www.londonyard.com

LYMC CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 2002

 Christine Inglis

MANAGING AGENT

Following resignations and replacement of DGA personnel this year some elements of the service on site did not meet our expectations. 

As a result of this, the Board

-          drew up a schedule of our expectations of a managing agent

-          asked for the representative to be replaced

-          asked DGA for a reduction in fees for this year and

-          wrote to several other managing agents to check what they could do for us.  Not all replies have been received and they will be the subject of a meeting in February.

However, we are pleased to report that:

-          since Nigel Golder assumed direct responsibility for London Yard,         matters have much improved

-          Howard Weinstein has recently been appointed to take care of the Yard and is actively addressing the problems he has inherited.  Howard is part of Woods, another firm in the group including DGA and the contract will be reassigned at the beginning of the financial year.   

-          DGA has agreed to reduce the charges for this year by 10%

COMMUNICATION

Shareholders first approach in case of problems should be made to the managing agent and in the minutes will be full details of telephone numbers and email and postal addresses of the managing agent.

If no response is received by all means drop a note through the door of a director who will then take up the matter for you   

SECURITY

Following problems reported at the last AGM, quotes were taken from a number of security firms and a committee appointed to interview 4 prospective suppliers.  Interviews were held with the tendering company and the guards they were proposing to assign to us. Alamo was appointed and immediate improvements were noted in visibility and efficiency of the new guard.  There have been some changes to personnel, initially because Augustine could earn more elswewhere, and there is a possibility of his coming back to us,  but no problems have been reported recently.   

We invited a Met Police officer to visit the Yard in June and he walked around the site  with several residents to give advice on security.  The Board supported and actioned his recommendations including trimming foliage and increasing lighting.   Additional lights are still to be erected.    

CCTV provision was thoroughly investigated and rejected mainly for reasons of cost and the Met Police advice that CCTV is not wonderfully effective. 

SATELLITE TV

This has been an item on the agenda of most board meetings this year.  The problem is a nutshell is:

1.       Many yarders feel that provision of satellite TV is necessary to bring London Yard up to date and to enhance value of the properties.

2.       Erection of dishes on the walls is against the terms of the lease and is an eyesore.

3.       The referendum of shareholders showed the majority to be against installation of communal satellite tv, mainly because of cost.

4.       The Board were under the impression until very recently that this fell into “unnecessary” expenditure, requiring 100% agreement of owners.

However recent legal advice is that dishes are aerials and  aerials are deemed a necessity that is within the Board’s remit to update and replace. 

5.       As many “no” voters indicated that it was a cost issue, more quotations were sent for.  One of the respondents, Nick Simpson of Community Vision, a company that has supplied communal satellite dishes to other complexes on the island, attended the December Board meeting to explain what he could do for us.  

6.        The cost would be c£180 per unit, this and the logistics of installation are still under discussion and will be reported to shareholders when and if the Board feel that it is viable.

MISCELLANEOUS

The Board wishes to thank Simon Hollingworth for producing an extensive  maintenance list with photographs which DGA has added to the ongoing maintenance schedule.