Here are the minutes of the most recent committee meeting held in late September:

SCMeeting-September24th2012-Minutes

I attended Aspect’s offices on November 6th for the usual quarterly invoice inspection, and found only a couple of minor issues which are already resolved. The previous two inspections made by the Treasurer showed up no issues of note, which is of course very positive. Town-house owners will note a refund item on their invoices this quarter relating to refurbishment fund payments that were accidentally included on previous bills as a result of the shift to the new billing system.

The work to solicit tenders from other factors continues apace, and the intention is to have all factors submitting their tenders in time to be included in an information pack, to be sent to proprietors along with the notice of the January AGM.

Residents should note the continuing improvements to the gardens, and that the bin and bike store roofs have been restored throughout to fix both storm damage and general wear and tear. In various places, ground floor proprietors who have trees and large bushes which are encroaching on windows have asked that they be removed or cut back; the committee would like to hear from anyone in that situation so that the trees can be considered for work.

Obviously the insurance premiums have jumped substantially again this year, once more due to our claims history. As the excesses no longer vary by building (they are £2,500 per claim), the apportionment of escape of water claims has been returned to an equal 332 way split (or around £7.50 per claim) as of the new insurance policy which started in August. Several such claims can be seen in the upcoming invoice. The committee is still considering a motion to require properties identified as the source of an escape of water to pay a higher share of the excess; the intention being to encourage proprietors to be proactive in plumbing maintenance. Opinions are very much divided however, and the committee would like to hear from other proprietors with their thoughts on the proposed policy. As always however, we urge all proprietors to continue to check their bathrooms and kitchens for leaks and sealing issues. We will continue to pay high premiums and suffer huge excesses until we can reduce the number of claims being made.

As always, the committee is interested in any and all opinions or concerns about the development, so please do feel free to contact us.