The leaseholders decided that the most effective way forward was to take control of the management from the Landlord, and change agents. Initially, we met with about 9 flat owners and explained the RTM process and and management services. From a Right to Manage perspective, it was a fairly complex set-up. There are 2 blocks on the development and parts of the freehold development had been sold off to other landlords. There remained a shared access way, gardens and shared car park.

Our Legal & Compliance Director worked as a solicitor specialising in property law for 10 years before joining Pembroke PM. She oversees out all our RTM claims and is an expert in Right to Manage legislation. We knew exactly what the RTM Company was entitled to manage within the development. The RTM Claim Notice was carefully drafted and submitted to the Landlord.

The Landlord’s solicitor responded and requested numerous documents relating to the company and the methods we used for serving the notices on non-members. They carried out a thorough examination of the claim. Once they were satisfied with the validity of the claim they acknowledged that the leaseholders had successfully acquired the Right to Manage.

During the 3 month management handover period we sourced new contractors to carry out the maintenance of the building, grounds and services on site. We prepared a budget for approval by the directors. For the first time, the leaseholders gained an understanding of the service charge costs up front, and they could have their queries answered. In the first year of handover, Pembroke PM saved leaseholders £7000 compared to their service charge payments in the previous year.

Regent Property assisted Laurie House with their Right To Manage process to enable them to take control of the building away from the freeholder and return the power to the property owners.

A formal RTM company was created and the residents now control the decisions for their own building.

Regent Property also covered all of the legal costs involved with this process and will be willing to do the same for other clients looking to initiate the RTM process

We helped the leaseholder canvas other leaseholders for support by providing them with the tangible benefits of carrying out Right to Manage. It made the Leaseholds comfortable with the idea once we highlighted that the Right to Manage process would be carried out by our Legal Services Director. Most leaseholders didn’t know it was possible to carry out the Right to Manage.

The leaseholders were asked to get in touch with their telephone numbers/email addresses so that we could organise a meeting to discuss next steps.

We immediately applied to Companies house to register the company and prepared Notices to Participate to serve on all those leaseholders who did not attend the meeting, inviting them to also become members. We are obliged by law to wait 14 days before the Notice of Claim can be served on the Landlord.

The Notice of Claim was sent to the Landlord and other parties to the lease. The Landlord did make contact with us immediately after receiving the notice. We explained the process to them and highlighted the Landlord Duties with regards the claim.

The Landlord is given a deadline date to respond which is at least one month after the notice is served. We didn’t here anything else from them until the final day they had to respond. If they hadn’t responded then we would have automatically been awarded the Right to Manage. We received a letter from the Landlords Solicitor on the final day saying they didn’t dispute the claim.