Satellite dish - management company

Redpunto

Have lived in complex since it was built for nearly 3 years. Loadsa people have had satelitte dishes up since that time but we only got ours up last year as NTL service was sh*te.

Got letter from planning division in Fingal county council saying to take appropriate action or they'll take it down.

Obviously the management company have sulked off to fingal and given them the addresses of people who have satellite dishes. Considering the tenants are supposed to be the managemeent company - how do i go about changing the policy of the management company so that its not a problem to have a satelitte dish and then can i get planning permission for the dish?

I feel like ringing the so called do f*ck all management company and telling them where to stick their policy but I'm going to remain calm and write a letter instead

irlrobins

It could be that the planning permission of the apartment block specifies that no dishes are allowed on the exterior. If that's the case regardless of the policy of the management company, you can't have a dish. Perhaps you can look into getting one dish installed and sharing access to it for all apartments.

Paulw

You need a 100% vote to change management company rules. That's provided that the rule is actually changable, and not a stipulation in the planning permission. In that case, as has been said, even a change in the management company rules will have no effect.

In any case, it's still probable that the Co Co will not grant you permission to erect a dish.

You should work with your management company, and see about getting a communal dish. You will need to talk to the directors of your management company (not your management agent).

In the end, you may have no choice and no option.

old_aussie

Redpunto wrote: »

Have lived in complex since it was built for nearly 3 years. Loadsa people have had satelitte dishes up since that time but we only got ours up last year as NTL service was sh*te.

The loadsa people, are they all in your complex?

If they are and they're allowed to keep their dish, ask some them if they would mind if you had a splitter put onto their line to get reception. Offer them some one-off payment or fee to let you do this. Cash can be very persuasive.:)

pinkypinky

In my block, we went down the route of contacting the "Skyinyourapartment" people. In consultation with our agent, and the approval of the committee (I am on the board), Sky did a survey and covered the costs of installing a communal dish on the roof, which was allowed in the lease, and then anyone who wanted could sign up to Sky.

athtrasna

Redpunto wrote: »

Have lived in complex since it was built for nearly 3 years. Loadsa people have had satelitte dishes up since that time but we only got ours up last year as NTL service was sh*te.

Got letter from planning division in Fingal county council saying to take appropriate action or they'll take it down.

Obviously the management company have sulked off to fingal and given them the addresses of people who have satellite dishes. Considering the tenants are supposed to be the managemeent company - how do i go about changing the policy of the management company so that its not a problem to have a satelitte dish and then can i get planning permission for the dish?

I feel like ringing the so called do f*ck all management company and telling them where to stick their policy but I'm going to remain calm and write a letter instead

Let me get this right, you've bought/are renting in a development where dishes are prohibited and decided you could stick one up anyway :rolleyes:

The number of people who do this amazes me!! And the "everyone else is doing it so I can too" defence doesn't work I'm afraid.

Check the planning permission, if that doesn't prohibit dishes then move to change the rule (if you're an owner), but don't break it.

20goto10

I'd take the threats with a large pinch of salt. The only why they can force you to take it down is if you have it mounted on the external wall of an apartment. You do not own the external walls of an apartment therefore have no right mounting anything on them. If this isn't the case then tell them to go whistle. If it is the case then I suggest you move the dish. Do you have a balcony? Depending on your lease, that is something you own and if they were to get on your balcony and take it down it constitutes criminal damage....i.e they can't and won't touch it.

I had this sh!te from my management company and I own a house. Literally, telling me what I can and can't do with my own private property. Needless to say they were all talk and had no powers whatsoever regardless of what had been signed.

I'd love to know where all this anti-dish stuff comes from. I mean what exactly is the problem? Is it because its ugly? I don't think they're ugly. Who gets to decide what is ugly and what is not. Is it illegal to walk around with an ugly face or drive an ugly car? It's utter nonsense and apart from mounting a dish on an external wall of an apartment (effectively mounting it on someone elses property) the whole argument has no legs whatsoever.

Redpunto

athtrasna wrote: »

Let me get this right, you've bought/are renting in a development where dishes are prohibited and decided you could stick one up anyway :rolleyes:

The number of people who do this amazes me!! And the "everyone else is doing it so I can too" defence doesn't work I'm afraid.

Yes we did, like i said, ntl are sh*te.:D its a funny "complex". Its not a typical apartment block. Its. made up of a long cresent of dupluxes/apartments. We have our own front door with a shared staircase with one neighbour. There are apartments under us on the first level and the 2nd and 3rd floor are us with a duplex and all the other apartments are the same. There is no-one inf front or behind us just to either side. Its all owner-occupied or people renting from the council so its a very "settled" estate.

Redpunto

Thanks guys - I'll go investigate.

The management company cant get their fingers out for other issues in the estate but manage to make a fuss outta this. We do have a large balcony so that might be the option as the dish is at the front under our kitchen window. I saw some old fella in a car taking pictures the other day, thats what he must have been investigating. I was gonna chase him off but he drove off before i could come charging out of the house with a large implement:D

shoegirl

athtrasna wrote: »

Let me get this right, you've bought/are renting in a development where dishes are prohibited and decided you could stick one up anyway :rolleyes:

The number of people who do this amazes me!! And the "everyone else is doing it so I can too" defence doesn't work I'm afraid.

Check the planning permission, if that doesn't prohibit dishes then move to change the rule (if you're an owner), but don't break it.

They look pretty hideous IMHO. A lot of people do this, and better still run cabling across lots of other peoples properties also to attach themselves to other peoples dishes. Its an urban menace.

athtrasna

20goto10 wrote: »

I'd take the threats with a large pinch of salt. The only why they can force you to take it down is if you have it mounted on the external wall of an apartment. You do not own the external walls of an apartment therefore have no right mounting anything on them. If this isn't the case then tell them to go whistle. If it is the case then I suggest you move the dish. Do you have a balcony? Depending on your lease, that is something you own and if they were to get on your balcony and take it down it constitutes criminal damage....i.e they can't and won't touch it.

Redpunto wrote: »

Yes we did, like i said, ntl are sh*te.:D its a funny "complex". Its not a typical apartment block. Its. made up of a long cresent of dupluxes/apartments. We have our own front door with a shared staircase with one neighbour. There are apartments under us on the first level and the 2nd and 3rd floor are us with a duplex and all the other apartments are the same. There is no-one inf front or behind us just to either side. Its all owner-occupied or people renting from the council so its a very "settled" estate.

Redpunto wrote: »

Thanks guys - I'll go investigate.

The management company cant get their fingers out for other issues in the estate but manage to make a fuss outta this. We do have a large balcony so that might be the option as the dish is at the front under our kitchen window.

Our leases prohibit the erection of satellite dishes or aerials within the development. Dishes on balconies are removed. You don't own your balcony, you have exclusive use of it.

I live in the same sort of development, we have the duplex. Dishes are not allowed. Simple as. They are removed from walls, balconies and patios. It's in the lease so we have no right to complain.

It's in the planning permission for our development, the council could take legal action against the MC if dishes are erected so every owner would end up paying. Yes NTL are crap but I read the documents I signed when I purchased here and accepted that I couldn't have a dish. And so we live with it.

The only way to make progress is to see if you can change the rule. Planning permission is the first place to check. If there is scope then bring it to the next AGM. If there isn't well then that's yet another reason you probably will never buy in a managed development again I know I won't!!

the_syco

Why not just get a camouflage satellite dish?

Del2005

the_syco wrote: »

Why not just get a camouflage satellite dish?

That appears to a dish painted to same colour as you house so it can't be seen from a distance. Not really any good for use in a development as people will still see it.

20goto10

athtrasna wrote: »

Our leases prohibit the erection of satellite dishes or aerials within the development.

Yes you will find it in your lease that you do not own the external walls and therefore cannot mount a dish on it. But that is as far as they can go. What the op needs to do is mount it on his own property.

athtrasna wrote: »

You don't own your balcony, you have exclusive use of it.

OK that's a problem so. OP will need to check if he actually owns the balcony.

JoeyJJ

Something like this an option. They'll never see it.

http://www.digicams-uk.com/prod30.htm

athtrasna

JoeyJJ wrote: »

Something like this an option. They'll never see it.

http://www.digicams-uk.com/prod30.htm

Oh yes they will!! We've had some of them taken down cos in reality they are visible on an apartment wall - you can see them from the side, even on balconies.

At the end of the day OP signed a lease that said no dishes, put one up and is legally responsible. MC is entitled to take legal action if they want to go down that road. Rules is rules folks

Redpunto

I know all the rules and regulations in regards to owning this sort of property but its so demormalising when we saved our arses off to get a deposit and were delighted to own our first home and now penpushers with pens stuck up their you know whats are dictating that I cant put i dish under my kitchen window.

And it wasnt just the channels that ntl provide, we were getting really crap service wehre we are and were without tv quite often ("due to upgrading the area" they said) so we decided to switch.

Just tis a wee bit of a pisser:rolleyes:

thanks for all the replies