Introduction
The rate at which Property Managers are being replaced has increased rapidly meaning that they are serving for shorter and shorter periods. The BIG question is why ? Possibly they are refusing to obey unlawful instructions and or refusing to act in, what might be construed, a criminal manner.
The graph below illustrates the survival times of past Property Managers.
So what errors of judgement, or what management failures have caused all of this ? The following comments may indicate the main problems:
Agent: J C F Property Management [previously J C Francis & Partners]
The main problem was the unlawful erection of cladding in the autumn of 2017 to the fronts of the blocks along the protected fire routes on the first and second floors and around the three main entrances.
The cladding was not the subject of a Section 20 process. Full details are contained in the original report.
This was reported to the London Fire Brigade who issued an order to make safe the protected fire routes on the first and second floors. This has studiously been ignored by Board of Directors, and by the Property Manager.
When the insurance documents were demanded in January 2021, they were fully and promptly provided.
It became evident that the cladding had NOT been declared to the insurance company who at that time was Allianz.
In 2021, Allianz were made aware of this misrepresentation, and promptly withdrew cover retaining the balance of the insurance premium.
The Board blamed the person employed by JCFPM who was managing the property.
This person was reported to the IRPM and duly censured.
The estate was not properly insured therefore from Autumn 2017 until 11th August 2021.
JCFPM were complicit in the erection of the cladding and the insurance failure. The complaint to the RICS was batted off by the MD's lack of recollection of events [aka Prince Andrew Disease].
Further in 2018, an excessive fixed service charge was introduced supported by a report from DHP concerning the roof. Monies collected have been expended on other unnecessary projects.
Agent: Rendall & Rittner
Suddenly on 1st July 2022 without any consultation with lessees [owners] the property manager changed.
The Board raised a complaint against the author of this web site with his professional body. This effectively fizzled out, and did not improve the career prospects of the chairman of their complaints committee, who took no disciplinary action. A similar complaint to another organisation was simply ignored, although the author was sent the somewhat defamatory complaint documents. Lawyers determined that damages would not be worthwhile so the concept of litigation was dropped. It appears that defamatory complaints are common place.
Rendall & Rittner refused to provide full details of the insurance as required under the Lease, and the Landlord & Tenant Act. However, enough information was collected by various different lessees which when collated and analysed demonstrated that for the period 11th August 2024 to 10th August 2025 there was little doubt that the estate was not proper;y insured as required by the Lease.
Their Managing Director made what might be described as a classic comment that he did not agree with the London Fire Brigades Notice of Deficiencies which he described as "simply an opinion". Noted that Chartered Valuation Surveyors, even having attained Fellowship of the RICS are simply not competent to make such a judgement.
Agent: Grace Miller
An April Fools Joke - NOT. On 1st April 2025 again without any consultation with lessees [owners] the property manager was changed.
A group of concerned lessees made a concerted effort to persuade Grace Miller to assist them in replacing the Board of Kersfield Maintenance Ltd.
The Matters of Concern were assembled and posted on this web site.
Some insurance documents were provided which indicated that for the period 11th August 2024 to 10th August 2025 was invalid. This insurance contract was taken out under the previous managing agent, but they may not have been involved.
Grace Miller advised that they were NOT involved with placing of the insurance for the year 11th August 2025 to 10th August 2026.
On 24th November 2025, Grace Miller were requested to provide the insurance documents but declined.
At the same time, complaints and action about the letting out of garages for commercial purposes were taken, and A H Peck vacated the five garages that they had "leased" from a lessee at Garden Royal. Noted that under FOI, Wandsworth Borough Council stated that they had inspected the garages before they were vacated and had found no evidence of commercial use. [This matter remains to be reported to the relevant authority].
Agent: HES Estate Management
Another April Fools Joke ? No - just another property manager from 1st April 2026.
It was decided to approach the principal director and a major shareholder and point out the error of his ways in doing business with the Board of Kersfield Maintenance Ltd. In his wisdom he ignored the proffered advice.
The accounts due in March 2026 but on 7th July 2026 were postponed as allowed under Section 21 of the Landlord & Tenant Act. A schedule of service charge costs was provided. The long running complaint being handled by the ICAEW about allocation of insurance costs to the relevant year was resolved with the cost apportioned in a manner which concurred with the author's calculation.
The insurance documents for the period were demanded, but not provided. However a statement was made that they would be provided "in September". Not by HES in any event.
Agent: Proactive Block Management
On 10th September 2026, a letter from Kersfield Maintenance Ltd. was received by email stating that the window cleaning would take place on 17th September 2026, and take two days.
The implication was that yet again a new property manager had been appointed: this was confirmed by a telephone call to the previous agent HES.
On 12th September a demand for the insurance information was made by email, along with a request that all the lessees' concerns [as outlined on this web site] be addressed within seven days.
This email also pointed out that ARMA was now part of The Property Institute. By 13th September this error on their web site had been corrected.