Resident's Association looking for money

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Morgause

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I got a handwritten letter through the door yesterday, supposedly from our estate's Resident's Association (no real names were signed). They are looking for €50 from each house to pay a gardener and will call looking for it soon.

It is not specified what it is this gardener is going to be doing - I would have assumed that any gardening work of communal areas (not that there are many) would be done by the council.

This is also the first I've heard of any Resident's Association.

Has anybody come across this sort of thing before? Is this normal? Am I under any obligation to pay up? I have to say I'm suspicious of handwritten letters looking for money.
 
Maybe speak to them when they arrive to collect the money. I'd imagine it will just cover basic maintenance like grass cutting in communal areas and such.

Make sure you are not shelling out for some over enthusiastic do-gooder to have a Dirmuid Gavin designed landscaped area done, unless you want that of course.

Just ask them for a clear indication of what your contirbution will be used for.
 
this happens in my estate.
two mothers cut the big green area twice a month and dispose of the grass. its cheap when you work it out really and with landfill costs they get little out of it. I don't think the council cares if out little area is overrun with weeds etc.
But i would want to know the specifics and if you are not happy tell them to call you when they are doing the work and you can help instead of paying them the €50, who knows they might be glad of the grafter!
 
That's just it, there's no grass to be cut that I can see, there's only a steep bank with a few bushes in it. So that's €50 x 50 or 60 houses to trim a few low maintenance bushes. It just seems fishy.

Am I under obligation to pay though? I've just spent most of this month's dosh and I'd rather not have to eat beans for a week if I don't have to shell out!
 
I've been involved in the residents association in our own estate for a few years now. Its a pain but its necessary once the builder finishes up and has no interest (i.e all houses sold) in keeping the estate well groomed.

This does vary depending on where in the country you are but in Laois the council doesn't cut the green areas in an estate. We have to collect to get a gardener in to keep the grass cut. This is getting more expensive as is everything.We've looked for €80 each year per house. Approx 2/3 to 3/4 of house holds usually contribute.

You are under no legal obligation to pay it. If it is a legitimate group trying to look after the basic maintenance of the estate then you may want to contribute though.

As for the handwritten letter, I'd be a little wary too to be honest. Someone involved on the committe usually has access to a pc to run up a letter and photocopying isn't expensive. I'd wait and see who comes calling.
 
Morgause said:
That's just it, there's no grass to be cut that I can see, there's only a steep bank with a few bushes in it. So that's €50 x 50 or 60 houses to trim a few low maintenance bushes. It just seems fishy.

Am I under obligation to pay though? I've just spent most of this month's dosh and I'd rather not have to eat beans for a week if I don't have to shell out!
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Ask them what they are planning on doing with it so.
 
You are more than likely under no obligation to pay. You are perfectly entitled to ask what you are getting for your money.

But it seems strange that in an estate of 50/60 houses there would be no grass to be cut/bushes to be trimmed etc.
 
Thanks sas. I'll see what they have to say when they come calling, hopefully I will be able to judge from that whether they're for real or not.
 
CCOVICH said:
You are more than likely under no obligation to pay. You are perfectly entitled to ask what you are getting for your money.

But it seems strange that in an estate of 50/60 houses there would be no grass to be cut/bushes to be trimmed etc.
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I will certainly be asking!

It's a long cul de sac, houses line one side, the other side is one of those steep bank things which appears to be mostly covered in that wood chipping stuff and also has lots of bushes in it. I just think that €2500ish is a lot of money to trim a few bushes. Perhaps this is reasonable; I've never employed a gardener so I wouldn't know!
 
sas said:
As for the handwritten letter, I'd be a little wary too to be honest.
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so would i...
Did they handwrote 50 or 60 letters considering they are 50 or 60 houses in your estate?
Worth querying them when they come back.
 
bacchus said:
so would i...
Did they handwrote 50 or 60 letters considering they are 50 or 60 houses in your estate?
Worth querying them when they come back.
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Oops sorry I wasn't clear - it's a handwritten letter (it's lovely neat writing mind you) which has been photocopied.
 
My estate has both a resident's association and a management company - the mgmt company look after the grass cutting (there are lots of communal areas) and the resident's association pay for tree planting (replacements, usually following vandalism, sadly), children's party days and an estate clean-up.
I'm obliged to pay the mgmt company charge (€122 for 2007), the res. association is optional (€10 per yr).
 
Perhaps the person who wrote the letter is also the would-be gardener?!?

When they call, it's a good chance to ask them who is on the commitee, how to contact them, what other issues they address as a resident's association, when the AGM will be etc.. I wouldn't contribute (no obligation to) until I had the whole thing sussed out and attended an AGM to actually see what's what. Would the money be a memerbship fee also, entitling you to vote adn even get on the committee?
 
Afraid I am one of those who neatly handwrite letters requesting residents contributions for maintenance and upkeep of estate. It is a horrible horrible horrible job going around collecting this money and I myself would be delighted if somebody even had a remote interest in how much each grass cut was costing and at least asked a couple of questions as to where their money is being spent. People just pay their money and want no more to do with it which is a shame really. We spend 150euro per cut (quite a large green area and two small green areas) every 2-3wks when grass growth starts. When they come around to collect the money just ask them nicely what kind of expenditure on maintenance that there is on the estate. Just remember that this money is not going directly into these peoples pockets and make sure that you do not make them feel as if you think it is. I am often made to feel like this when collecting, people almost trying to dodge me. Am almost at the stage where I feel like jacking it in cos it is more hassle than its worth and let everybody else sort it out when the grass if 3ft high. Sorry for the rant!!!! Feel the better of it now that I got that out of my system. Thanks folks!!!!!
 
Thanks for all the info folks especially Happy Girl! Nice to hear that the committee people probably won't mind my questions and take me up as a nosey person.
 
Just one thing to be careful of, in my last estate they did a resident association collection which was fine as the grass looked well when it was cut, as we have a large green area, then they decided to get barrels in for plants, puting hedging at entrance (when it grows it will block the view) etc and going overboard as the green was for the kids to play on (the barrels were blocking their space to play). I was in touch the the council to try and get the area signed over as there was a bond in place from the builder over five years ago and get the lighting etc put in. I mentioned that the residents had done up the green as such and was told that if someone falls etc and makes a claim that it would be the residents association who put them there that would be at fault as the council had still not taken over the green. I mentioned it to the residents and some of them contacted the council and they were told the same, others didnt care but myself and few others stopped paying they money as we didnt want to end up liable if somthing happened. I had no problem in paying to get the grass cut but they went overboard with it.
 
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