Frequently asked questions

You can find the answers to frequently asked questions about our property management service on this page.

If you have any other queries regarding the Title Conditions that apply to your house, please consult with your solicitor before contacting our office.

I have bought my house, why are you sending me an invoice?

We are a management agent which oversees the maintenance of common areas that are not the responsibility of Inverclyde Council.

Consequently we are entitled to charge you a proportion of the costs involved in maintaining these areas. Your Title Deeds place an obligation on you as owner to pay these costs.

Why should I pay for grass cuttings / raised walkways when I don't have any grass / raised walkways near my house?

Charges are based on the maintenance incurred in looking after the areas for which we are all responsible. As you live within that area you are legally obliged to pay your share of all costs involved.

I only bought my house part way through the year, why should I pay for the whole year?

You don’t have to. If this is the case please contact us with details of when you bought the house, who you bought it from and their forwarding address and we will amend your invoice.

Why am I paying for repairs for people who haven't bought their house?

You are not paying for tenants to get their repairs carried out. This invoice only relates to work carried out in common external areas and is not specific to any one house.

What does the annual administration charge cover?

We charge all owners a flat rate £10 annual administration charge. This charge covers staff time involved in organising contracts, monitoring works and answering queries.

It also covers a share of our office costs, overheads and lost interest. We pay for repairs up front and only charge you at the end of the year after all the accounts have been paid by us. The administration work included in the charge is liable for VAT at the standard rate of 20 per cent.

When is this invoice due?

The invoice is due for payment now.

What happens if I don't pay?

If you don’t pay we will take appropriate action to recoup any unpaid invoices. We will also invoke a charge for this work. We were forced to take a small number of owner occupiers to court last year for non payment of charges and we were awarded Decree and expenses by the Court in each case.

Notices of Potential Liability were also served on a number of owners for non payment of charges. A Notice of Potential Liability registers a “Burden” on the potential sale of the property. Both legal methods are successful and it is in your best interest therefore to ensure that you pay your bill in full by the due date.

How often will I receive an invoice?

You will receive an invoice in April/May of each year.

Why do I pay this when I pay Council Tax?

This invoice relates to services that are not covered by the Council Tax you pay to Inverclyde Council. In particular, Inverclyde Council do not maintain the common ground or raised walkway areas shown on the plans.

How do you decide the share of my cost?

The total cost of the works divided by a total of 960 houses within the area (tenants and owners). Larkfield is responsible for the costs involved for tenants and recovers this through the rent charge each week.

So if the total cost of the works was £1000, and there were 50 tenants and 150 owners within the area, the costs per house would be £5. The Association’s share would be £5 × 50 tenants = £250, and each owner would be charged £5 plus the administration charge.