IN-HOUSE COMPLAINTS PROCEDURE
We are committed to providing a professional service to all our clients and customers. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
If you have a complaint, please put it in writing, including as much detail as possible. We will then respond in line with the time frames set out below (if you feel we have not sought to address your complaints within eight weeks, you may be able to refer your complaint to the Property Ombudsman to consider without our final viewpoint on the matter).
What will happen next?
• We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within 3 working days of receiving it.
• We will then investigate your complaint. This will normally be dealt with by the office manager who will review your file and speak to the member of staff who dealt with you. A formal written outcome of our investigation will be sent to you within 15 working days of sending the acknowledgement letter. In certain circumstances, we may arrange a personal visit by prior appointment with you. Under our code of practice, you are entitled to ask for a face to face meeting with a senior manager within Cosgroves. If we think it reasonable to agree to this request, then the proprietor will fulfill this role.
• There are outside organisations that can help, offer advice or deal with complaints. Your local Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.
• If, at this stage, you are still not satisfied, you should contact us again and we will arrange for a separate review to take place by a senior member of staff.
• We will write to you within 15 working days of receiving your request for a review, confirming our final viewpoint on the matter.
• If you are still not satisfied after the last stage of the in-house complaint procedure (or more than 8 weeks has elapsed since the complaint was first made) you can request an independent review from The Property Ombudsman without charge.
The Property Ombudsman
Milford House
43-55 Milford Street
Salisbury
Wiltshire
SP1 2BP
01722 333 306
admin@tpos.co.uk
www.tpos.co.uk
Please note the following:
You will need to submit your complaint to The Property Ombudsman within 12 months of receiving our final viewpoint letter, including any evidence to support your case.
The Property Ombudsman requires that all complaints are addressed through this in-house complaints procedure, before being submitted for an independent review.
Building Defects
Please note that defects which are the responsibility of the builder, and not Cosgroves as a management company or freeholder, cannot be resolved through this complaints procedure.
The Ombudsman is not in a position to deal with complaints that:-
• Relate to non-members of the Ombudsman scheme.
• Have not exhausted our own internal complaints procedures (and, where appropriate, independent mediation).
• Have not been referred to the lessee’s landlord or Residents management Company (if there is one) in the first instance.
• Relate to property owned or controlled by all or some of the lessees themselves and where the Member can demonstrate the board of directors are content with the Member’s services, notwithstanding the fact that any instructions from this board must have been lawful and proper.
• Require the interpretation of leases where the parties to a lease are in dispute over such interpretation.
• Relate to insurance issues that fall under the jurisdiction of the Financial Services Authority.
• Are sub-judice.
• Are subject to the jurisdiction of the Courts or LVTs on matters of fact, reasonableness, financial recovery or compensation.
The sort of issues that the Ombudsman can consider are:-
• Lack of communication/response to reasonable requests for information.
• Not delivering promised action or services.
• Disputes over contractual matters between ARMA Members and their clients.
• Issues relating to handovers.
• Accounting matters.
• Clear and proven breaches, unremedied, of the Code, the law and the lease provisions.
• Those capable of easy resolution by a proper and lawful action.
