News letter from The 'Roost'

Aerials.

The aerial system seems to be working fine now but any residents experiencing bad reception should contact Peter Corner (flat 27) who will contact the appropriate technicians.

Fire on the property

As many of you may have heard there was a fire recently in flat 26. The fire was caused by the failure of a water heater which led to a duvet stored on top of the heater catching fire. Please be careful to store inflammable items well away from sources of heat and have your appliances inspected regularly, (particularly gas appliances). Very special thanks are due to one of our new residents (Gavin) without whose vigilance and swift action in calling the fire brigade the damage could have been catastrophic for the whole block.

Many thanks again to Gavin and Peter Corner for cleaning up the smoke staining in the corridor after the fire. They both spent many hours scrubbing the walls and ceiling of the corridor to irradicate the stain and the smell of smoke.

Squirrels

Unfortunately despite the warnings from the Board some residents are still feeding the squirrels. This has now led us to call in the Council to deal with the wildlife nuisance. Special bait has been laid for them to clean up the problem of them visiting the block, causing damage, uprooting plants and most importantly, urinating everywhere which can cause the spread of disease. The most susceptible are the children in the block who after playing in the garden may infect themselves by hand to mouth contact. The health hazard is a very real and worrying danger which has forced us (reluctantly) to take these drastic measures, following professional advice.

Cars still being backed in to car ports.

Some residents are still, despite our earlier request, reversing their cars into the car ports. The blackening of the property from the exhaust is bad and the residents who have to suffer the exhaust fumes in their hallways are being treated very unfairly indeed. The lease clearly states that cars must be parked in the bays forwards and if this practice does not stop, the residents who break this rule will have legal action taken against them.

Whilst on the subject of parking, commercial and/or sign written vehicles must not be parked on the premises unless by contractors carrying out work to the development. This is something which we must enforce as it is also in breach of the lease. Those who continue to offend will have legal action taken against them.

The redecoration of car ports.

The car ports are in the process of being redecorated. This is being done in stages with about 2 or 3 bays being done at a time. Residents will be given an indication when the work on their bay will start but please refer to the note you received recently.

And finally.............

The Board is short of Directors. The problem could become serious as the last thing we want to do is to out-source Ravensroost Management. At a conservative estimate we could be paying upwards of £100 per month for our maintenance which will be a shock to everyone's systems! Please contact a member of the Board if you are intending to join.

The Board of Directors - Ravensroost

24^th August 1997

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1998 January

Newsletter from "THE ROOST"

A Happy New Year to everyone at "The Roost" and here’s hoping it will be a prosperous one for all. We have a few changes on the board. Patrick Arnold and Jane O’Donoghue have retired from the but are still getting called upon regarding Ravensroost matters. Please take note of the list below and contact the relevant board member depending on the nature of your enquiry. We would all like to thank Patrick and Jane for all their work and welcome Valerie Westlake to Ravensroost Board of Directors. Valerie will be taking over the responsibilities of company secretary. Simon Reid has joined Peter Corner on the maintenance committee.

Here is a revised list of Board Members and local emergency/useful numbers.

Directors            Duties                                 Flat     Telephone

Jonathan Knopp  Treasurer                                    39      653 - 1938

Valerie Westlake  Company Secretary                     33       653 - 3464

Ann Harman Assistant Secretary                            39      653 - 1938

Peter Corner Chairman of maintenance                  28      653 - 0348

Simon Reid eneral enquiries/maintenance               31      771 - 8049

Any queries, concerns or problems should be forwarded to the relevant director. In the case of any maintenance issues, these should be given to Peter Corner or Simon Reid in writing. If a resident wants anything brought up at a meeting please hand a note to one of the general enquiries directors, a reply will be by way of a letter from the secretary.

(

Emergency & Useful Numbers

Police

South Norwood Police Station 0181 - 653 - 8568

Gypsy Hill Police Station 0171 - 326 - 1212

Services

Electricity (Emergency) 0345 - 222222

Gas (Emergency) 659 - 9599

Water (Emergency) 0345 - 200800

Tradesmen

Pat Hudson of Pegasus, Plumber. 0181 - 677 - 2262

David Archer, Plumber/Builder. 0181 - 688 - 3631

Wayne Rivers, Decorator. 0956 - 372831 (mobile)

I A Addison Ltd. Electrical, also drains. 0181 - 764 - 2178

Joe Hamby of Aerial Installation Systems 0181 - 670 - 9105

0831 - 257875 (mobile)

Michael Walden Heating & Servicing 01737 - 556113

(ex Pratt Services) 2 Church Lane 0585 - 136369 (mobile)

Hooley, Surrey.

Travel

Gatwick Airport (Flight enquiries) 0293 - 535353

Heathrow 0181 - 759 - 4321

Rail Travel Enquiries 0171 - 928 - 5100

Our Caretaker is Steve, he is here from Monday to Friday inclusive.

Our Gardener is Gavin, he is here on Wednesdays and Thursdays.

skip will be on site on three dates this year. Old furniture and equipment should be held until then. These are the approximate dates of the skip being on the premises, we have not had confirmation of these as yet but these are the dates we have requested. You will be notified of any changes and a reminder will be posted nearer the dates.

Saturday, 28^th March 1998

The corridor in the small block has been redecorated by Wayne Rivers, the contractor who did the car ports, and now the unsightly smoke staining caused by the fire at No. 26 has been got rid of . May we take this opportunity to remind residents not to pin back the fire doors in the corridors. Their function is to prevent fire, smoke and gasses spreading and to give the Fire Brigade more time to get any fire under control. As was shown a fire can start at any time and if a fire occurs mid-week or at night when there is little activity in the corridors these fire doors could just save our lives and homes, we were very fortunate to have Gavin present to call the Fire Brigade and stop a potential disaster.

There was an annual general meeting on 2^nd of December. The turnout was again predictably poor but thanks go out to the residents who turned up. It is nice to see that there is some interest in the way that Ravensroost Management Ltd. is run. The good news is that the monthly maintenance payments are still not going to go up however there are a few residents who have not paid their annual ground rent yet so if that’s you, please pass your payment to Jonathan at No. 39 ASAP.

And Finally……….

Sorry to end up on a moan. This section was down to thank residents for parking the right way round in their parking bays but it seems that this old habit is returning bit by bit. We have just paid a considerable sum of money to have the downstairs front doors, cupboard doors, pillars and walls painted and cleaned. Not only does the starting of cars whilst parked in backwards coat the building with a black oily film, but fumes also enter properties and cause exhaust smells in the facing flats. This is particularly bad in winter when cars do have to crank over more before starting thus producing even more smoke and fumes than normal. Please stop now! Also the parking of commercial and/or sign written vehicles is not allowed. We are at present consulting our solicitors to advise us on what action we can take to prevent the inconsiderate practice of reverse parking and of commercial vehicles being left on the property which is most clearly in breach of lease. Don’t let it come to this!

The Board of Directors - Ravensroost

8^th January 1998

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1998 December

Newsletter from "THE ROOST"

As we are approaching the end of the year we are taking this opportunity to inform you all about Ravensroost matters.

We are continuing to tackle the difficult problem of water intrusion to the corridors upstairs and, in particular to the one bedroom flats. This problem has been so severe that the water has even penetrated at least two of the flats on the lower floors.

The roofing contractors have recently been on site lifting upstairs patio tiles and replacing the waterproofing layer underneath. Most of this work was completed in the summer but the building was still not completely watertight in a number of places and therefore additional work had to be undertaken.

Maintenance Fees.

Ravensroost is now starting its 4^th decade and maintenance issues are going to become more and more important as time takes its toll on the building. We shall be embarking upon a preventative maintenance program and will be proactive where possible instead of adopting the reactive approach which has mainly been the case in the past. We will be taking the advice of professionals in areas of probable wear and tear and expected decay of various parts of the structure, and will only commission necessary work.

To do this and to protect our most valuable material asset we have decided reluctantly that we must give notice of an increase in the monthly maintenance charge. This will take effect on the 1^st of April 1999 and will be £10.00 per month extra making the total monthly charge £65.

May we take this opportunity to remind residents that we have not had any increase in the monthly charge for approximately 8 years and so an increase should hardly come as a surprise. Ravensroost Management Ltd will be sending round bank mandates nearer the time for you to complete and return to your bankers. The payment of this charge is an inevitable consequence of living at Ravensroost and we shall continue to keep these at a minimum. Just to point out what is included in the monthly charge, following is a list of some of the things you get for your money:

• Building insurance to the sum of £3,000,000.
• Repairs and maintenance to the building.
• A caretaker/gardener on site and an invaluable "presence" on the property while many of us are at work.
• Lighting of corridors and garden.
• An in house Board of Directors with more of an incentive than any management firm.

It is not Ravensroost Management’s policy to "invoice" residents for additional costs of large projects undertaken. We have never had to do so are only now reluctantly increasing the maintenance charge in order to insure that we protect all residents from the uncertainty a change in the billing system for maintenance charges would bring.

Leavers.

Gavin the gardener has handed in his notice to the Board; our thanks go to him for all the work he has done over the years. Steve the caretaker is to be taking on his duties for at least the winter months at the end of which we hope he will retain the work in addition to his other duties.

Cable TV.

A few weeks ago a survey went round enquiring if residents would be interested in having cable TV installed at Ravensroost. The response was an overwhelming "No." This does not mean that the matter is closed and we remain open to suggestions, but for now and until we hear again from residents there will be no further action by the Board.

Correspondence mailbox

Many residents who do not have access to the upper floors cannot deliver any correspondence to Board members who live on the top floor. This can obviously be frustrating and to resolve the problem a mailbox has been installed in the storeroom door at the halfway point of the stairs to the small block. This mailbox will be emptied weekly on Fridays.

Communal TV aerial.

Reception of TV pictures from the communal aerial has been affected in some parts of the building. This is at present being dealt with and we hope to solve the problem of bad reception as soon as possible.

Car theft.

Just to remind us that the midnight prowlers will never go away, a car was stolen recently from a carport. Please therefore be extra vigilant and report anything suspicious to the police. We have been lucky for a while but cannot hope forever to be ignored by the criminal fraternity.

Wildlife.

At Ravensroost we have been suffering property damage to the building through the practice by some ill-informed residents of attracting wildlife to the blocks. The feeding of Feral Pigeons has attracted them to dwell in the Spruce tree and their droppings on one particular branch has caused it to become unhealthy to the point that it needs tree surgery. The patio beneath is covered daily with this disgusting mess and the resident would be well within her rights to take action under the law against the persons responsible.

Feral Pigeons carry some very dangerous diseases: not so well known perhaps is that they are on a par with The Black Rat in that department and are for this reason alone highly undesirable to have around the development. If it were reported that The Black Rat had taken up residence here their reputation alone would be enough for residents to complain and demand their removal.

 Squirrels look cute, but also they are disease carriers. Fact:

The disease is characterised by high fever, intractable headache, and rash. Temperature reaches 104° F in several days and remains high. Headache is generalised and intense. On the 4th to 6th day, the rash develops and spreads. Prostration is due to low blood pressure and may be followed by vascular collapse. Fatalities are rare in children; mortality increases with age.

The above are extracts from medical and wildlife publications and have been included to underline the potential danger these animals can cause.

About a year ago in order to control the problem the Board requested residents to cease feeding the wildlife and outlined the health risks and the damage the squirrels were doing to the property but unfortunately a small number of residents ignored the request.

Subsequently Croydon Council was consulted and a company called Terminex was recommended as a pest control company. They were willing to reduce the number of squirrels by shooting them, but the Board was reluctant at that time to have them shot and asked if there was a less violent method available. Poisoning was the next choice and poison pellet feeders were installed on some upstairs patios and around the garden. The effect on the squirrels was minor and one of the unwanted possible side effects was that the few squirrels who took the poison bait would die in the woods and could be eaten by cats, dogs, foxes etc. who would then also succumb to the poison.

As mentioned before the Board’s request that residents stop the feeding (thus attracting and artificially increasing the population of squirrels in the area) went unheeded and we ended up in a worse situation than before. Squirrels were damaging the lawn, digging up plants scratching at the felt roof of the main buildings and in some cases preventing people who fear these animals from using their patios.

It was with regret that the Board decided to take stronger, more immediate action against these pests at the request of many residents who were sustaining property damage. After consultation with the Police and the BASC (British Association for Shooting & Conservation) both of which organisations assured us that we had the right legally to cull vermin on private property, a low powered, silenced air rifle was purchased. Within a few weeks the problem had been dealt with, saving us £400.00 per annum in pest control fees. What we are doing is less dangerous to the indigenous wildlife (secondary poisoning) and saving us money in the long term (property damage) and short term (pest control fees).

However the feeding of wildlife still goes on regardless and attracts squirrels and other vermin to the property. It seems that a few selfish residents who are aware of the cull are now trying to "prove a point" and this unfortunately is at the expense of the squirrels. They know that the presence of vermin on the property will result in them being shot but persist regardless. We do not think that this is the action of true animal lovers but merely an expression of defiance at the Board’s decision.

The culling by shooting will go on when or if needed but will only be done when it is safe to do so and by a trained and fully insured member of the Board. This will usually be early in the morning. The animals, contrary to the popular rumours, are being dealt with humanely; one shot being usually all that is required. If however the animal has not been dispatched outright then a second shot is fired within seconds to ensure that any suffering is minimal.

The cull will stop when the squirrels return to their natural behaviour, i.e. feeding in the woods where they belong and staying there as, we have been assured by pest control officers they will, providing there is no human enticement on to our property.

In accordance with the Pest Control act of 1949 it is illegal to attract vermin to property by feeding, this does include Feral Pigeons and Squirrels. As you can see a lot of research has been done on this subject and our decided action was thoroughly considered beforehand.

All of our actions, and the results (including the current position that at least one resident continues under cover of darkness to feed the vermin) have been reported by your Board to the Environmental Health Department at Croydon Corporation, who amongst other things are responsible for pest control in the Borough. Croydon Corporation are very concerned and are ready to assume the responsibility for taking the appropriate legal action against those concerned.

Ravensroost Management Ltd was reported to the RSPCA and to the Police by a ‘well wishing’ resident. After a number of representations from the RSPCA about the legalities of the situation they had eventually no choice but to withdraw as this was clearly and definitely no concern of theirs.

The Police saw that everything was being done in accordance with the law and were not even interested in pursuing the matter as there were absolutely no grounds for doing so, however this matter caused stress for everyone concerned. The answer – Do not attract vermin to the property.

Car Parking.

Cars must not be parked in reverse in the car bays. The blackening of the property and intrusion of fumes into the ground floor flats is unacceptable and The Board have been approached and asked to remind residents never to park in reverse. This is a condition of the lease and legal action can be taken against residents not complying. Please be considerate.

Following is a revised list of Board Members showing their areas of responsibility and a list of some local emergency/useful numbers.

Directors            Duties                                 Flat     Telephone

Jonathan Knopp  Treasurer                                  39         653 - 1938

Valerie Westlake  Company Secretary                   33        653 - 3464

Ann Harman Assistant Secretary                          39        653 - 1938

Peter Corner Chairman of maintenance                28        653 - 0348

Simon Reid eneral enquiries/maintenance              31        771 - 8049

Any queries, concerns or problems should be forwarded to the relevant director. In the case of any maintenance issues, these should be given to Peter Corner or Simon Reid in writing. If a resident wants anything brought up at a meeting please hand a note to any of the directors, a reply will be by way of a letter from the secretary.

(

Emergency & Useful Numbers

Police

South Norwood Police Station 0181 - 653 - 8568

Gypsy Hill Police Station 0171 - 326 - 1212

Services

Electricity (Emergency) 0345 - 222222

Gas (Emergency) 659 - 9599

Water (Emergency) 0345 - 200800

Tradesmen

Pat Hudson of Pegasus (Plumber, Etc.) 0181 - 677 - 2262

Joe Hamby of Aerial Installation Systems 0181 - 670 - 9105

A.I.S. – Mobile 0831 - 257875

Michael Walden Heating & Servicing

(ex Pratt Services) 2 Church Lane

Hooley, Surrey. 01737 - 556113

Mobile 0585 - 136369

 

Travel

Gatwick Airport (Flight Enquiries) 0293 - 535353

Heathrow 0181 - 759 - 4321

Rail Travel Enquiries 0171 - 928 - 5100

Points to remember.

1. Bins are located at each end of the building. A chute is located on the first stair landing. Do not put over-large bags or boxes down the chute - they get stuck and cause blockages, which are very difficult to clear. When the bins at the entranceway are full (this should not happen, but it occasionally does) use those at the end of the small block. Bins are emptied Mondays early a.m.

This Christmas please bag all food refuse and retain wrapping paper, boxes etc. until after the refuse collection after Christmas. The refuse collectors are not as frequent over the holiday period and last year all the bins were filled with cardboard boxes leaving no room for perishable rubbish. This left residents to leave stinking perishable remains outside the bins in the bin rooms and our caretaker had to clear up this mess informing us that he would not be doing this for us again!

2. A skip will be on site quarterly. You will be notified when it is due. Old furniture and equipment should be held until then and then disposed of in the skip, unless you are able to take unwanted items to the council tip; there is one situated in St. Gothard Road in West Norwood behind the Cemetery.

                    3. NOISE!

Please be aware that sound carries up, down and across. Keep the volumes on TV, radio, CD player (hi-fi) at a moderate level, and particularly in Spring and Summer when windows are open. Remember what may be heaven to your ears can be hell to others.

Please do not slam doors, if doors need slamming because otherwise they would stick please get them fixed.

We know that DIY, Home improvements etc. must be done but please advise your neighbours if the work is to be prolonged and keep noise making activities to reasonable hours. As most of us work during the daytime the evenings are for unwinding not the opposite!

4. Vehicles must NOT be parked in or in front of the access area for emergency services. This is very important as the fire brigade or ambulance may have to get a vehicle into the garden for rescue purposes. Remember it could be your life at risk.

5. Do not park alongside the bollards. This is dangerous and blocks the drive.

6. Commercial vehicles belonging to residents must be parked off the premises; this is a condition of the lease and MUST be adhered to.

7. Drive on and off the premises at a slow speed. Be aware there are pedestrians and children using the driveway and footpath.

                    8. Social hours for washing machines, vacuum cleaners etc. are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

9. We have an Annual General Meeting to review the Company’s activities, adopt the accounts and appoint directors and auditors. Please attend. It is also your opportunity to meet other residents and discuss Ravensroost in general. We as directors receive complaints about the building’s problems but very few residents actually attend the AGM.

10. The board meets regularly and you are welcome to attend if you so wish. Enquire from a director as to date, time & place.

11. Last but not least. Greet your neighbours - introduce yourself. We do like a friendly atmosphere. It also helps us to know who lives on the property and we may be more able to spot intruders.

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1999

Not yet published

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Copyright © [Ravensroost Management Ltd]. All rights reserved.
Revised: December 07, 1999.