Elm Group

Nov 8th, 2022

Poor service, slow response time for critical support
Sep 20th, 2022

Great place to work!
Jun 20th, 2022

May 11th, 2022

UPDATE SOME 6 MONTHS AFTER THE REVIEW UNDER PLEASE SEE CURRENT PHOTOS SHOWING DAMP PENETRATION INTERNALLY AND EXTERNALLY STILL TAKING PLACE. AN ATTEMPT WAS BADLY MADE TO REMEDY DEFECTIVE EXTERNAL CONSTRUCTION WORK BUT THIS WAS INCOMPLETE AND INEFFECTIVE AND THE INTERNAL DAMP REMAINS UNCHECKED. THIS IS AFTER A PERIOD OF BETWEEN ONE AND TWO YEARS. IN OCTOBER 2020 ELM ADVISED THEY WERE TO SERVE S20 NOTICES RELATING TO EXTERNAL REPAIR AND DECORATION WITH WORK TO BE CARRIED OUT IN SPRING 2021. NO NOTICE WAS SERVED UNTIL OCTOBER 2021 AND THIS WAS SUBSEQUENTLY WITHDRAWN. THE EXTERNAL DECORATION WAS LAST DONE IN 2014 AND ELM ADMIT THIS IS NORMALLY A 5 YEAR CYCLE. IN ADDITION THERE ARE A LARGE NUMBER OF SLIPPED ROOFING TILES WHICH COULD FALL AT ANY TIME DESPITE IT BEING BELIEVED ROOFS WERE STRIPPED AND RETILED DURING THE COURSE OF CONVERSION 8 YEARS AGO. ELM CHARGE A MANAGEMENT FEE APPROACHING 10,000 PER YEAR PLUS VAT FOR THIS POOR QUALITY SERVICE AND SEEM TO WANT TO AVOID ANSWERING QUESTIONS LIKE WHETHER THEY HOLD ENOUGH MONEY IN THE RESERVE FUND TO DO MAJOR WORKS (THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE REVIEWED 5 YEARLY). SERVICE CHARGES HAVE DOUBLED SINCE 2015 DESPITE MUCH WORK NOT BEING DONE. THEY CLAIM ON THEIR WEBSITE TO BE A LEADING MANAGING AGENT CHOSEN BY LEASEHOLDERS. I WILL LEAVE A READER OF THESE REVIEWS TO FORM THEIR OWN OPINION FROM THESE COMMENTS. A Company who specialise in making promises and doing nothing. We have had penetrating damp in 2 areas for between 6 months and 3 years and nothing has been done to rectify. After 7 years no steps have been taken to carry out external decoration despite a promise last year that works would commence in Spring 2021. In February 2020 at a Minuted Budget meeting works were to take place to repair a defective boundary wall with a public pavement and to remedy damp. Nothing done. In October last year exploratory work carried out to ascertain cause of dampness and a Report was produced but no action taken. In July 2020 following complaints about the state of repair a surveyor was appointed by Elm and we met on site and agreed all repairs notified required attention. Elm on clients@ instructions and despite promising to provide the Report have failed to do so leading to the inevitable conclusion that this would cause considerable embarassment to both them and the developers. Some 2-3 years ago telephone charges were made to service charge accounts which Elm admitted were incorrect but money still not refunded. Complaints are treated in cavalier fashion and no responsibility ever accepted. For the 2021 Budget Elm asked for comments from residents and before investigations were completed and queries answered they finalised the Budget. Very poor quality and service at top prices charged. From the response below it is noted that no comment has been passed about the penetrating damp so I have attached photographs. Not a welcoming sight to come home to and please note when the defects were reported and the lack of any action even now. Seeing Elm comments on the telephone charges it was drawn to their attention in November 2020 that since 2017 telephone charges for other numbers were charged to Durrants House. Elm's response was that they have received permission from the account holder to approach BT to clarify. As far as the residents are aware the account holder is their client, Beechcroft, and no explanation is given as to why such consent has taken 2-3 years to receive without money being credited for what seems an obvious error of long standing.
Jan 9th, 2022