Below are all the FAQ’s with regards to buying a property:
Q: What is the purpose of the Management Company?
A: In short, the Management Company is responsible for the maintenance of the communal areas of the estate, keeping these to a respectable standard. The COMC are also responsible for building and retaining a cash surplus to deal with any unexpected issues that may arise. For a detailed explanation, please contact us for a copy of the Management Agreement.
Q: Who runs the Management Company?
A: It is run exclusively by Members of COMC and there is a core of around 10 contributors. All work is completed on a voluntary basis which is a key enabler to keeping the costs low for everyone. Your help and support would be very much appreciated and any assistance you are able to offer would be greatly received.
Q: How often do you have meetings and who can attend?
A: We meet every four months (Jan / May/ Sept) on the last Monday of that month @ 19:00. Normally at the Chairmans house, however the location is always publicised on the COMC website prior. It is also worth noting that the AGM is held in January of each year, at which point we re-elect key appointments within COMC. ALL residents are welcome to attend the meetings, however only Members are eligible to vote.
Q: What is the ‘Deed of Covenant’?
A: All 36 properties are Covenanted to COMC. The ‘Deed of Covenant‘ was set up and agreed to by the original Purchaser. The purchaser agrees not to sell the property without also passing on the ‘Deed of Covenant’. In this way, the position of COMC is maintained. This perpetuates the Covenant for the future.
Q: What is the Management Agreement?
A: The ‘Management Agreement‘ document is referenced in the ‘Deed of Covenant’ and covers all the rules and regulations for both owners and COMC. The majority of questions you may have will be answered in this document. It is an important document and you should familiarise yourself with the key areas.
Q: How do I complete a sale and become a member of COMC?
A: For a Property to be transferred to a new owner, the following requirements must be met;
- A fully completed and witnessed ‘Deed of Covenant’ passed to our solicitor.
- The COMC account for the property being purchased to have a balance of £0
- Our solicitor fees (as detailed below) settled
Please note, we don’t provide a member/share certificate of any form. Owning a property on the development is the only way in which someone can become a Member of the Company.
Q: How much are the Management Fee’s and when are they due?
A: COMC issues invoices on both the 1st Jan & the 1st July each year for the following six month period. The yearly charge is reviewed every meeting. Should the decision to increase or decrease the amount be made, it will be minuted for all members to see. We currently charge £100 per six month period. All invoices come with a 30 day payment term, please see our payments information page for how to pay and details of our late payment charges.
Q: What are the requirements in regards to planning permission?
A: ALL permitted development rights have been removed. You will have to obtain planning permission for all works that require it. However, if your planning requirements would ordinarily have fallen within permitted rights, you won’t have to pay for the planning permission required. COMC also have to give their consent to any works. To make this decision, the COMC would ordinarily follow the guidance of the local planning office.
Q: What are the parking arrangements?
A: This will be covered in your ‘property title’ however we do have the details listed for each property on the information page. There are also a small number of visitor parking spaces throughout the estate. It is worth noting that you are only allowed to use your allocated spaces. These are only to be used for cars in roadworthy conditions that are taxed. Parking is not permitted anywhere other than your permitted space(s), Please be mindful of other road users and do not park on the entrance road. You can find all the details in the ‘Management Agreement‘.
Q: You require a copy of our accounts for a given period?
A: Each year a copy of our final accounts are uploaded to this website for members to access. A copy is also sent to Companies House, where it can be downloaded for a minimal charge. If a copy is required from COMC, we charge £10 a copy.
Q: You require a copy of either the Memorandum or Articles of Association or Certificate of Incorporation?
A: Copies can be downloaded from Companies House for a minimal charge. If needed, the COMC charge £10 a copy.
Q: You require details of future expenditure for the current year?
A: Our accounts are very small and follow much the same pattern each year, unless of course something unusual were to arise. As such we are unable to provide forward projections.
Q: You require a statement of an account?
A: Members can access this information online. However, if a request is received from your Solicitor in the process of a purchase, we will provide a copy in the form of a PDF sent via email.
Q: Do you have copies of the original Management Agreements?
A: Our solicitors hold copies of all documents completed after June 2011. Prior to this, COMC was managed by the developer and it is our understanding that no copies are available. All the Management Agreements are the same and our solicitors can provide you a copy upon request to the COMC. Please note that you may be charged for this copy.
Q: How much do our Solicitors charge for completing the relevant documents?
A: The seller has the responsibility to pay these charges, details of which can be found under the Sellers FAQ page.
Q: Can I have pets?
A: COMC do allow pets, however, if you are renting, please check with the letting office in the first instance. COMC strongly request that ALL dogs are kept on a lead when on the close and that all dog mess is picked up also.