Garages

are you doing / have done anything with the floor?

Ground (fairly) flat and then a DPM layer followed by an epoxy finishing coat with a sand layer for traction.

Have you approached the electricity board to see if they can connect you?

I imagine we'd need the permission of the freeholder and the managing agent who represents the freeholder would doubtless say no.

Freeholders and managing agents can be difficult but shouldn't refuse reasonable requests especially where there is no detriment to them or the property and the cost is met by the leaseholder.
It's not unreasonable to ask to install metered electricity for lighting and a mains supply - or e.g. an electric vehicle charging point!
Any way, just an idea. Good luck with the project which is definitely taking shape.

You've not met this managing agent - if they don't see a direct route to personal enrichment then they're actively hostile, and have stated unequivocally that they (on behalf of the directors) refuse any electrical connection to the garages.

Logic doesn't come into it for this bunch - they tried to take me to court before for overpaying the service charge (they made an error and thought I had underpaid).

I had a number of conversations with their solicitor who said, memorably, "Martin says he thinks you should pay something, but he can't explain why" (Martin is the managing agent).

Anyway! I'll get there.

Sounds like Martin can f*cking do one.

Martin sounds like quite the specimen.

It was a very odd situation. Their solicitor had her brief from her client, but couldn't help but be honest about what Martin had said, which obviously put her in an invidious situation.

Ultimately I said "we have looked at the accounts together and I've shown that I had accidentally over-paid, so rather than being in arrears I'm actually going to deliberately miss next quarters payment to level things out. Martin may "feel that Neil should pay something", but I'm going to suggest that we discuss this in court as I don't agree that I should".

At which point they stopped chasing me for the thousand pound fine they were trying to get for me being in arrears on the service charge and Section 20.

e.g. an electric vehicle charging point!

Obviously, this wouldn't fly past Martin, but this seems like a more than reasonable point.

Even if at the minute he's just trying to killjoy your conversion of the garage into a little workshop, putting in a charger into your garage is such a necessary / obvious use case that it'd be incredibly frustrating to have to deal with someone who just said 'no'.

Any way to simply go ahead and do the mains electrical works when the agent is not around and let him complain (loudly and legalistically?) afterwards?

Lots of people break planning law (which admittedly isn’t the same as your situation) and seem to effectively get away with it.

Means breaking the fire sealing on a common riser that goes through all four floors. I’m many things, but fucking with fire safety for the block is not something I’m willing to do.

Without permission/sign off, and a defined “do this to make safe” list.

That’s a very good reason not to do it.

In leases there is typically language around landlord's/freeholder's permission is required but that permission cannot be unreasonably withheld. By adding a separate metered supply to a garage you're adding value. Despite Martin being a challenging person to deal with you have the law and precedent on your side.

“The Directors do not wish the garages to have an electricity connection, the primary use of these buildings is for storage of household items or vehicles, as your Lease states.

The Directors will not permit the garages to be used for home working, light industrial use or on going vehicle maintenance work as it will cause unacceptable noise and disruption to residents. Therefore, if used correctly, the garages do not need a mains electrical connection.”

The directors sound like a bunch of petty jobsworth twats. Also, as mentioned, EVs...!

Martin is always very happy to speak “for” the directors- almost as if the managing agent is head of the board.

What they actually think is a good question, although all the evidence points to them rowing in behind Martin if he cracks the whip.

Coincidentally no Director has a garage.

Insane that someone can arbitrarily tell you what you can and can't do in property that you own.

The lease does state that the garages are exclusively for the storage of a motor vehicle, that the majority are used as storage is ignored.

I did post a message to the blocks Facebook page yesterday saying:

"With internal combustion engined passenger car sales ending in 2030 what plans are there to provide charging facilities for electrical cars at [block of flats], in the car parking and within the garages?"

Who do you need to pay to become a director?

Well, you need to get elected which appears to be dead mans shoes, but the key thing is time to spend on it.

Having been a director of a shared ownership block of flats I would not wish that on my worst enemy. Between that, or not having electricity in my garage I know which I'd pick...

It does seem a bit short sighted that you're willing to spend all this money improving the value of what essentially belongs to them yet they want to stop you in some way

With internal combustion engined passenger car sales ending in 2030 what plans are there to provide charging facilities for electrical cars at Forest Croft, in the car parking and within the garages?

Attempts to retrofit electric car charging will presumably become a nightmare in London leasehold properties. 50%+ of residents (or whatever car non-ownership is then) will say "screw you, I don't own a car and I don't want this expense"?

I can understand why the directors have decided that the easiest / safest option is to do nothing.

I can understand why the directors have decided that the easiest / safest option is to do nothing.

This.
Building management companies don't like to get involved with individual leaseholder requests - too much work .
They often have a large property portfolio and apply uniform rules/regulations to all property they 'manage'. They don't like leaseholders doing , for example repairs even if you could do it cheaper and (in your opinion) a better job.

owning your own home thread >>>>>

It's almost as if any entity having a 'large property portfolio' is a situation ideally to be avoided...but that is a systemic issue and another discussion, not for Dammit's garage updates!

I can understand why the directors have decided that the easiest / safest option is to do nothing.

I can understand it, but - it's just going to mean that they end up trying to police a situation where flat owners have run heavy duty charging cables out of windows, snaking all over the grounds.