Residents Angry At ‘Extortionate’ Management Charges

A group of residents on the Farndon Fields Estate in Market Harborough claim were misled on management fees when they bought their homes.

Some are now refusing to pay the estate and service charges, which have risen dramatically in three years, as they demand action to deal with the situation.

Residents affected on the Farndon Fields Estate
Pic: Harborough Mail

The fees are to cover things like the maintenance of communal areas.

Lara Raffaelli is one of those affected – she bought her new home from Barratt Homes in 2016:

A spokesperson for Barratt Homes Northampton said: “As was made clear to all purchasers, there are maintenance and management charges covering the upkeep of the public open space and communal areas around the development.

“However, if the residents are unhappy with the level of charges or the service provided by the management company they are able to vote to change the management company at any point through their residents’ committee.”

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien is to meet the residents affected:

A spokesman for the management company, Chamonix Estates Limited, said: “Our team have engaged with residents of Farndon Fields to discuss their Variable Rent Charges for the year ahead.

“The team are attending site next Thursday and are happy to meet with residents and walk the development to discuss any areas of concern.

“They have also scheduled in a meeting for the first week in February with a view to explaining what their Variable Rent Charges cover for further transparency. It is important to note that meetings have been held previously with minutes distributed to all completed properties at that time which detailed the charges as set out in the Estimate which they receive annually alongside their charge. We wish to positively engage with residents as they will have the opportunity to become more involved in the running of their Residents Management Company within their phase this year”