“ABC and Richard Davidoff can be quite aggresive towards those ......”
1 Star Review
Jul 18,2022
By:
'Nick'
Jul 18,2022
Branch: Edgware, 179 Station Road
Services: They manage our building
Would you recommend?: No
Postcode: SW11
Branch: Edgware, 179 Station Road
They manage our building
Postcode: SW11
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ABC and Richard Davidoff can be quite aggresive towards those who have the temerity to complain - so a few notes on my experience and those of others below. I hope the reader will judge that these comments are substantiated by evidence and it is correct that such experiences are aired on a review forum such as this. A quick Google of my name will hopefully demonstrate that this is not an anonymous or trolling post.
ABC managed our block in South West London from 2018 to early 2022 when we obtained the Right To Manage. The difference between their passive and disorganised management and the organised approach of our new managing agents is stark.
Irrespecitve of the quality of management, I believe the firm and their Managing Director Richard Davidoff acted unethically as we sought to acquire the Right To Manage the block. Indeed, a Judge adjudicating on costs in the process stated that Mr Davidoff "used inappropriate tactics to try to prevent the leaseholders acquiring the right to manage". He went on to say that "the conduct of Mr Davidoff has been particularly poor, it has caused significant unnecessary delay and anguish"
I can only speak from personal experience about their block management business. However, it is worth noting the experience of others who have interacted with their rental business. This was covered in January in the Observer newspaper.
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2022/jan/09/landlord-faces-150000-bill-after-tenants-turn-homes-into-drug-farm
More recently, the PRS ombudsman ruled that ABC should pay the complainant over £10,000 in compensation after reviewing the evidence relating to the referencing process. For the avoidance of any doubt, the imputation of my comments on this case is that the letting process appears to have been deficient as ruled by the PRS ombudsman.
It is also worth noting that Sir Peter Bottomley MP, the Father of the House of Commons, has questioned the practices of Mr Davidoff in Parliament and outside of Parliament too (where he is not covered by parliamentary privilege). I don't have direct experience of the events that Sir Peter refers to but I do know that he has 47 years experience in Parliament and has knowledge and judgement about the leasehold sector and its practices. For the avoidance of doubt, the imputation of my comments is that the ethics of the firm have been questioned by a respected parliamentarian who has received numerous reports of unethical practice from those with experience of dealing with the company.
Consumers should do their research and make judgements on the evidence accordingly.
Postscript: ABC Block Management (not to be confused with the wider ABC brand) is no longer a trading entity. ABCs staff are refusing to engage with us about a portion of service charge bills for previous years that a tribunal ruled were not reasonable and payable. This appears to be yet another example of poor ethics and poor service from Richard Davidoff and his group of companies.
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