Epping Close News - February 2003
ITS THAT TIME AGAIN!
The Annual General Meeting of Epping Close Management Company will be held on Wednesday 26th February at 8pm in Committee Room 1 of Reading Civic Centre. Flat owners should already have received a formal notice and agenda, sent to the address we have on the share register. We would like to encourage as many flat owners as possible to attend, and details of where and how are below.
PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT?
There are many things that need to be done over the next year to ensure that the communal areas and buildings of Epping Close are kept in good order and indeed improved; this is important both from the point of view of maintaining the quality of life of the residents but equally importantly preserving and improving the resale value of the individual flats.
Epping Close Management Company has always prided itself on the fact that it has done its job economically, keeping down costs for both its members and for residents by avoiding the use of managing agents whose profit margins inevitably drive up costs. However the down side of this is that it cannot continue without a strong committee with enough members to share out the work without overwhelming anyone.
As the years have gone on, and the owner-occupier to tenanted mix in the flats has changed, it has become increasingly difficult to persuade enough people to devote enough unpaid time to keep the flats going. As you are probably aware, we have been running without a Chairman since February of last year, another key committee member has recently sold their flat and the remaining members are feeling increasingly jaded by the thoughtless behaviour of some residents.
I believe this has reflected itself in the state of the flats, which despite our efforts in reflooring and redecorating are unquestionably less tidy and more litter-prone than they were a year ago.
As a result we have recently looked at the possibility of turning the flats over to professional management. Make no mistake, this will cost us money. The quote we have is for a management charge of £100+VAT per flat per year, which is of course in addition to all the existing running costs. But comparing that to the amount of effort I’ve put in over the last few years (and my efforts have been small compared to some other people), I cannot help but see that as good value for money.
I also feel that having a professional on the job will give us the advantage of a new outlook, and one that is experienced in dealing with many of the issues we face. Hopefully a good professional manager will pay his way by improving the property and hence the resale value.
I do realise that switching to professional management may be controversial. Indeed I rather hope it will be. So I would say that if you have any thoughts or feelings on this at all, or if you are in any way concerned about the way the flats are run, then you should make the effort to attend the AGM. The decisions made this year are likely to be very significant for the future of the flats.
THE AGM - DETAILED STUFF
The Annual General Meeting of Epping Close Management Company will be held on Wednesday 26th February at 8pm in Committee Room 1 of Reading Civic Centre.
You should enter the Civic Centre through the main doors at the elevated walkway level, close to the entrance to the Hexagon, the rear entrance of the Broad Street Mall (Butts Centre) and the market. If there is no notice indicating directions to committee room 1, please ask one of the security guards for directions.
Any attendees arriving by car are recommended to park in Car Park B under the Civic Centre. This car park is accessed from the mini-roundabout on Castle Street and, after 6pm, is a pay and display car park. If anyone needs a lift from Epping Close, please contact a committee member and we will be glad to assist.
The following map shows the location of the Civic Centre:
