Management Fee

andyred

Thinking of buying a town house but it comes with an annual management fee of around 4/500 euro. When negotiating to buy is it possible to negotiate the removal of the fee since there is no common area, lifts or apartment complex to heat and take care of. As its a house id rather just cut the grass outside myself rather then pay 500 euro a year for the rest of my life and whats to stop the fee being increased anytime. The town house is surrounded by apartment complexes etc so I can see why they may have to pay. Anybody had any experience of this?

Paulw

In general, no, there's no way to avoid the management fees.

Having a management company may have been part of the original planning permission for the development.

D3PO

It would be impossible do do what your suggesting.

connundrum

In estates where houses share with apartments, the houses would generally contribue to landscaping (if there are green areas on the estate), waste collection (if you don't pay for that separately), street lighting, general maintenance (i.e. cleaning of waste/drain pipes), road maintenance (should there need to be potholes filled or speed bumps installed etc) and block/public liability insurance.

If you buy into a managed estate, you pay a management fee. Simples.

Faolchu

actually in some management company contracts (mine anyway)there is a clause that allows you to leave the company. it may be easier in a house to excercise as there's no difficulty with common areas or building insurance, apartments/dulexes are more complicated