Management fees? Agentic forces amok....

I have the grave misfortune to have one of my properties managed by a company called HML Hawksworth and every interaction with them is a source of lime-juice-in-an-open-wound kind of smarting.

And I correspond with them in the most ascorbic of English whit to no avail.
My latest "letter" - although it's more of a ranting vent - curses the fanciful increases in management fees and I fear the proverbial seed will fall on barren ground.

Here's what I said ( I do hope it was not only clear, but scathingly abrupt to jolt them into action) :
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Pam,

I trust you are doing well since our last exchange.  There was one item left unanswered and now it's raised its irrepressible head again.

It was the question of email correspondence.

I asked if I must request each time a letter is sent to my parents to have that sent by email - which in all logical sense defeats the object of email communication.
But since the "papyrus" has once again thudded against the lobby mat of my parents' house, I feel compelled to ask the question a second time.

Why, oh why, in 2010 can I not have my (sometimes extortionate - and more on this anon) demands requested of me by email directly without the archaic apology for interaction that is Royal Mail being deployed so religiously?

My second intriguing question is on your increase (yet again) in charges.
Some points to answer please:

a.  What was the nature of the fire?  I did not see any other communication on this from either yourselves or my agent.  Shouldn't we sue someone?
b.  7% is abominable in these times of austerity - indeed I said this last time and my words fell upon deaf ears.  Please comment.
c.  Did no-one else complain at this Alice-in-wonderland kind of increase?  If so, what is being done to address the communal concerns about annual above-inflation increases?
d.  I find it incredulous that you "look[...] forward to receiving prompt payment" and then wish us a "Happy Christmas" when all we have to "look forward" to is more outlay.  No need to comment on this point.

I, equally and impatiently look forward to *your* prompt reply.

Disappointedly, again,

Darren

Agents and their egos

I love telling you all about my letters I write.
I recently had missed a notification of some management charges for an apartment, that Baxter and I own in the UK.

I pleaded with them to waive the charges as getting mail to Singapore can be a tad challenging and also to jolt themselves into the 21st century and perhaps adopt email as a means of notifying owners of their liabilities.

Below is the reply from the company and my answer....hope you enjoy my not-so-subtle sarcasm - I'm sure it's bloody well lost on Pam Dhillon.!!!!

__________________________________________

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From: Pam Dhillon
To: darrenfrommaryport@yahoo.co.uk
Sent: Tue, 16 November, 2010 17:11:47
Subject: Service Charge

Good morning

Thank you for your email, I can confirm that the charges cannot be waived, I did request this to my MD.

We will send demands to the address provided by yourself.

Kind Regards   

Pam Dhillon Senior Property Manager HML Hawksworth Ltd Gillingham House 38 - 44 Gillingham Street London SW1V 1HU Tel: 020 7802 0000   Fax: 020 7802 0001 Email: info@hmlhawksworth.com   Web: www.hmlhawksworth.com

MY REPLY:

Pam, I should thank you for your email - even though I had to chase. I'm disappointed (yet again) at HML's intransigence and inflexibility towards overseas landlords who need to be made aware much more in advance than UK-residing owners. When you say "cannot", I believe your MD and HML actually mean "won't".  Thanks for not-a-lot. BIG SIGH. Anyway, I won't get anywhere with such a rules-driven, non-customer-friendly organisation - will I?!!?  Unless, you're going to prove me wrong....could you!?!? Finally, please confirm when you say "address" you mean email address as requested.  I have to ask clarification on so many points. Thank you in advance, Darren - disgruntled and deflated.   Tel: +65 6501 9808 - work / +65 98717903 mobile