KCML & the Board
Kings Court Management Company Limited (KCML) manages property services, upholds lease agreements, and maintains positive relations with the Freehold owner through Bartholomews Property Management.
Our mission
Our primary objective is to ensure that Kings Court is safe, well-maintained, and serviced to the highest standards. We aim to create a pleasant living environment for everyone.
What we do
The Board of KCML is responsible for managing and administering the development in line with the obligations outlined in the leases, provided these obligations are reasonable, practical, and current. This includes overseeing expenditures for various services and collecting fees from leaseholders. We adhere to the Service Charge Residential Management Code as established by the RICS.
Membership
All leaseholders are eligible for membership of KCML. Each lease corresponds to one share and one vote. Membership includes the right to attend meetings, vote at the AGM, and the opportunity to serve as a Director. While all leaseholders are invited to meetings, only members can vote. The total number of shares issued is limited to 21.
Our Approach
In decision-making and actions, the Directors strive to make Kings Court an excellent place to live.
Each Director invests their time voluntarily to:
- Ensure that repairs, maintenance, and other services are delivered promptly and to a high standard
- Establish reserves to fund significant future maintenance and other long-term expenses
- Comply with the Equality Act 2010 to promote fairness and equality
- Encourage leaseholders to share their views on important matters
- Foster transparency and openness
- Act responsibly with effective management, financial, and budgetary control
- Maintain a positive relationship with the Freehold owner
- Provide an open communication channel for all residents
The Annual General Meeting
All shareholders can attend the AGM and vote. Anyone living in Kings Court (lessees and sub-lessees) can attend the AGM but only shareholders can vote.
Bartholomews: managing-agent services
To assist in ensuring Kings Court is safe, well maintained and serviced effectively, the Board has formally contracted with Bartholomews of Kingston upon Thames, who will act as Managing Agents for the development.
Bartholomews was established over 50 years ago and, for the last 20, has specialised in residential property management and surveying.
They offer professional expertise, and guidance, to meet the specific requirements associated with the management of Kings Court, as contained within the various leases. Their role helps protect our collective interests and their commitment to lessees and residents is to:
- Attend quickly to telephone and written enquiries
- Instigate the corrective actions required to repair and maintenance issues concerning the common parts of the development
- Conduct regular site inspections to ensure any work undertaken by contractors meets the standard expected and identify any other remedial action required.
- Provide face to face communication at their offices in Kingston during normal office hours
- Provide an emergency service 24 hours a day, every day
- Deliver value for money and exercise stringent financial and management control over expenditure
They have committed to the Board to:
- Provide relevant advice on property related fire, health & safety, risk and insurance matters
- Advise on reserve fund utilisation
- Provide quarterly management and financial information including details of actual expenditure compared to budget
- Collect service charges promptly
For individual lessees they provide the following services (separate charges to be paid directly by lessees):
- Pre-Contract Conveyancing and Re-mortgaging Enquiries
They will supply details of all development accounts, lease matters, insurance details, any disputes, freeholder details, maintenance programmes, budget forecasts and all other such information that may be required.
- Permission to Sub-let or to Carry Out Alterations
They have established procedures whereby lessees are required to provide information and arrange for safeguards to be in place before consent can be granted, to protect the interests of all lessees when deciding on such applications.
Service charges & your lease
Find a specific question below. Guidance about everyday building use is in the residents’ guide.
17 questions
What is the service charge?
This is the cost of maintaining Kings Court. Every lessee pays service charges to contribute towards the shared costs of the communal parts of the building and grounds, such as repairs, insurance, cleaning, gardening, routine maintenance, electricity, lift maintenance, water and the general day to day running of the development. Each lessees’ service charge proportion is recorded in the lease.
How is the service charge calculated?
Prior to the start of each financial year an estimate of the anticipated costs of maintaining Kings Court is calculated. In addition, an allowance is made for future anticipated expenditure for such items as redecoration, carpets, roofing and car parking.
How often is the service charge paid?
Your lease specifies when you are required to pay. Payments are every six months on 1 February and 1 August annually.
How is control exercised on activity?
The Managing Agent exercises day to day financial and operational control. Approval limits have been set to prevent unauthorised expenditure. The Directors receive quarterly financial, and quarterly physical inspection, reports from the Managing Agent. Regular meetings are held to review all repair and maintenance activity and associated expenditure. The financial reports provide a comparison between the budget and the year’s actual spend. Consideration is given on how to reduce costs, whilst maintaining the standards expected in Kings Court.
What happens if the budget is exceeded?
Stringent financial control is exercised to try and prevent this from happening. At the end of each financial year an independent accountant prepares the annual accounts which are then shared with all lessees. However, it is unlikely that the budget and actual expenditure incurred will be identical. If more has been spent, a debit is applied to each lessee’s account for their share of the shortfall. If less has been spent, a credit is applied which reduces future invoices.
What is the reserve fund?
The reserve is a separate fund (in a separate bank account) to cover any unexpected maintenance or major works, such as painting, carpets, roofing and car parks. Interest is accrued on these funds.
What is the management fee?
A management fee is paid to the Managing Agent for the day to day operational management of Kings Court. They report directly to the Directors, KCML. The service provided includes responding to queries about the development, arranging all repair and maintenance activity, site inspections, arranging insurance, meetings with the Directors and providing advice on property related matters, management of the service charge account and sending out service charge invoices. They also organise any planned major works activity.
How is a contractor selected?
The Managing Agent maintains a list of approved contractors. When selecting a contractor consideration is given to their expertise for the job, the urgency of the work and their ability to respond within the required timescale and the desire to obtain the best price. If the job is classified as ‘major works’ a number of quotes are obtained before selection is made.
I am selling my property – do I have to pay my Service Charge?
Yes – if you were the lessee covering any of the period relating to the invoice, the payment is due in full. You should request a receipt when you pay and pass this to your solicitor who will obtain a pro-rata refund from your purchaser.
No – if you anticipate selling your flat prior to the beginning of a new invoice period, pass the invoice to your solicitor.
Solicitors will usually write to the Managing Agent to determine whether there is any debt outstanding. Any outstanding payment may delay a sale.
I have received an invoice in someone else’s name – what should I do?
This may happen when a sale has occurred and your solicitor has not registered the assignment, as required by your lease. You should contact your solicitor to ensure that the position is rectified immediately.
Until registration takes place, the record relating to your property cannot be amended and, as the lessee, you are responsible for all charges. You should pay these and ask your solicitor to resolve matters.
My service charge is due for payment – what are my options?
You can pay your service charges in the following manner:
• Bank Transfer – instructions for payment are detailed on your invoice
• Cheque – instructions for payment are detailed on your invoice
• Standing Order – call the Managing Agent to make the necessary arrangements.
There is no facility to pay by debit or credit card.
I wish to alter my property – is there a fee?
Lessees obligations are contained within the terms of the lease. We are obliged to have full details of all proposed changes to ensure any fire, local authority, planning or building regulations are complied with. It must also be clear that there are no detrimental effects on other lessees. You should contact the Managing Agent before any works commence. The fee payable will depend on the complexity of the work proposed. The work may not be approved.
I wish to sub-let my property – can you help find a tenant?
No. This is not within our remit.
I want to sub-let my property – is a fee payable?
Lessees obligations are contained within the terms of the lease. We are legally obliged to have full details of all tenants in order to comply with the leases associated with the development.
The lease states that lessees must obtain prior consent of any such arrangement and that any agreement made is a shorthold tenancy, or one similar, which does not create any right of tenancy after the term of the agreement has expired.
The lease also states that the sub-tenant must enter into a ‘direct deed of covenant’ to ensure they comply with all the terms contained within the Lease.
Solicitor’s costs for the preparation and completion of the ‘deed of covenant’ will likely be payable by the lessee.
You should contact the Managing Agent and there will be an administrative charge by us for the issue of the appropriate consent.
I can’t afford to pay my service charge – what do I do?
We understand that personal circumstances can change and, occasionally, some lessees may find they have difficulty in meeting their service charge payment obligations. Please seek advice from the Managing Agent if this arises.
I pay by standing order – why are invoices issued?
All invoices for service charges are due on 1 February and 1 August in accordance with the terms of your lease. Although the account may be settled monthly by standing order, our Managing Agents will always provide a demand for payment by the respective due dates. Invoices will be sent for information only.
What is Ground Rent and why is it paid?
This is rent paid under the terms of the lease by the owner of the flat to the owner of the land (freeholder) on which it is built. Payment details are contained in the lease.