Regent Street Disease

[james_help]

Hi all,

I have recently been hit with a 40k service charge due to my building having Regent Street Disease, and the steel and stone need to be replaced. Has anyone found any alternatives to RSD and not replaced the steel and stone? I have researched Cathodic Protection and have notified my block agents of this but is there anything else that can minimise the 40k?

Thanks!

 

[^woody^]

CP is more for prevention, and requires specific conditions and management to work as advertised, but is not a suitable solution if the frame has already corroded.

A better option for you is to question the past management of the block and whether better inspection or earlier intervention would have reduced the need for repairs and greeter costs. And you might need to test this at the First-Tier Tribunal

 

[james_help]

CP is more for prevention, and requires specific conditions and management to work as advertised, but is not a suitable solution if the frame has already corroded.

A better option for you is to question the past management of the block and whether better inspection or earlier intervention would have reduced the need for repairs and greeter costs. And you might need to test this at the First-Tier Tribunal

This is a good point, thank you. I have gone back to the block agents and have asked the following questions:

• Can you please provide all surveys that have been undertaken that have identified that the cause is Regent Street Disease?
• Can you please provide any structural engineering reports that have been carried out?
• Please provide a build-up to the £40k costs
• Can you please provide the tender return forms for the three quotes received?
• What warranties is the design team/contractor providing?
• Have the alternatives to replacing the stone/steel been explored further ie Cathodic Protection (CP)?

I will wait for a reply and then go back and question if any earlier inspections or earlier interventions had been carried out.

Thank you

 

[^woody^]

Once the s20 notification process starts, I suspect that the management agent would have finalised their surveys/diagnosis and remedial work requirement etc and are consulting on a specific repair type and specialist contractors for that work, so it may be too late to propose other methods such as CP. However you can still offer suitable contractors for the proposed repair work.

As you have received the service charge amount, then it seems that the process has concluded, so your only option is to question the administration of the statutory consultation process and bring in previous management as mentioned above.

 

[james_help]

Once the s20 notification process starts, I suspect that the management agent would have finalised their surveys/diagnosis and remedial work requirement etc and are consulting on a specific repair type and specialist contractors for that work, so it may be too late to propose other methods such as CP. However you can still offer suitable contractors for the proposed repair work.

As you have received the service charge amount, then it seems that the process has concluded, so your only option is to question the administration of the statutory consultation process and bring in previous management as mentioned above.

Noted thanks Woody, the management agent has not changed from what I know, how would I word the email?

 

[^woody^]

By "previous management" I did not mean a different management, but how the block was managed - ie properly looked after and inspected

 

[james_help]

Thanks Woody, I have sent you a private message