Property factors rules investigated

Jan 31 2013

Rules aiming to give homeowners the ability to appoint and dismiss property factors are inflexible and impractical, according to the convener of a Holyrood committee.

Existing legislation also appears to offer no satisfactory recourse to people unhappy with land-owning maintenance companies, Christine Grahame said.

The concerns, centred on the Title Conditions Act 2003, will be investigated by the Justice Committee which hopes to hear views of affected individuals and organisations.

"We are undertaking this short inquiry as existing legislation in the 2003 Act appears inflexible, complicated and impractical for homeowners who want to exercise their right to switch property factors," Ms Grahame said.

"For example, people who bought their homes under right-to-buy legislation may only be able to challenge the factoring/repairs service if two-thirds of homeowners vote to change, effectively making it impossible.

"Equally, in private housing a two-thirds majority may also be needed to dismiss a property factor.

"There seems to be no satisfactory recourse for homeowners unhappy with land-owning maintenance companies paid to upkeep land around their developments."