FOUNDER’S NOTE
John Sibley – Founder Of LandsmoorCarr
I Was Looking Forward To A Quiet Time
It was October 2018, and I was looking forward to a stress-free retirement. I had spent 45 years in the IT industry. First as a mainframe operator then three years as a programmer before advancing to systems design. The last 30 years I was busy working as a freelance business systems designer and project manager working at location across the country in retail, manufacturing, travel, electricity supply, rail, and distribution. This included 4 years in North-East America. I was looking forward to a quiet time at home.
The Letting Agency Contracted To Manage The Rentals Walked Off Site
My involvement in Montgomery House began when my family bought 5 pods back in August 2011. In October 2012 I was fighting for compensation when the then developer extended kitchens into 17 adjoining units to meet HMO license requirements. Not a penny was paid for these units. It was four years, in and out of various courts before any compensation was received by the owners. It was first-hand experience of the civil justice system. During that time, Montgomery House suffered a Right to Management failure and the letting agency they contracted to manage the rentals, walking off site.
The End Of My Retirement
There were more years battling the management to get repairs and improvements done. I setup a Leaseholders Advisory Committee to work with the management. Despite the many complaints from Leaseholders, there was little support for the Advisory Committee, folded. In mid-November 2018 during a leaseholders meeting, I suggested we manage our own Lettings agency to combat the low occupancy. With the permission of the Freeholder, I setup Montgomery Lets, an on-site lettings agency solely focused on Montgomery House… And that was the end of my retirement!
It Wasn’t Enough, Nothing Fundamental Was Changing
The next 18 months was learning the ins and outs of lettings, getting to know new people, a pile of associated legislation and the workings of Montgomery House. It wasn’t enough though. Nothing fundamental was changing. Maintenance was still poor and unfocused, despite the effort of the site manager, Montgomery was not a priority to the freeholder. The management company was delivering on its contract terms but nothing more.
We Watched The Relentless Stride Of COVID-19
From the summer of 2019 we watched the relentless stride of COVID-19 across the globe. From January 2020, foreign student tenants were desperate to get home. Most just got the first plane they could, often leaving without paying outstanding rents. March 2020 and the pandemic was on us. The lettings and occupation was in freefall. It was difficult for many leaseholders.
The Deal Was On The Table
As a leaseholder and Lettings agent I had got to know the freeholder, Marden Ltd. In June 2020, with the help of a friend in the block management industry, I suggested to Marden that we could make a better job of managing the site than one of the largest block management companies in the country. After all I had managed successful IT projects and had the people skills. I knew the site, the leaseholders, and the tenants from 18 months of lettings. I knew that just collecting service charges did not work. A complete change in approach was needed. All stakeholders had to be involved to make it work. So, after a few weeks of negotiations, there was a deal on the table. At 6:30am on the 17th of November 2020, I arrived to take over the management of Montgomery House.
It has been a non-stop roller coaster ever since.
