THE EX-FACTOR
mclaren drive, Mossend - housing factor story
RESIDENTS of a housing estate in Mossend are looking for a new property maintenance factor after the firm who previously did the job suspended its services following a cash row.
People living in the Stoneways Park estate were angered earlier this year when they received demands from Kirkintilloch-based Apex Property Factor asking them to stump up £100 per household to be used as a ‘float’
The residents were concerned that they knew nothing about the reliability the firm who took over responsibility for the estate when the previous factors FSE (Scotland) Ltd went into liquidation.
And when, at a meeting arranged by local councillor Frank McNally, they said they were reluctant to pay up the firm suspended its servicing of the estate which includes Glenfinnan Grove, Culloden Avenue, McKeown Gardens and McLaren Drive.
Now the residents have set up their own residents’ association and are preparing to go it alone by putting factoring services out to tender.
Suzanne Mitchell, chairperson of the new Stoneways Park Residents’ Association, said: “The first we knew FSE had gone into liquidation was when we got a demand from Apex saying that we owed them money.
“The residents were up in arms because they had paid the previous factor up until the end of July and we knew nothing about Apex.
“We said we weren’t prepared to pay Apex because they weren’t the factor of our choosing and Apex then said they would suspend their services within the estate.
“We are now looking for another factor and are approaching firms to see if they would be interested with a view to putting the factoring arrangements out to tender.
“It’s a lengthy process and because we don’t have a factor in place at the moment the estate is getting into a state of disrepair.
“But the residents have been doing their best to look after common areas and try to keep things ticking over until permanent arrangements can be made.
“All the committee members have been working really hard to try to get the situation resolved as quickly as possible and we’re also very grateful to Councillor McNally who has been a tremendous help in arranging meetings and advising us.”
LIMBO
Councillor McNally said: “The residents weren’t happy about the way things had been handled and when Apex more or less resigned on the spot they were left in limbo.
“But now that they have set up their own bona fide residents’ association - we have helped them go through the various proper channels - they will be looking to go out to tender in the very near future..”
Apex director Christine Davidson Bakhshaee confirmed the firm had withdrawn its services for the moment.
She said: “At the meeting there was a minority speaking for the majority who said everyone was to stop paying until they resolved this and put their association in place.
“On that basis we said we would have to suspend services until they decide how they want to go forward. We are still the factor but have suspended all our services and are now waiting to hear from them.”
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Weather for Motherwell, Scotland
Tuesday 21 May 2013
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