MAJOR WORKS
Why have I been sent a consultation notice?
Consultation notices are statutory. Whenever we plan to carry
out works to a block that are likely to cost a homeowner more than
£250, we are required by law to serve a formal consultation notice
(Section 20 notice) that includes a description of the proposed
works and your estimate towards them.
Will I be required to pay for the works?
Yes. As your landlord, we have an obligation to repair and renew
the common and structural parts of your building and, where
applicable, the estate. Under the terms of your lease, you are
required to pay a proportion of any costs we incur in carrying out
this work.
Is the cost of this work covered by my Service
Charges?
Your service charges are for the provision of day-to-day
services. They do not cover the cost of Major Works that need be
carried out from time to time.
How does Trafford Housing Trust decide what work needs
to be carried out?
There are several criteria that determine when major works are
carried out, as follows...
- When components are old and in poor condition [roofs, windows,
pointing]
- Apparatus has reached the end of their standard industry life
cycle and replacement is required to maintain safe operation
[lifts, secure entrance doors, fire alarms]
- Compliance with changes in legislation - Fire Safety Order 2005
- replacement of individual flat doors
- Agreed service provision - cyclical painting programme - agreed
in the pre-transfer offer document, currently set at every 7 years
for external painting and every 5 years for communal stairs /
landings
Are there any limitations?
You must pay your reasonable proportion of costs. However, if
you purchased your property through Right To Buy or Right to
Acquire within the last five years, your contribution will be
limited to those works specified on your Section 125 notice in your
Offer of Sale. Similarly, if you have a lease that pre-dates 1987,
you may not be expected to contribute towards brand-new
installations that did not exist in any form beforehand (for
example, the installation of a brand-new door entry
system).
Can I opt out of having this work done?
It is not possible for you to simply opt out of having this work
done. We have an obligation to repair and maintain or improve the
structural and common parts of the building and to keep it in good
order and condition for all residents. However, this
consultation does give you the opportunity to influence the
specification of works.
How does Trafford Housing Trust expect me to pay this
invoice?
We have developed a range of flexible repayment options that
should allow you to settle the major works charges. The
options are available on our leaflet entitled "Financial Assistance
for Leaseholders" which was distributed to every leaseholder.
You can contact us for the leaflet and we can send this to
you. Alternatively, you can access the leaflet on via our
website, www.traffordhousingtrust.co.uk. We
have benchmarked with other housing organisations and adopted the
best financial options to ensure we have provided you with as much
choice as possible.
When you receive an invoice for Major Works, it is important to
contact our Finance Team to arrange a repayment option within 30
calendar days of the date of that invoice. If you do not,
your account will fall into arrears and you risk legal proceedings
being taken against you. Please contact a member of the
Finance Team on 0300 777 7777 if you would like to come discuss
repayment options.
Can I nominate a contractor to do this
work?
If you receive a consultation notice for a one-off contract, you
will generally have the opportunity to nominate a contractor.
However, if the work is being procured under an existing agreement,
you may not have the opportunity to nominate an alternative
contractor. For further information, please refer to your
consultation notice.
How will Trafford Housing Trust ensure that work is
carried out to a high standard?
Our Regeneration Team will monitor all the work and will ensure
that they are carried out to a good standard. If you have any
issues regarding the quality of works, you should contact the
Regeneration Team on 0300 777 7777. It may be helpful to
explain your issue further by supplying evidence, such as notes,
dates and photographs. Please do not wait to raise such issues
until you receive an invoice. It may be more difficult to resolve
any problems once the contractors have left the site. If we
carry out works under an existing agreement, the contractors are
monitored on criteria including customer care, customer
satisfaction, cost and quality of works. It is in the contractor's
interests to ensure that work is completed on time and to the
required standard to ensure the continuation of the long-term
agreement. As part of the arrangement, contractors are required to
remedy any defects discovered within 12 months of work completing
on site at no additional expense to leaseholders.
How do I know that the way this work has been procured
represents best value for leaseholders?
Tendering and evaluation processes are carried out in accordance
with the Trust's financial regulations and procurement procedures
to ensure best value is obtained. It should be noted that the
Trust is not obliged to accept the lowest priced tender returned by
contractors. Tenders are evaluated on a balance of quality and
costs.
Will the work be guaranteed?
All works carried out, generally, have a standard 12 month
defect liability period, during which any remedial works caused as
a result of faulty materials and/or workmanship would be at the
contractor's expense.
Where manufacturers offer guarantees on certain
materials/components/ workmanship - any remedial works required
during the guarantee period will not be recharged to
leaseholders.
If work starts and I am not happy with how things are
progressing, what should I do?
Your first point of contact for any issues that may arise should
be our Regeneration Team. Should you not receive a satisfactory
answer, the Trust has appointed a Leaseholder Lead to manage any
issues you have at your block.
What is the 'contingency sum' for?
A contingency sum is included to cover the cost of any relevant
unforeseen works that come to light during the project. If no extra
works are needed this sum will not be charged.
What are covered by 'preliminaries'?
Preliminaries are the contractor's costs associated with
managing all works that are undertaken. They typically include site
set-up (including personnel who will manage the works) and the cost
of utility services that are used during the works, for
example, water, electricity, etc. Contract documents
usually require preliminaries to be costed separately from the main
works so we can evaluate whether these costs are a true reflection
of site set and running costs.
What is the administration charge for?
The administration charge is the cost of leaseholder
services/administration, Regeneration, Finance and other Trust
staff monitoring and overseeing the project whilst carrying out
statutory consultation, calculating invoices and collecting Major
Works charges from leaseholders.
What is the professional fee for?
The professional fee covers the provision of construction
technical and professional officers necessary to manage and control
the contractors and suppliers engaged to deliver the scheme on
site. This will include Project Managers, Contract Administrators,
Cost Managers, Resident Liaison Managers, Clerks of Works, Planning
Supervisors, and other professional support where required for
specialist works such as electrical and mechanical installations,
or any architectural or surveying inputs.
How can I find out more or make
observations?
Please read the notice carefully as you may wish to comment.
Observations must be made in writing within 30
days of the date on the notice using the contact details
provided.
How can I find out more about my rights as a
Leaseholder?
This notice is being served under the provisions of the
Commonhold & Leasehold Reform Act 2002. Further information may
be obtained by contacting the following independent organisation
which provides free advice:
Leasehold Advisory Service (LEASE)
Tel: 020 7383 9800
Email: info@lease-advice.org
Website: http://www.lease-advice.org/
Further information is also available in a publication provided
by the Communities and Local Government entitled "Residential Long
Leaseholders - A guide to your rights and responsibilities" which
is available via their website, as follows:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/housing/booklet
However, if you cannot access this leaflet, please contact your
Leaseholder Lead on 0300 777 7777
or mia.james@traffordhousingtrust.co.uk
and we can arrange to have the leaflet sent to you.
Leaseholder's Section Links