Cunninghame Housing Association factor around 450 properties. The properties we factor range from new build to traditional tenemental flats and our factoring service covers 9 towns in Ayrshire:
- Ardrossan
- Millport
- Irvine
- Saltcoats
- West Kilbride
- Beith
- Stevenston
- Largs
- Kilbirnie
Everyone living within mixed tenure areas has an interest in keeping the area safe, pleasant and a well maintained environment in which to live. Every Owner, Tenant, sharing owner and new supply shared equity owner has an obligation in law to contribute to the cost of the maintenance and repair of all common areas.
Tenants living within these areas pay their share of common maintenance and repair costs within their monthly rental charges. Owners in accordance with their Title Deed/Deeds of Condition and the Property Factors (Scotland) Act are required to pay their percentage share of any common works carried out within the block, close or estate where they live.
As Factors we have a legal responsibility to ensure proper upkeep of the common areas and as such we provide regular estate inspections, note and action common repairs, potential improvements and the upkeep common grounds. In addition, as Factors we can provide to you building insurance cover through our block policies at competitive rates.
Some of the service we provide as factors include:
- Regular estate inspections
- Instructing common reactive maintenance and repairs
- Planning for, arranging and overseeing cyclical maintenance and major repairs
- Co-ordinating environmental maintenance and services
- Ensuring comprehensive buildings insurance for the full rebuilding value
- Providing management and administration services
- Maintaining a list of approved contractors
- Provision of regular information and consultation
- Apportioning costs and liaising with solicitors regarding sales etc.
In addition, as Factors we can provide to you building insurance cover through our block policies at competitive rates. A copy of our CHA Factoring Handbook is issued to all Owner Occupiers on conclusion of the purchase of your home along with our written Statement of Services. These documents provide full details of the services provided.
If you are an Owner Occupier and your property is covered by our management services, you can obtain a copy of these documents by contacting our Senior Finance Officer.
For illustration common repairs include door entry system faults, front / rear close door problems, stair head window problems, handrails and common lighting faults.
Most Common Repairs will be routine or non-routine repairs. However, there may be occasions that are of an emergency category. For example if there is no electrical power within your common close area you should call our Freephone Number on (0800 068 1466) Mis-use of the emergency repair process may incur and onward charge.
All owners with a gas service within their homes should ensure that they have an annual gas safety inspection to ensure that all their gas appliances have been properly serviced and are deemed safe.
As Factors our responsibilities are limited to common areas and common elements of buildings. Within their property boundaries Owners are responsible for upkeep and maintenance of same.
Owners should ensure that they pay their factoring invoices in a prompt manner. Factoring Invoices are sent to owner occupiers on a quarterly basis as per the undernoted timetable. Quarter End Dates are as follows:
- Quarter End 31st March
- Quarter End 30th June
- Quarter End 30th September
- Quarter End 31st December
The target for issuing Factoring Invoices is within 10 working days of the quarter end and our performance in this will be reported to owners within the Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd Factoring newsletter.
To provide choice to our customers Cunninghame Housing Association accepts payments in a number of formats: Postal Cheques (all postal cheques will be onward receipted)
- Cash Payments at our Head Office in Ardrossan (all cash payments are receipted)
- ALLPAY swipe cards previously dispatched ( replacement cards upon request)
- Direct Debit Payments
- ALLPAY Internet Payments: www.allpayments.net
- ALLPAY Telephone Payments: (0870 2436040)
For ALLPAY Payments above you will need your ALLPAY payment card or a note of your account reference number.
To aid efficiency and ensure that we continue to keep the annual administration fee as low as possible to owners, we would request that owners pay using either their ALLPAY swipe card or set up a direct debit.
Factored Owners who wish to discuss their itemised Factoring invoices or the method of payment which best suits their individual circumstances can contact Stuart Ross, our Senior Finance Officer on (01294 606004) for advice.
He will be able to advise on the monthly amounts required and payment options to ensure that your Factoring Invoices throughout the year are settled.
It’s the responsibility of owners to ensure that they pay their factoring invoices on a regular and timeous basis and this is one reason why Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd promotes the use of monthly direct debit payments.
Every tenant, sharing owner and owner has an obligation to contribute to the cost of the maintenance and repair of all common areas. Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd is supportive of owners who may have affordability issues and payment arrangements can be arranged to suit individual circumstances.
Persistent non- payers in blocks, closes and estates are breaking the law with regard to the Title deeds and the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004.
Cunninghame Housing Association Ltd reserves the right to instruct any of the above legal remedies against Owners in pursuit of debts and Owners will bear the costs of raising court actions in addition to their Factoring Debt.
Owners should be aware that court proceeding raised may have a detrimental impact on your individual credit ratings and may affect your other financial commitments going forward.
Full details of our arrears recover processes can be found in your Factoring Handbook.
Cunninghame Housing Association is committed to ensuring that our customer’s views are sought on our performance as we seek to continuously improve our services to Customers and we will report frequently on our targets and performance. The results will be published on our web-site.
Factoring Newsletter December 2019
CONTACTING US
The first point of contact for the factoring service is Stuart Ross. In addition appointments can be made to suit individual owners who wish to discuss issues in person.