Publishing Date; Thursday the 27th day of March 2025.

 

Q My husband and I purchased an apartment in Galway city centre a few years ago. For the most part we've had a good experience and thoroughly love location. But for months now the doorbell to our apartment has been broken. We've raised it several times with the management agent but all we hear is that it is the system needs to be updated and so they won't fix it until that update commences. We live on the third floor and are constantly having to go down when we think deliveries or guests are arriving. Is there anything we can do to get the management company to fix this issue? 

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A. The managing agent is appointed by the board of directors of the owners’ management company (OMC) and take instructions from them directly. The board of directors will have the agent operate within the means of the OMC. If the budget that was agreed at the previous AGM is not fully funded with members not paying their service charges, issues will present. When there is insufficient funding and or a lack of a plan for capital investment in the development, service delivery can fall short of expectations.

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There are fundamental limitations in the way an OMC can get all the money it needs to operate for the year. An agent can only procure services with the funds the OMC has at its disposal. If there is no plan for capital investment such as a Building Investment Fund (BIF) to inform the Sinking Fund allocation, surprises will constantly occur. The OMC should present a BIF to all the members in advance of an AGM for transparency and to disqualify any other Sinking Fund contribution that is proposed whereas as to do so would be without evidence-based data. If you and your fellow members reject the BIF, expect continued failures in services and a fall in the value of your property.

 

It is an expensive and time-consuming project to replace the intercom system in a development. All members need to be available to allow access which is no simple task when there are likely bad debtors and unobtainable landlords frustrating progress. Depending on the condition of the system either the handset in each property and or the door intercom is to be replaced and or the entire wiring may also need to be replaced. There are new systems available but be cautious of new tech that require software updates on both the system and phone apps. The OMC should arrange for quotations and if it is significant, include the members with the project information, if this was done it would likely allay your concerns and inform you on the plan. Raise this matter at the next AGM if your letters continue to go unanswered.

 

Paul Huberman FSCSI FRICS is a chartered property and facilities manager, and a Fellow of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland and the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors. 

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Author: Paul Huberman of H&H Property Management Consultants Ltd

Publish Date: 27/03/2025