July 2009 Update

july 09

GNTOWER UPDATE

This update has been produced by a group of leaseholders and residents who have a positive commitment to the Great Northern Tower

moving forward at Great Northern Tower Security measures Work to improve the security of the block is continuing. Fobs to the pedestrian and vehicle doors will be reprogrammed on 14/15th July, for all residents/leaseholders who have confirmed their status to Stevens Scanlan. These arrangements were set out in detail in the last update. For your fobs to give you access to the building after mid-July, Stevens Scalan will need to have seen a copy of your lease or tenancy agreement, and confirmed to the Head Concierge that you are a legitimate key-holder and that reprogramming can take place. We are also been looking at restricting access to to specific floors when using the lifts. We’re currently assessing the

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practicality and cost of reprogramming the lift panels, so that a specific code will to take you to your floor, but not give access to others. Fob access to the stairways to the car parks, and to the double doors by the postboxes is also being costed. Legal advice We are reviewing the legal advice available to the management company, and will make an appointment this month, following interviews. We need advice from time-to-time on various issues, such as on contractual issues, lease preparation, disputes, and the “by-thenight” lets problem - see over the page for the latest from Late Rooms. DLA will continue to provide legal services in the area of payments and arrears.

Window cleaning Problems with window cleaning over recent years have often been because the access cradles have been broken, with various contractors blaming each other. New measures to “check them in” (and out) so that any damage can be identified, rectified and charged for are in hand. Meanwhile, the last clean was done using rope access. This seems to have been a real success. STOP PRESS: Epernay will attempt a new Guinness World Record (with champagne!) in the square this month... SEE OVER: Late Rooms abuse; resident and leaseholder meetings; success with United Utilities..

GNTGN TOWER JULY 09 update

Next meeting: 30th July, 6.30pm at the Radisson Hotel. A quarterly meetings schedule will be announced shortly: the October meeting will run alongside the Annual General Meeting.

If you’d like to get involved, - please contact Alex Normand at Stevens Scanlan in the first instance: 0161 233 3066, or alex.normand@ scanlans.com

resident and leaseholder meetings The next meeting will be on 30th July at 6.30pm in the Radisson Hotel: a meeting room has been organised. Standing agenda items include maintenance, water metering and charging, electricity costs, and the constant topic of concern - security. We’ve had a great results from the lobbying on water charging - United Utilities have now quoted to fit individual water meters to every apartment. A timetable is now being discussed. Thanks to all who helped! Getting a GNT web forum up and running would be great - we’re still hoping there might be expertise out there to get something going. Epernay are keen to come along and meet residents - they’re keen that we are both good neighbours. Having had customers on their balcony hit by dropped fag-ends hasn’t helped... Message to whoever that was - for goodness sake, get a grip!

Next meeting and AGM: October Late Rooms etc - still (very) trying!!! We have a few anti-social leaseholders still looking to make a quick buck at our expense through “by-the-night” lets. These have been a major source of noise, damage and security worries - and are entirely in breach of the terms of every single GNT lease. Late Rooms.com is the primary route for these illegal lets, and they have been informed in writing of the position. However, after initially suspending GNT listings for a few days, they have come back to us saying this: “We’ve had this issue come up a number of times at properties and it has yet to be resolved by anyone.  Owners such as yourselves indicate the operators act unlawfully, the operators state they are acting fine and it isn’t for the owners to ask to remove from LateRooms.com.  Until this is ever proven in the courts, it will remain a grey area.  With regards to police involvement, whilst the police will rightly say they will get involved if they are acting outside their lease agreements, the operators indicate they are operating within these terms so there is no basis for the police to be involved.   As such LateRooms.com is placed in a difficult position.  We have a statement here from the operator which states:“I am comfortable that I am selling within my terms and conditions of lease and that you can reassure us all guest stays will be successful as I meet all my guests”   And with this statement, LateRooms.com has no basis to continue to suspend the properties’ listing from LateRooms.com.  The operators feel quite strongly that we should not be taking your word in the first place, and that by them agreeing to our terms and conditions, they are effectively stating they are able to take short-term bookings from LateRooms.com. This leaves us in the position that we will have to reinstate the properties.  This is now a matter directly between yourselves and the operator(s) concerned, and you would need to take it up directly with them.  LateRooms.com will only remove if it is proven that the operators should not be selling in this manner, or the operator requests that we stop selling them.  The operators continue to have responsibility for their listing and any damage.” This is very disappointing. Clearly, we have a few very persistent “operators” - ie leaseholders who want to continue breaching the terms of their lease, and who will bend the facts to do so. “Meeting” their “guests” doesn’t prevent subsequent drunken, abusive and violent behaviour, disturbance to legitimate residents, or damage to the block, including expensive lift repairs. This is our home, not a hotel. We have sent the LateRooms.com response to the Police, who share our concerns on the continued abuse of GNT by these people, as well as to our lawyers. We will also be discussing the matter with the City Council.

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