[Plankton]

I've cleaned the flat roof/gutters on a block of flats for the last couple of years including carrying out repairs.
They have recently received a bill from the factors for more than four times the amount for gutter cleaning than I would have charged them. The total for all the blocks was around 4k! Now there is f***all up there in the first place so my guy has a right to be pedoff.
Its a days work for one man so 4k is crazy. The factor never consulted them before contracting the work so they shouldn't have to pay, right?
I was there April and the rest had the contractor visit July and the factor was informed 2013 that I was taking care of it.

[Walter Mitty]

There are rules about larger jobs carried out at flats.  There need to be a minimum number of tenders and there are regulations about whether the tenderers can be connected to the freeholder.  There also needs to be "consultation" (usually meaning that the freeholder decides what they want and then inform the leaeholders).
 don't know what the exact amounts are currently but it may be helpful to investigate this.

[Smurf]

Factors...  what does that mean?

[Smudger]

I was wondering this smurf.

My experience has been (whether run by housing assoc. or res. committee ) you always need a purchase order before carrying out work, if this hasn't been done either my you or the other company then payment may be an issue.

Are you saying you were employed by the residents but the landlord decided to employ another company and now wants to charge the residents ?

Darran

[Plankton]

The factor is a management company. Not sure if there is differences north/south of the border. Typically new build housing estates have a factor to manage the trees, shrubs and grassy areas and with flats (bought) the factor contracts the window cleaners etc.
I know these people and before I started doing the work they had someone else carry out the roof maintenance and gutter cleaning for the previous 10 years. So they had no correspondence from the factor that this roofing company was carrying out gutter cleaning nor did they see them on there roof. The owners deal with me directly so I have no dealings with the factor its just the owners that are up in arms about receiving an inflated bill for something that didn't need done.

[Smurf]

Sounds complicated but all the same it's obviously due to lack of correspondence between the two parties involved that has caused this situation in the first place.

Mind you sounds like a bit of a scam to me as there are plenty of dodgy management companies out there like this one for instance http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/feb/12/peverel-property-management-tenant-rebellion



.

[Smurf]

This is an interesting article http://www.moneywise.co.uk/scams-rip-offs/rip-offs/your-managing-agent-ripping-you

[slap bash]

The factors come in the form of a grand or two placed in the right hands turned back and placed into the hand of an decision maker.

[Smurf]

The factors come in the form of a grand or two placed in the right hands turned back and placed into the hand of an decision maker.

That about sums up what happened in this instant methiks thats if the invoice ever gets paid

[KS Cleaning]

I've cleaned the flat roof/gutters on a block of flats for the last couple of years including carrying out repairs.
They have recently received a bill from the factors for more than four times the amount for gutter cleaning than I would have charged them. The total for all the blocks was around 4k! Now there is f***all up there in the first place so my guy has a right to be pedoff.
Its a days work for one man so 4k is crazy. The factor never consulted them before contracting the work so they shouldn't have to pay, right?
I was there April and the rest had the contractor visit July and the factor was informed 2013 that I was taking care of it.

Right, so the factor has asked you to carry out the work as they have the cleaning contract? You have then agreed to carry out the work for the factor as a subbie and then when you have completed the work you have  been paid by the factor for the agreed amount?  What the factor then bills the tenants for the work carried out by yourself  is between the tenants and the factor. If, as you say there is f*** all up there, it should be a win win situation for you surely?  Why would your guy be peed off if he is just an employee of yours and would therefore be carrying out the work on your terms?

[Smurf]

I'm very confused 

[Smurf]

My understanding from the op the chap seems to have been paid directly by the residents for the last two years. Then recently they get a bill out of the blue for 4k from the factors to check & clear when it did not need doing as has already been taken care of. Not only that no one had seen the so say work being carried out for the 4k bill. Therefore it sounds like they are trying to pull a fast one to me..

[Smudger]

Quite confusing but I agree with smurf that the op has cleaned for the residents, now the landlord has instructed a "factor" to do the same work - the big question is what paper trail have the residents got and was it there obligation to get the guttering done, or did they have a service charge system paid to the landlord who now has spent this on having the work carried out, after all this area is his responsibility to maintain.

Darran

[Plankton]

I'm getting confused now!
It's blocks of privately owned and quite expensive flats. The small ones are 250k so I think the roofing company is taking the p due to the area. I know 250k is nothing in London but in Glasgow its expensive.
"My guy" is an 83 year old and he had arranged for repairs and the like when required over the last ten years as he has a lot of contacts and doesn't like people trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, which I think they are trying to do.

[Smudger]

Is he organising the works as an elected member of a residents committee ?

If not then the landlord/factors will assume this work needs doing, I wouldn't get involved until you know all the legal ramifications and setup both parties have.

You've done the work and got paid ? - if yes walk away, it really is not your concern/problem unless Scottish law differs from the rest of us on this matter

Darran

[Stoots]

i just read this entire thread and i have no idea whats happening apart from someones getting 4k 

[Smudger]

Lost in translation 

4k seems very reasonable to me (4 sets of flats)

Darran

[Plankton]

Maybe its 4k due to the fact they are a pain in the arse?
They were never billed before as the factor was told they sort out there own maintenance.

I'm not due any payments from the factor, so I'm not out of pocket.

I've also recently carried out pressure cleaning for another contractor at a different block of flats which I posted a picture of before regarding pole size for window cleaning. I never got anywhere with the factor regarding window cleaning and I've now carried out subcontracted work for a contractor that was contracted by this blocks factor