The Factors are at it again

Today brought another missive of joy from the factors. They are to install a new gate opening system on the gate for the backyard to my block. we share it with 3 other blocks and 3 businesses. the businesses have the right to park there, whereas we can only use it for the bins and deliveries. Recently it has been left open, resulting in people breaking into the flats and getting at the post (see here) and breaking into one flat. thus the factors have decided that our block must pay for the new system, a sum of £400 (my share being about £10) For this we get the right to open the gate from the inside only, and not to park in the yard etc.

Sometimes i wonder why it never rains, but it pours in terms of money leaving my account!

Factors, electricty and post

Today I got a letter from my beloved Factors (who take vast quantities (in my opinion) of my money every 3 months for (apparently) cleaning the communal areas, keeping them painted, insuring the building, keeping the lift working, and keeping the door entry system working. They are at best reactive, since there are some issues which they haven't resolved in three years (see later...)

Anyway, today's letter was about electricity. It seems that the developers of my flats were rather lax about transferring the 'common' electricity supply for lights and lift, over to the factors. This has resulted in the factor not charging us for the electricity. So today we got a bill for the common electricity usage from Sept '04 - May '06 of (in my case £201.40).

So handily, in the month where I have no income, I get a bill for £201.40... and thats only up until 2006!

The factors are also useless at dealing with other issues, like post. Our mail is classed as being a 'commercial building' by the Post Office, so we only get mail on business days (not Saturday's) and only in a big sack, not sorted. It is also just left on a table at the bottom of the stair and not delivered to our flats. We do have a 'pigeon hole' style arrangement for letters in the bottom of the stair, but these are totally open, and due to the great 'SERVICE' button on the door entry system, stuff goes missing occasionally. I am now cheesed off enough about this to complain to the Post Office that they are not delivering my post properly.....wish me luck.