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january 2010
GNTOWER UPDATE Rendall & Rittner take over GNT management In December, the Board of Great Northern Tower Management Company Ltd appointed Rendall and Rittner Regional Limited (R&R) as new Managing Agents for the building. They have since been working with us, and with Stevens Scanlan, to get to grips with the details of whatʼs required. All concerned have shared the aim of making the handover as smooth as possible. This update has been produced by a group of leaseholders and residents who have a positive commitment to the Great Northern Tower; four of them act as initial Directors of GNTMC Ltd, the GNT management company, following takeover from the developers in spring 2009.
We asked R&R to act immediately on collecting the 2010 service charges for the building, so they wrote to every leaseholder before Christmas to introduce themselves, and to set out how the demand for 2010 was made up and explain how to pay. Some of of you have spoken to Matt Kirk of Rendall & Rittner since then, possibly as heʼs been around and about the building with the concierge team, and itʼs great to know that many of you have completed a direct debit form - thanks! (Though please see below if you havenʼt yet got round to it...it would be good to avoid unnecessary legal costs.) Operational handover for the remainder of the management responsibilities takes place at the end of January - to be precise, from a minute to midnight on Friday 29th. Stevens Scanlan will continue to work closely with us for another couple of weeks before their contract terminates.
service charge payable annually in advance, or by monthly DD, please Every leaseholder signed a lease to buy their flat which states that service charges for each year are payable in full at the beginning of the year. For effective management of the block and to be sure that regular commitments can be met comfortably, we have to make some changes for 2010, as set out in the last newsletter. Your service charges for 2010 will be payable as set out in the lease, i.e. the full amount in advance, due on 1st January unless you set up a direct debit arrangement for monthly payment. About a third of us have now done this, but this means two-thirds have not. Regretfully, we have had to ask R&R to commence legal action in February in respect of those who have taken no action. Details on the service charge for 2010 and how to pay were set out in the letter from Rendall & Rittner in December. For any clarification, please email matt.kirk@rendallandrittner.co.uk, or contact him by telephone on 0161 277 7610.
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GNT TOWER JANUARY 2010
thinking about alterations...? More flipping costs - sorry! Water meters have now been fitted to every flat, so in future you’ll only pay for what you use. United Utilities insist on billing us - GNTMC Ltd - for the fitting of the meters, and this will happen soon. We will then ask R&R to pass the cost on to leaseholders - this is likely to be in late February or March. However, we expect that many of us will recoup this cost in the first year or two of the new arrangement. So let’s look on the bright side!
2010...plan for action
One or two residents have had a bit of a shock when they’ve found out - a bit late in the day - that alterations they’ve carried out within their apartments have needed approval under the terms of their lease - moving or removing plasterboard walls. for example. By not getting this sorted out beforehand, they have unwittingly broken those ter ms, invalidated their insurance, and in two cases, caused problems to themselves, and in one case, neighbours, which have cost rather more than they expected to rectify. So please check first - Rendall & Rittner will confirm the position to you if you contact them with an outline of your plans at the outset.
Following inspection and discussion, a number of issues are being looked at: - Smoking stands for outside the main entrance as well as some simple wall mounted boxes for outside the entrances to the bike store and goods entrances. R&R have obtained smart, unobtrusive stands for another client which they think may suit GNT. See the following link - http://www.slingsby.com/c-247-highcapacity-ash-stand-slingsby.aspx
- Cleaning: R&R are of the view that cleaning is one of the most important items in any building, and suggest that an equipment upgrade (floor buffing machines, carpet cleaning apparatus, etc.) will help staff to keep the internal areas looking as good as they should be. A professional cleaning consultant (used successfully at W3 on Whitworth Street) will visit, assess what’s needed, and then provide training for GNT staff so that they are clear on what was needed. Carpet cleaning contractors will also provide quotations for cleaning the carpets. - Decoration: quotes will be sought for redecorating the entrance lobby and ground floor corridor, including repairing minor damage to the walls and painting the CCTV trunking grey to blend it in. - General - contractors will look at: the lobby lighting and provide quotations for replacing the lamps that are out; the damaged perspex/glass by the front desk, provide prices for brushed stainless steel corner/edge protectors, and provide a price for jet-cleaning all of the bins. Otis have been advised that GNT lifts should be added to the R&R portfolio, so that the the contract will be managed by independent lift specialists improving performance and value for money as well as lowering charges. - Finally, R&R will be meeting our key contractors in coming weeks to review what they've been doing and discuss any outstanding works.
Rendall & Rittner can be contacted by email at: matt.kirk@rendallandrittner.co.uk, or by telephone on 0161 277 7610.