RUGBY Offices

Private Client Department, Address: 16 Church Street, RUGBY, CV21 3PW, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 579 579, Fax: +44 (0) 1788 570 949

Conveyancing Department, Address: 26 Regent Street, RUGBY, CV21 2PS, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 551 611, Fax: + 44 (0) 1788 551 597

Commercial/ Wills, Trusts & Probate Departments, Address: The Robbins Building, 25 Albert Street, RUGBY, CV21 2SD, Telephone: + 44 (0) 1788 579 579, Fax: + 44 (0) 1788 552 888

LONDON Offices

2nd Floor Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, London, W1J 6BD, Telephone enquiries: +44 (0) 2078876590, Fax number: +44 (0) 207 8876001

BANBURY Offices

Strathmore House, Waterperry Court, Middleton Road, BANBURY, OX16 4QD, General Telephone enquires: + 44 (0) 1295 270999

P M Alliance
Your Questions Answered

Why use Brethertons LLP?

When it comes to acting on behalf of landlords, managing agents and recovering service charges and ground rent, we like to think that we know our subject.

You may have come across Brethertons LLP either by participating in an Association of Residential Property Managers (ARMA) training webinar, attending an Institute of Residential Property Management (IRPM) legal training weekend or AGM, attending the Association of Retirement Homes Managers conference, or by reading one of the many articles we have written for News On The Block magazine, Flat Living, the RICS website and The Federation of Private Residents’ Associations.

What services do you offer?

Over the last 12 months, we have developed our own bespoke case management software and introduced new services from our legal team which we believe offers real benefits to our property management clients. Our service package  is called “P M Alliance” as we believe the key to successful service charge recovery is for the Property Manager and Lawyer to work together as a team to overcome a defaulting Lessees objections to payment. 

Our unique Service Charge recovery case management software, allows us to recover service charge and ground rent arrears quickly, efficiently and economically. The software has been written and developed in-house by our own property management team who have been able to write numerous case scenarios for the system to follow based on our extensive experience in dealing with service charge debt recovery litigation. Our software is owned by Brethertons and is not available to other firms of solicitors or debt collection agencies.

The P M Alliance system is operated by our large experienced dedicated team of over 25 individuals, many of whom worked in the property management industry before joining Brethertons. Our property management team only deal with service charge/ground rent recovery and only act on behalf of landlords and managing agents. Our team is ranked and recognised in both The Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners directories.

Our system will automatically proceed and recover debts including obtaining payment from mortgage companies, issuing county court proceedings and obtaining judgment up to and issuing forfeiture and possession proceedings.  However, the system can be tailored to what our clients want, so the process carried out reflects our client’s needs and procedures.

If matters do become defended or complicated, our clients have access to industry recognised leading professional lawyers, who really do understand the problems associated with service charge debt recovery and are able to progress cases which are dealt with either before LVT’s or the courts.

Do you offer a No Recovery, No Fee Service?

Yes.   Brethertons are able to accept instructions on a no recovery no fee basis (excluding any disbursements which are incurred) subject to the following criteria being met:

  • That leasehold title is registered
  • The property is mortgaged to a financial institution such as a Bank or Building Society
  • There is a forfeiture clause present in the Lease
  • The Lease allows for the recovery of professional legal fees
  • No genuine dispute exists between the Lessee and/or the freeholder/Landlord/Management company/RMC/RTM Co/Managing Agent
  • That the client/Managing Agent refuse to accept any payments from Lessees once Brethertons are instructed on a particular matter unless the payment includes our legal costs and do not waive legal costs without our express permission.

Will you give free Legal Advice?

Yes.  Any advice which is required to progress a matter with which we are dealing, forms part of our service.

As an additional P M Alliance benefit, when we receive instructions we allocate each Managing Agent account with a FLA (free legal advice) credit of £5.00 per case. For example if we receive 100 cases, the Property Management Client Account is credited with £500 which the client can use to ask legal questions on issues affecting  any other development or your own business.

Our lawyers will record legal advice given against the FLA ledger and the time recorded will be deducted. When new instructions are received the credit limit is reinstated

As long as there is credit in the FLA account the advice is free. Clients will be notified when the FLA balance falls below £100.

Can I have detailed Management Reports?

Yes. Our systems provide detailed and comprehensive reports which can be delivered in a variety of formats, be it a detailed case by case report or an executive summary explaining what monies have been received and when.

Can you provide a free detailed Lease Review?

Yes.   As all property managers know, understanding the contents of a lease is vital to successful property management.  It is also vital for lawyers to read it, to be able to recover the service charge.  The lease reviews are undertaken by an experienced residential conveyancing solicitor, and explains the essential provisions of a sample lease including the service charge obligations of the Lessee and how they can be properly enforced.

Can we have remote secure online access to your Case Management Systems?

Yes. We can provide secure remote access logins so that you can view the progress of the cases on which we are instructed online in real time.

Can you process bulk instructions quickly?

Yes. Our system can undertake bulk electronic data interchanges and has automatic data importation capabilities. This means that regardless of the number of matters we are instructed on, the P M Alliance system can process them and generate the first letter to a defaulting Lessee within 24 hours of receipt.

Will you meet with us to discuss our cases?

Yes. As part of the P M Alliance service we meet with our clients and have quarterly performance reviews (to demonstrate our value to your business) and to discuss individual cases.

Do you offer any other services?

Yes.  We offer all P M Alliance clients  free extra services including detailed flow diagrams, fact sheets, briefing notes/newsletters and access to our on-line training webinars.

 

Alison McCormack - Head of Department

Tel: (01295)  661486
Helpline: (01295) 661515
Email: alisonmccormack