Visitors to the site are reminded that the details contained within user comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment.
Comments:
We moved away from this company in March this year for the reasons stated by many others. If you have done so or plan to do so be very careful if Trinity Estates is written into your lease as the management company. We have lost one sale of our apartment because of Trinity's refusal to co-operate with our solicitor. We are about to embark on another sale and our estate agent advises us that the sale of another apartment is in jeopardy because of Trinity is refusing to answer enquiries or co-operate.
If anybody has had a similar experience please let us know.
Nattoohappy,did you contact ARMA. about this catalogue of failure? They claim that they and their members are seeking to raise standards and yet more and more leaseholders are demonstrating that the reality is very different from their rhetoric.
I'm new to this website but not new to Trinity - they have managed our new build block in Twickenham for over 4 years and we have experienced the exact same problems listed:
1. Escalating costs but lack of service and follow up
2. A high turn over of staff and development managers resulting in no one at Trinity knowing the block history or their ar*e from their elbow
3. Required maintenence not being carried out in a timely fashion despite promises. Also, numerous residents reporting the same problem to the same person at Trinity and they will always say it's the first time they've heard of it. We have a round robin email so we all know what is and isn't going on.
4. Residents had requested copy of the set of accounts following the overspend bill in 2009. Trinity said the only way we'd get them was to go to their offices and photocopy their files ourselves. We did and discovered they had charged us for work covered by NHBC guarantee by Laing Homes!
5. Broken garage door for over 1 year (with promise of it being replaced) resulting in cars being broken into and bikes stolen, none of which were then covered by insurance. It took over 9 months to get a response despite chasing from OAMPS.
6. A written guarantee that we would be notified of any overspend at least 6 months before money was due to be paid - this has never happened. The latest bill was around the £40k mark mainly due to underestimated electrical use!!! It's the same eletric use we've had in the block since 2006!
7. Bills for service charge, ground rent, overspend, redecoration all falling in the same month with just 30 days notice. Aggressive action being taken against anyone not being able to pay.
7. We have a resident's assoc. and had a 51% majority to vote Trinity out. We were told we could not vote them out as they had a 3 year contact with Laing Homes. This has now expired.
8. Dirty, smelly bin areas that have been cleaned twice in 4 years.
Unfortunately we live in a private road and so the council are unable to assist in any action we wish to take against Trinity.
The notes about insurance are also worrying. It's the first time I have seen information on the third party agent PKN but will be looking into as the insurance has risen year by year significantly.
FSA say they are not involved as Trinity are the insurance policy holder. However the inland revenue seemed to be extremely interested as to whether there is a misappropriation. I have held extensive conversations with their fraud investigation team and they have assured me that they will respond as soon as they have questioned the directors whose names I imparted to them.
Residents should also be aware that trusted contractors and contracts are being cancelled to make way for the new company Ottimo. This company is being run by an ex-staff member of Trinity.
What we have found that with Trinity is:- please dont think about what this company is not doing at your estate (like the poor or lack of service at your development).
Always think about what Trinity are doing at your estate (like routing all yor building insurance through PKN Ltd and over charging you up to 42% of the true premium that is paid to AXA Insurance).
So with what Trinity as a company do in mind.
We are now told that Mr Robin Gleeson the Insurance Manager of Trinity and also the Insurance Manager of PKN Ltd as stated at a Liverpool LVT by Trinity`s Director has now left both these Compamies!
We know for a fact that Mrs Manny Mottrom Trinity`s Legal Director has also left the Company!
Oh dear, we hope there is nothing going on at Trinity with these important employees running down the road.
This should make all Blaggers wonder why?
Hope these now ex-employees dont know something that blaggers dont know yet?
But I am sure all of Trinity`s leaseholders will find out very soon!
We also have a residents association but the few times Trinity have bothered to send a representative, they have been arrogant and dismissive to questions thrown at them by the residents. I thus agree with the vast majority of comments on here, which emphasise just how bad an experience people have had with Trinity.
Trinity did, in the past send out monthly newsletters but this now seems non existent – they didn’t contain much useful information anyway. Trinity have also set up some kind of portal, through which residents can access their account. What is the point of this? I’d rather Trinity use the money in delivering a proper service.
To sum up Trinity – Useless. (on the other hand to use the word ‘useless’ to describe Trinity is and insult to that word.
We have a large residents association 150 members and have managed to gain a fairly good relationship with Trinity Estates - they attend a meeting once every 2 months - it has taken a very very long time and things still are not right but they are allowing us to recommend contractors - they have put our current contractors on a 28 day notice agreement and if we are not happy we can change them.
PLEASE NOW NOTE - WE ARE HAVING ARE HAVING A REFUND OF £23,000 FROM PKN FOR OUR ACCOUNTS 08/09 09/10 AS WE QUERIED THE NEED TO USE PKN. TRINITY DID NOT ARGUE AND AGREED TO REFUND US.
This may be because of the good relationship we now have with them - note relationship is good but still standards of work have to go up but that is down to standards of the cleaners and landscapers.
Trinity now send out a monthly newsletter updating residents on all the goings on, they also allow us to have a section on the newsletter. They bring the upcoming budget to the residents meeting and we go through it with a fine toothcomb.If you are willing to talk with Trinity and not shout at them and invite them to your residents associations meetings and send them copies of you minutes, they are not a bad lot.
NicholasLite says that Trinity are pathic and inadequate, but they are popular with some big developers, freeholder landlords and big insurance companies and brokers. The OFT, FSA, DCLG, I.O.M., ARMA and the LAW Commission have all known about their activities for a long time,but appear to be refusing to take any effective action to protect leaseholders.
Also Trinity are not alone in their pattern of activities. Statutory regulation is desperately needed, but it doesn't look likely.Even completion of the implementation of the 2002 ACT has failed.
Trinity suspended cleaning our block of apartments in July 2009, and so accordingly, we expected a reduction in Service Charge. Trinity, has instead increased service charges to the disgust of residents. Furthermore, Trinity fails to communicate effectively with residents whilst continuing to demand payment, and many have lost faith in this increasingly incompetent management company. Trinity, is persistent in failing to deliver close to an adequate service. We don’t trust this company to resolve even to most basic of problems. My biggest regret is failing to carry out research on this pathetic and inadequate company before buying my property. Residents here have been let down terribly again and again.
Advice: Do not purchase a property that has links to Trinity. If you do, then it is almost certain that Trinity will enshroud you with unnecessary stress. Avoid Trinity Estates at all costs.
It's the same pattern over and over again.Once exposed Trinity 'agree' to step down. It's a long journey to reach that point, but there's a longer way to go to get the accounts agreed. The only fairly sure way is to challenge the items that are 'unreasonable' at an LVT. In that situation, eventually, when Trinity fail to produce appropriate documents, the LVT 'takes a view' on what it considers 'reasonable' and 'directs' that that is the amount to be accepted as part of the service charge. Don't expect any of this process to be quick or simple. Every case with Trinity and others like them, is like re-inventinmg the wheel over and over again!The Authorities know about it all, but seem determined not to act.
Well, I last posted here on 29 Sept 2009, with a plan to get as many residents as possible together, and replace Trinity Estates.
We served notice claiming our right to manage and have been successful, we are currently negotiating handover which is due in just under 3 months.
We are prepared for some unpleasant reading when we see th accounts for the estate, but at least we shall be in a position to remedy it!
If I can use my experience to help anyone, I will try, just ask!
Just received the budget break down for 2009 from Trinity and there's yet another deficit regarding our block. They want another £150 for the year from each apartment for repairs that would have been payable by the developer (new build apts) and an increase in electricity. There are 12 flats in the block – all the communal lights are on 3 min timers (approx 8 lights inside) and 3 lights outside that come on when it's dark and two lights on sensors that are in the bin/bike store. Apparently the bill for the inside lights was £1667 and outside £485. They won't let us see the bill to prove this is correct and they refuse to investigate as to why our electric is so pricey. I think this amount is ridiculous – we pay £800 a year to power our flat with Gas and electric each year! Has anyone else had problems with Trinity demanding more money for deficits and has anyone successfully checked one of their bills for communal areas?
I am close to serving papers on Trinity. Thank you everyone who has responded. The legacy of their disaster lives on in our apartments. There is a second LVT decision pending and hopefully matters raised will be answered. I feel that my money has been misappropriated and that is why I will seek to go legal.
Well, I typed Trinity Estates complaints in google and I was shocked and horrified. We thought we were just a small group of residents who were fed up with the antics of this company. The high service charge increase, top up deficits twice a year, suspension of service etc. you know the drill. It looks like we are way behind everyone else who have already posted about this company.
So, at least our questions have been answered, we were considering removing them as agents from our estate, when I show this site to my fellow inmates I think I will have little to do to convince them to search for another managing agent.
So, now, my next question, who have you all moved to and who are the best, any help would be appreciated.
I would strongly recommend that leaseholders access the website www.carlex.org.uk and read as much of it and its links as possible. Although it deals with retiremnet home leasehold, most of the major issues are common with general residential leasehold. Links show the role of the insurance industry as a major player and the failure of the authorities to provide effective regulation.
Have you submitted these questions to Geraldine Shortall at ARMA. and did you receive any response that was of any use?
Have you submitted these questions to Nichola Grady at the FSA. and did you receive any response stating that they would carry out their regulatory duties in an effective timescale and if not, why not?
Have you submitted the PKN related questions to Wendy Sayer on Wendy.Sayer@gov.im the IOM. Regulatory Manager for Insurance and Pensions?
Non of these people seem willing to carry out their duties in this matter. They are all aware of the situation but do not appear to be prepared to act, so this nonsense will continue.
ince Trinity is an 'existing' member of ARMA and promotes itself as such, there is therefore an 'exisiting' agreement to comply with the RICS and ARMA codes re insurance and transparency so why does it take until 1 August to have transparency in place?
Some open questions which could be answered by Trinity here or preferably by an immediate letter to all residents
re the following.
1. In addition to the regulatory and statutory requirements will Trinity Estates confirm a willingness to comply with the following:
· The RICS Code of practice for residential managing agents including the recommended but not mandatory elements (those described as ‘should’ rather than ‘must’?
· The RICS code of practice for transparency in insurance dealings?
· The ARMA code of practice
2. Why does it take until August 2010 for Trinity to contact all its customers? Why not immediately stating what they will do?
3. Why did Trinity Estates subsidiary Stewart Andrew cease to be an approved authorised representative on the FSA register from 1 April 2010?
4. What percentage of the shares in PKN are held by directors of Trinity or their nominees?
5. Why did Trinity make the insurance arrangements less transparent by using PKN as an intermediary with effect from ca August 2009?
6. What is the total payment to AXA of insurance premiums for properties managed by Trinity?
7. What overall proportion of the insurance charges paid by residents does that represent?
8. How is the remainder divided?
9. Will Trinity provide 'backdated' information from Jan 2005 onwards?.
One more thing to Trinity Estates, you state that you comply with various regulatory requirements for insurance, does that include trying to mask policies to look like PKN are FSA regulated when they are clearly not, as you did with the copy of the policy that you sent to me?
You will probably get away with it though, the FSA are just another toothless organisation, clearly there to add another tax to businesses, absolutely useless, not too dissimilar to the mighty ARMA!
Well, a response from the company themselves! This is rather amusing.
In response to Trinity Estates post, unfortunately it's surely a bit late in the day for all of the developments that you have clearly been ripping off for their block insurance policies.
You have been caught with your hand in the till, and you think that now you have been caught everyone will just wish you well and move on?
Your people point blank refused to tell me how much extra you put on the premium until I pointed out that it is your duty to do so, and then finally you had the audacity to confirm that you were ripping the leaseholders at our development off to the tune of over £1300, all snuggled away offshore in the Isle Of Man, clearly for tax avoidance purposes!
Your company is an embarassment to the property management industry, and your employees have not got a clue what they are doing.
I hope that that people on this board are able to form a class action against your disgraceful directors and make you pay for the way you have been treating them.
At a LTV in Liverpool a Director of Trinity Estates stated that Mr Robin Gleeson is the Insurance Manager of PKN Ltd! He is purportly the Insurance Manager of Trinity Estates at the same time is he not?
So the fee of 38% to 42% that you are all being being charged on top of the true AXA Insurance premium. Which is being paid to PKN Ltd for advise has the same Insurance Manager Trinity.
Report them to the Police The SFO Office at Hutton near Southport as both Companies have the same Directors and the same staff!
Good, looks like this site has succeeded in getting Trinity Estates to admit that their insurance system is unacceptable to the majority. Lets just hope that everything is crystal clear and no more hiding in the Isle of Man
This post is by Trinity Estates. We have been disappointed to read a number of posts concerning our insurance arrangements. Although we comply with the various regulatory requirements concerning insurance, we have recognised that our arrangements need to be more transparent to our customers and we are therefore working towards restructuring these from 1st August.
Trinity always aims to give full responses to any enquiries from our customers but we are unable to do that through anonymous internet forums. We will however be pleased to respond to anyone who contacts us directly.
i dont rent any property connected with trinity but i have knowledge of how they treat their contractors.every job they give out has a order value of about £43.00 you have to get the work done then ask for an increase which can take weeks.on insurance work they inform you that you will have to wait longer for payment as they have to sort it out with the insurance company.they also blame contractors when work is not done when in fact they have not given the work out.they are the worst company to deal with.
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Visitors to the site are reminded that the details contained within user comments are uncorroborated and as such should not be read as fact but as the opinion of the person who left the comment.
Comments:
If anybody has had a similar experience please let us know.
1. Escalating costs but lack of service and follow up
2. A high turn over of staff and development managers resulting in no one at Trinity knowing the block history or their ar*e from their elbow
3. Required maintenence not being carried out in a timely fashion despite promises. Also, numerous residents reporting the same problem to the same person at Trinity and they will always say it's the first time they've heard of it. We have a round robin email so we all know what is and isn't going on.
4. Residents had requested copy of the set of accounts following the overspend bill in 2009. Trinity said the only way we'd get them was to go to their offices and photocopy their files ourselves. We did and discovered they had charged us for work covered by NHBC guarantee by Laing Homes!
5. Broken garage door for over 1 year (with promise of it being replaced) resulting in cars being broken into and bikes stolen, none of which were then covered by insurance. It took over 9 months to get a response despite chasing from OAMPS.
6. A written guarantee that we would be notified of any overspend at least 6 months before money was due to be paid - this has never happened. The latest bill was around the £40k mark mainly due to underestimated electrical use!!! It's the same eletric use we've had in the block since 2006!
7. Bills for service charge, ground rent, overspend, redecoration all falling in the same month with just 30 days notice. Aggressive action being taken against anyone not being able to pay.
7. We have a resident's assoc. and had a 51% majority to vote Trinity out. We were told we could not vote them out as they had a 3 year contact with Laing Homes. This has now expired.
8. Dirty, smelly bin areas that have been cleaned twice in 4 years.
Unfortunately we live in a private road and so the council are unable to assist in any action we wish to take against Trinity.
The notes about insurance are also worrying. It's the first time I have seen information on the third party agent PKN but will be looking into as the insurance has risen year by year significantly.
Thanks all.
Always think about what Trinity are doing at your estate (like routing all yor building insurance through PKN Ltd and over charging you up to 42% of the true premium that is paid to AXA Insurance).
So with what Trinity as a company do in mind.
We are now told that Mr Robin Gleeson the Insurance Manager of Trinity and also the Insurance Manager of PKN Ltd as stated at a Liverpool LVT by Trinity`s Director has now left both these Compamies!
We know for a fact that Mrs Manny Mottrom Trinity`s Legal Director has also left the Company!
Oh dear, we hope there is nothing going on at Trinity with these important employees running down the road.
This should make all Blaggers wonder why?
Hope these now ex-employees dont know something that blaggers dont know yet?
But I am sure all of Trinity`s leaseholders will find out very soon!
You may want to look into it!
Trinity did, in the past send out monthly newsletters but this now seems non existent – they didn’t contain much useful information anyway. Trinity have also set up some kind of portal, through which residents can access their account. What is the point of this? I’d rather Trinity use the money in delivering a proper service.
To sum up Trinity – Useless. (on the other hand to use the word ‘useless’ to describe Trinity is and insult to that word.
PLEASE NOW NOTE - WE ARE HAVING ARE HAVING A REFUND OF £23,000 FROM PKN FOR OUR ACCOUNTS 08/09 09/10 AS WE QUERIED THE NEED TO USE PKN. TRINITY DID NOT ARGUE AND AGREED TO REFUND US.
This may be because of the good relationship we now have with them - note relationship is good but still standards of work have to go up but that is down to standards of the cleaners and landscapers.
Trinity now send out a monthly newsletter updating residents on all the goings on, they also allow us to have a section on the newsletter. They bring the upcoming budget to the residents meeting and we go through it with a fine toothcomb.If you are willing to talk with Trinity and not shout at them and invite them to your residents associations meetings and send them copies of you minutes, they are not a bad lot.
Also Trinity are not alone in their pattern of activities. Statutory regulation is desperately needed, but it doesn't look likely.Even completion of the implementation of the 2002 ACT has failed.
Advice: Do not purchase a property that has links to Trinity. If you do, then it is almost certain that Trinity will enshroud you with unnecessary stress. Avoid Trinity Estates at all costs.
We served notice claiming our right to manage and have been successful, we are currently negotiating handover which is due in just under 3 months.
We are prepared for some unpleasant reading when we see th accounts for the estate, but at least we shall be in a position to remedy it!
If I can use my experience to help anyone, I will try, just ask!
Everything is going to plan, and our "Right to Manage" claim was accepted by our freeholder.
We are now due to be rid of Trinity in 3 months.
No doubt all the skeletons in Trinity's closet will now be plain to see - not expecting it to be pretty, but hopefully worth it on the long run!
I would encourage others to do the same. It is daunting, but straight forward enough.
So, at least our questions have been answered, we were considering removing them as agents from our estate, when I show this site to my fellow inmates I think I will have little to do to convince them to search for another managing agent.
So, now, my next question, who have you all moved to and who are the best, any help would be appreciated.
Have you submitted these questions to Geraldine Shortall at ARMA. and did you receive any response that was of any use?
Have you submitted these questions to Nichola Grady at the FSA. and did you receive any response stating that they would carry out their regulatory duties in an effective timescale and if not, why not?
Have you submitted the PKN related questions to Wendy Sayer on Wendy.Sayer@gov.im the IOM. Regulatory Manager for Insurance and Pensions?
Non of these people seem willing to carry out their duties in this matter. They are all aware of the situation but do not appear to be prepared to act, so this nonsense will continue.
Some open questions which could be answered by Trinity here or preferably by an immediate letter to all residents
re the following.
1. In addition to the regulatory and statutory requirements will Trinity Estates confirm a willingness to comply with the following:
· The RICS Code of practice for residential managing agents including the recommended but not mandatory elements (those described as ‘should’ rather than ‘must’?
· The RICS code of practice for transparency in insurance dealings?
· The ARMA code of practice
2. Why does it take until August 2010 for Trinity to contact all its customers? Why not immediately stating what they will do?
3. Why did Trinity Estates subsidiary Stewart Andrew cease to be an approved authorised representative on the FSA register from 1 April 2010?
4. What percentage of the shares in PKN are held by directors of Trinity or their nominees?
5. Why did Trinity make the insurance arrangements less transparent by using PKN as an intermediary with effect from ca August 2009?
6. What is the total payment to AXA of insurance premiums for properties managed by Trinity?
7. What overall proportion of the insurance charges paid by residents does that represent?
8. How is the remainder divided?
9. Will Trinity provide 'backdated' information from Jan 2005 onwards?.
You will probably get away with it though, the FSA are just another toothless organisation, clearly there to add another tax to businesses, absolutely useless, not too dissimilar to the mighty ARMA!
In response to Trinity Estates post, unfortunately it's surely a bit late in the day for all of the developments that you have clearly been ripping off for their block insurance policies.
You have been caught with your hand in the till, and you think that now you have been caught everyone will just wish you well and move on?
Your people point blank refused to tell me how much extra you put on the premium until I pointed out that it is your duty to do so, and then finally you had the audacity to confirm that you were ripping the leaseholders at our development off to the tune of over £1300, all snuggled away offshore in the Isle Of Man, clearly for tax avoidance purposes!
Your company is an embarassment to the property management industry, and your employees have not got a clue what they are doing.
I hope that that people on this board are able to form a class action against your disgraceful directors and make you pay for the way you have been treating them.
So the fee of 38% to 42% that you are all being being charged on top of the true AXA Insurance premium. Which is being paid to PKN Ltd for advise has the same Insurance Manager Trinity.
Report them to the Police The SFO Office at Hutton near Southport as both Companies have the same Directors and the same staff!
This is a FRAUD!
Trinity always aims to give full responses to any enquiries from our customers but we are unable to do that through anonymous internet forums. We will however be pleased to respond to anyone who contacts us directly.
trinityestates at 23rd Apr 2010, 07:38AM
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