed. If we are unable to obtain the
new lights in the very near future then we will repair
the old ones but we are of course anxious to keep the
cost of this exercise to a minimum. Regrettably, someone
has recently decided to graffiti the sign and lower steps
onto Yew Tree Way.
We have sought estimates for
it’s removal and are both alarmed and surprised at
the likely cost of this work. We have been quoted a
figure that would be between £250.00 and £450.00
depending on the ease of removal. This averages out at
around £4.50 on the garden rate per property. If you
have any information that would help trace those
responsible for the graffiti and damage to the lights,
signs and shrubs etc, please let us know.
Refuse
collection
Since the refuse collection service has been privatised
there have been numerous complaints about uncollected
rubbish from all over Forestdale. If your bags are not
collected please call the refuse department at Croydon
council on 020 8401 1919 who will arrange for it to be
picked up. Please report any such incidences as the
private refuse contractor is fined £50 for every day
that the rubbish is not collected per household and this
is the only leverage the council have over the company as
they have been signed up for a five year contract.
Overhanging
growth
On our last walk around the
estate we noticed that shrubs etc in some gardens were
protruding over amenity pathways. Owners may not be aware
of this protrusion and we therefore ask everyone to look
around the boundary of their property and remove any
obstructing overhanging growth.
Recently, a resident decided to
prune an amenity land tree that was overhanging his
garden. As a result, we are having to call in a tree
surgeon to repair the damage to the shape of the tree and
we will be recovering this cost from the owner of the
property. We draw this to your attention in case other
residents, seeing what has happened, decide to take
similar action. If amenity land trees etc. are a problem
for your property, please contact the directors and it
will be looked into. The trees are regularly maintained
in order that they are kept healthy and properly shaped
but they will not be altered in order to improve light to
windows or to decrease screening. It must be remembered
that the trees and landscaping on Brookscroft are the
backdrop and outlook of all residents and are essential
to the character of the area.
Removal
vans
With the housing market experiencing somewhat of a boom
at the moment, it is not surprising that a few properties
on Brookscroft have recently changed hands. As always, we
would like to welcome any new residents to Brookscroft
and a welcome leaflet should have by now been put through
your door (this can also be found on our website). Part
of the stress of moving home is the ordeal of getting all
of your worldly goods packed into boxes and then
(hopefully) shipped onto your new address.
Whilst everybody can sympathise
with the difficulties involved in moving, we would like
to request that anybody who is going to move in the near
future please give consideration to their neighbours when
ordering their removals van. Recently, a large removals
van blocked the access to several homes and the adjacent
garage area for most of the morning which severely
inconvenienced several families. This could have been
avoided if either the size of the van had been more
considered or the residents had asked their neighbours
not to park in the road on that day.
As with most of these small
problems, consideration of others and co-operation
between neighbours could have avoided this difficult and
frustrating situation. We thank you in advance for your
co-operation with this matter.
Good
advice from our solicitor
Following the recent exchange of ownership of a house on
Brookscroft our solicitor has brought to our attention a
potential pitfall for anybody selling their property. If
the purchaser of your house does not sign and take on the
covenant on your property then you are still liable for
the payment of the garden rate monies.
Whilst this is not currently
relevant to any property on the estate, it is important
that if you are selling that you must make sure that the
purchasers solicitor discovers the covenant during his
search (if he does not then he has been negligent in his
duties and is therefore liable for a claim from the
purchaser) and that the covenant is signed and registered
by the new owners (this is actioned by their solicitor).
If this is not done then the bill for the garden rate
should by rights come to you even though you no longer
own the property. BML and our agents Michael Keiths make
every effort to ensure that such issues are dealt with
correctly but if you sell your house without the use of a
solicitor or agent then you could fall foul of this legal
trap.
Director
resigns
We are sorry to have to report that Ossie Coke has now
resigned from his position as a director of BML and we
wish him luck in his new home.There is therefore a space
on the board for someone who is wiling to give up a
little of their time for the good of the estate as a
whole. Any applicants should contact one of the directors
listed below.
And finally
It’s that time of year again when frantic shopping
trips, garish sock designs and ridiculous Santa hats
become the norm for those of us who do not escape the
Christmas rush by jetting off to sunnier climes. The
directors of BML would like to wish all of the residents
of Brookscroft a joyous and stress free Christmas and
look forward to the momentous new years celebration as we
enter the new millennium.
Garden Rate 2000 - Keeping
Down Costs
- Vandalism
Refuse Collection - Overhanging
Plants
- Removal Vans
Solicitor's Advice - Director
resigns
|
