7 minute read
CommeNt: ClampiNg CHaos CoNtiNues
Clamping chaos continues
Illegal parking is a major issue for leaseholders and it’s time their voice was heard, says Lesley Davis
how ironic that legislation currently going through parliament that includes the proposed ban on clamping and towing away on private land is called the Freedom Bill. the reality is that this section of the Bill will only serve to erode the freedom of leaseholders around the country to retain their own parking spaces – surely not too much to ask on private land? as Fpra chairman Bob smytherman pointed out in a letter to henry smith mp in november, “...the proposed ban is contrary to the coalition’s Big society objectives since it removes the freedom of thousands of small community-level leasehold and residents’ associations to manage their estates as they choose”.
as regular readers will know, Flat living is supporting the campaign by arma, the Fpra, the british parking association (bpa) and other interest groups to amend the Freedom bill and allow clamping to continue in certain circumstances. surely it would be far better for the government to bite the bullet and regulate the industry, retaining the benefits of responsible clamping than to simply sweep away this useful weapon in the battle against illegal parking. we are all aware of the abuses carried out by rogue clamping companies, but as the bpa points out, to blanket-ban clamping because of a few cowboys is like banning cars to prevent speeding. arma’s public affairs officer, tim taylor, says “arma has been working very closely with the bpa since this issue arose and very much supports the bpa’s approved operator scheme whereby all clampers would have to be licensed. this must make more sense that a total ban”. arma has also written to the Home secretary pointing out the potential damage the ban could do to leaseholders but has not yet received a response. so while the property industry campaigns on behalf of leaseholders, what can residents do to help themselves? on page 44 of this issue, patrick troy of the bpa looks in detail at the alternatives to clamping – none of which provide a quick fix to the problem. barriers are costly to install, not suitable for all blocks and potentially cause a nuisance to other drivers. ticketing is a toothless tiger while it remains unregulated; and the police – with more important problems to deal with – are not that interested. bob smytherman believes that if the right to clamp is lost to leaseholders, private car parking will be “inundated with illegally parked cars, which will make residents’ lives a misery”. it seems property managers around the country agree with him. Nearly 150 arma members responded to a survey on parking controls last year, revealing strong views (see box below). the Freedom bill is likely to be enacted in the next few months but in the meantime, arma is encouraging its members and residents to make their views known. arma has circulated a template letter for members and their clients to work with in lobbying their local mps so contact arma if you would like more information.
lesley davis is a freelance journalist and editor
Clamping – what do ARMA members think?
• I utilise methods of parking enforcement at my sites because abuse of private land is a growing problem – 93% agree. • I believe that the proposal to ban clamping and towing away on private land will prevent me being able to effectively manage parking on sites – 84% agree. • The ability to use ticketing as the primary means of enforcement of illegal parkers on my site is not enough of a deterrent – 81% agree. • The prevailing legislation whereby drivers can ignore parking tickets by stating ‘I was not the driver’ needs to be changed – 91% agree. • I believe that a total ban on wheel-clamping is not the answer. The industry needs to be properly regulated in order to protect the interests of landowners, residents and motorists – 93% agree. When asked what the consequences of the proposed ban are likely to be, the overwhelming response was – “chaos and aggravation”.
Power to the people
Anthony Tokatly is managing director of Surrey-based JJ Homes. He talks to Flat Living about leaseholder’s rights and running a successful business
Question: What is it about the leasehold sector that interests you?
answer: JJ Homes has been around since 1960. in the intervening years, property legislation has changed almost beyond recognition and the increasing rights of leaseholders mean that they are now in the driving seat: if they want to extend their lease, they can, at a pre-defined price laid down by law. if they want to buy their freehold - no problem - they can, at a pre-defined price laid down by law. these two factors alone have made the property management industry one of the most dynamic and challenging around. leaseholder empowerment has created big opportunities for all not previously possible. the sector is currently undergoing huge change in many areas and hence we see a major opportunity for JJ Homes to capitalise. resident directors are now firmly in control and we work with them closely on a daily basis to implement innovative, pro-active solutions to help manage their properties that previously were not being driven through by indifferent freeholders. bring on power to the people!
Question: What is your company’s strategy for the next 12 months?
answer: there is nothing more satisfying than growth through recommendation – we have grown consistently and manageably year on year…every year. our strategy is to continually strive to offer the best service we can by continually fine-tuning our service offering. we achieve this by listening to our clients and gaining valuable feedback from them on a daily basis. we evaluate and consolidate this feedback in quarterly brainstorming sessions with all members of staff and come away from these sessions with at least two or three ideas which are converted into tangible client benefits. this is our strategy for the next 12 months…and beyond.
Question: What is the key to successful property management?
answer: one word…people. we do not sell a product - what we do sell is a service. this service has to be spot-on. we recruit only the highest calibre people to ensure this happens through all areas of the company. to this end each employee has a small share in the company and their performance is evaluated and rewarded on a quarterly basis. we believe in keeping and incentivising staff for the long term - internal promotion is an integral part of this process. to give just one example, pam ashton started as a property manager with us six years ago. she is now general manager and has a major equity share.
Question: What is the best thing about property management?
answer: we all love a challenge and managing people’s homes is way up there. when everything is going well, arrears are down, routine works are swimming along fine and residents are regularly informed of issues, there is nothing more satisfying than attending a directors meeting when they all have smiles on their faces and are freed-up to talk through innovative ideas to move the development forward. one of the ideas which is gaining in popularity is installing turbines and photovoltaic cells on the roofs of developments. these can be government funded and self financing and we see this as the future of power supply to large buildings. what could be more satisfying then helping to save the environment?
Question: And the worst?
answer: we all have good days and not so good days. the key is to do the best you can. understanding the issues and, at times, frustrations of residents is paramount and to manage their expectations and deliver realistic cost effective solutions to all.
Question: What do you do in your spare time?
answer: spare time is something of a rarity. i do believe the key to a successful life is balance, so i do make sure i achieve this. i play tennis twice a week and represent my local club in the surrey leagues…i am also a keen (warm weather) sailor but can forget that now until the spring !!!
