Response from CIty Island Management Company
Below is an email from Guy Willman, the guy who manages City Island on Behalf of Accent Property Management.
It is a response to our initial email to Accent which you can read below in a post called "Frist Email to Accent Property Management Group", and he has addressed each issue in turn, namely, Secure Parking, Illegal Parking, Maintenance, Window Cleaning, 24 hour security, and Recyling.
I suspect we all have a very different view from Guy's perceptions and I will contact him soon to discuss all of your concerns.
Let us know what you think of Guys response at CITYISLANDLEEDS@GOOGLEMAIL.COM.
Dear City Island Residents Association.
As I think you are already aware I am a Portfolio Manager with AccentProperty Solutions with responsibility for City Island.
May I first of all apologise for not personally replying to your e-mail of28th June 2006 before now. I have been away from the office until this morning and I have only now had the opportunity to respond.
I am very concerned to learn of your disatisfaction with the service whichwe provide - I hope that the following responses to the points raised inyour e-mail are helpful.
1. Secure Parking
I readily appreciate your concern about the problems with the electric carpark shutter. We have experienced a range of problems with the shutter inrecent months. In January the drive motor failed and required replacement -unfortunately it took some weeks for the new motor to be supplied andinstalled although every effort was made to complete the repair as quicklyas possible. More recently there have been repeated problems of vehicledrivers colliding with the bottom edge of the shutter as they try to enteror leave the car park before the shutter is fully open. This has the effectof distorting the "safety strip" on the bottom of the shutter whichdisables the equipment until the strip is straightened. This repeateddamage has led to failure of cabling within the shutter - replacementcabling has been ordered. It was understood that a temporary repair hadbeen carried out pending supply and installation of the replacement partsbut I am informed that the shutter has again been out of operation for somedays. I have instructed the maintenance contractors to re-attend as amatter of urgency.
2. Illegal Parking
I share your concern about inappropriate parking , especially in theentrance to the piazza. I have recently instructed our car parkingenforcement contractor to enforce parking restrictions in this area - youmay have noticed that warning notices are now in place. I am in process of negotiating more frequent attendance by our enforcement contractor and ourConcierge/security contractor will also seek to intervene to require theremoval of vehicles wherever practicable.
As I am sure you will appreciate we are not able to take direct action inrespect of vehicles parked on the highway. However we have been liaisingwith Leeds City Council and they now patrol Gotts Road on a regular basis.
3. Maintenance
I am aware of recent lift breakdowns and lighting problems and I can confirm that as soon as we receive reports of failures, either direct to us or via the Management Suite, we immediately arrange for lift engineers toattend. We have maintenance contracts for all lifts and any malfunctionsshould be attended to quickly. Repairs may of course be delayed ifreplacement parts are required but I am not aware that this has been thecase recently.
I will remind our staff of the need to ensure that lift malfunctions arereported to our contractor without delay.
The problem of potentially loose wooden treads to the stairs leading fromthe entrance foyers has been raised with the developer as a latent defect.
4. Window cleaning
When we were appointed as managing agent we were advised that we were onlyrequired to arrange for the cleaning of windows to communal areas as allapartment windows were capable of being cleaned from inside the apartments. More recently it has become apparent that this is not the case and we are seeking to make arrangements to have all windows cleaned.
Unfortunately many of these windows can only be accessed by means of abseiling from fixedpoints around the development. We have not been provided with details ofthe location of the fixed points and despite repeated requests to the developer, architect and developers agent we have not been provided withthe necessary information. We are now using our knowledge of the site to estimate the location of the fixed points. It will then be necessary to make arrangements with the leaseholders of the relevant apartments to allowaccess for testing of the fixed points and for subsequent cleaningoperations. Our Concierge was making progress with this work but, as youmay know, he has not been at work for several weeks and there has thereforebeen a further delay. I will seek to complete this matter and extend windowcleaning services as quickly as possible.
5. 24 Hour Security
I am extremely concerned to learn of the allegations of marijuana smokingby security staff. I would like, as a matter of urgency to talk to theperson(s) who witnessed this behaviour in order that I may take appropriate action. I have raised this matter with the Security Company which provides our out of hours service but I would very much like to have firm evidence if possible.
I do make spot checks at City Island out of office hours and I have not,as yet, identified any inappropriate behahviour. I do, however take this allegation very seriously and I would greatly appreciate any relevant information.
6. Recycling
Shortly after first occupation of City Island I met with the recycling manager of Leeds City Council to establish what recycling arrangements could be provided on site. Unfortunately due to the very limited refuse arrangements at City Island we were not able to identify any practical provision for recycling as all refuse facilities at that time were not only fully used but were also being seriously mis-used which left us with very little confidence that there would be sufficient committment from residents to use any special facilities responsibly.
We did however agree to reconsider the position if the amount of refuse generated on site allows both in terms of the potential for recycling and the freeing up of suitablespace for the special containers etc. I have recently agreed to support a feasibility study into the potential and practicalities of recycling arrangements at City Island and I am currently awaiting a detailed proposal.
I have also recently commissioned an independent study into the potential for energy conservation measures to be introduced. I have just received the study report and I am hopeful that we will be able to introduce substantial energy saving measures in the near future.
Please be assured that we are committed to achieving high standards of management at City Island. I would be very happy indeed to work closely with a representative residents association and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with yourself and other residents with a view todeveloping a formal relationship. I would be grateful therefore if youwould consider meeting me to discuss these matters further. I would be veryhappy to meet one evening.
I look forward to hearing from you. I can be contacted by telephone on 01274 534920.
Guy Wilman
Portfolio Manager
It is a response to our initial email to Accent which you can read below in a post called "Frist Email to Accent Property Management Group", and he has addressed each issue in turn, namely, Secure Parking, Illegal Parking, Maintenance, Window Cleaning, 24 hour security, and Recyling.
I suspect we all have a very different view from Guy's perceptions and I will contact him soon to discuss all of your concerns.
Let us know what you think of Guys response at CITYISLANDLEEDS@GOOGLEMAIL.COM.
Dear City Island Residents Association.
As I think you are already aware I am a Portfolio Manager with AccentProperty Solutions with responsibility for City Island.
May I first of all apologise for not personally replying to your e-mail of28th June 2006 before now. I have been away from the office until this morning and I have only now had the opportunity to respond.
I am very concerned to learn of your disatisfaction with the service whichwe provide - I hope that the following responses to the points raised inyour e-mail are helpful.
1. Secure Parking
I readily appreciate your concern about the problems with the electric carpark shutter. We have experienced a range of problems with the shutter inrecent months. In January the drive motor failed and required replacement -unfortunately it took some weeks for the new motor to be supplied andinstalled although every effort was made to complete the repair as quicklyas possible. More recently there have been repeated problems of vehicledrivers colliding with the bottom edge of the shutter as they try to enteror leave the car park before the shutter is fully open. This has the effectof distorting the "safety strip" on the bottom of the shutter whichdisables the equipment until the strip is straightened. This repeateddamage has led to failure of cabling within the shutter - replacementcabling has been ordered. It was understood that a temporary repair hadbeen carried out pending supply and installation of the replacement partsbut I am informed that the shutter has again been out of operation for somedays. I have instructed the maintenance contractors to re-attend as amatter of urgency.
2. Illegal Parking
I share your concern about inappropriate parking , especially in theentrance to the piazza. I have recently instructed our car parkingenforcement contractor to enforce parking restrictions in this area - youmay have noticed that warning notices are now in place. I am in process of negotiating more frequent attendance by our enforcement contractor and ourConcierge/security contractor will also seek to intervene to require theremoval of vehicles wherever practicable.
As I am sure you will appreciate we are not able to take direct action inrespect of vehicles parked on the highway. However we have been liaisingwith Leeds City Council and they now patrol Gotts Road on a regular basis.
3. Maintenance
I am aware of recent lift breakdowns and lighting problems and I can confirm that as soon as we receive reports of failures, either direct to us or via the Management Suite, we immediately arrange for lift engineers toattend. We have maintenance contracts for all lifts and any malfunctionsshould be attended to quickly. Repairs may of course be delayed ifreplacement parts are required but I am not aware that this has been thecase recently.
I will remind our staff of the need to ensure that lift malfunctions arereported to our contractor without delay.
The problem of potentially loose wooden treads to the stairs leading fromthe entrance foyers has been raised with the developer as a latent defect.
4. Window cleaning
When we were appointed as managing agent we were advised that we were onlyrequired to arrange for the cleaning of windows to communal areas as allapartment windows were capable of being cleaned from inside the apartments. More recently it has become apparent that this is not the case and we are seeking to make arrangements to have all windows cleaned.
Unfortunately many of these windows can only be accessed by means of abseiling from fixedpoints around the development. We have not been provided with details ofthe location of the fixed points and despite repeated requests to the developer, architect and developers agent we have not been provided withthe necessary information. We are now using our knowledge of the site to estimate the location of the fixed points. It will then be necessary to make arrangements with the leaseholders of the relevant apartments to allowaccess for testing of the fixed points and for subsequent cleaningoperations. Our Concierge was making progress with this work but, as youmay know, he has not been at work for several weeks and there has thereforebeen a further delay. I will seek to complete this matter and extend windowcleaning services as quickly as possible.
5. 24 Hour Security
I am extremely concerned to learn of the allegations of marijuana smokingby security staff. I would like, as a matter of urgency to talk to theperson(s) who witnessed this behaviour in order that I may take appropriate action. I have raised this matter with the Security Company which provides our out of hours service but I would very much like to have firm evidence if possible.
I do make spot checks at City Island out of office hours and I have not,as yet, identified any inappropriate behahviour. I do, however take this allegation very seriously and I would greatly appreciate any relevant information.
6. Recycling
Shortly after first occupation of City Island I met with the recycling manager of Leeds City Council to establish what recycling arrangements could be provided on site. Unfortunately due to the very limited refuse arrangements at City Island we were not able to identify any practical provision for recycling as all refuse facilities at that time were not only fully used but were also being seriously mis-used which left us with very little confidence that there would be sufficient committment from residents to use any special facilities responsibly.
We did however agree to reconsider the position if the amount of refuse generated on site allows both in terms of the potential for recycling and the freeing up of suitablespace for the special containers etc. I have recently agreed to support a feasibility study into the potential and practicalities of recycling arrangements at City Island and I am currently awaiting a detailed proposal.
I have also recently commissioned an independent study into the potential for energy conservation measures to be introduced. I have just received the study report and I am hopeful that we will be able to introduce substantial energy saving measures in the near future.
Please be assured that we are committed to achieving high standards of management at City Island. I would be very happy indeed to work closely with a representative residents association and I would welcome the opportunity to meet with yourself and other residents with a view todeveloping a formal relationship. I would be grateful therefore if youwould consider meeting me to discuss these matters further. I would be veryhappy to meet one evening.
I look forward to hearing from you. I can be contacted by telephone on 01274 534920.
Guy Wilman
Portfolio Manager
posted by City Island Residents Group at 6:42 PM
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