The new company structure after the Peverel rebrand strongly suggests something is going to be sold.
A useful schematic of the existing and future company structures is given here and above:
This shows that FirstPort takes over all the labour-intensive, troublesome and low-profit property management functions – including, it appears, Kingsborough. On the other hand, Cirrus, Careline UK and Appello stand outside the group and report directly to Peverel’s overall holding company Knight Square.
This is likely to be in order to sell off one or all of Cirrus, Careline UK or Appello … or, conversely, to keep them and get shot of FirstPort.
There seems little other reason to make such a clear distinction between FirstPort property management and the old Peverel building technologies group.
The other curiosity is: why is the Peverel rebrand being done in such a shambolic fashion?
FirstPort has an absolutely minimal website, here, adorned with a yellow kettle. It is hardly indicating the largest property management company in the country. Another one exists for Knight Square, here.
The new companies were registered at the end of July – with only nominee directors – so why isn’t everything in place before announcing the change?
One wonders whether staff are informed of the Peverel rebrand and know that they now work for different companies?
There was one good joke to be found on the new websites here
Has this rebrand been paid for from development service charges?
No, the rebrand will be paid for by the Group.
Yes, but the revenues for the entire group come from … the service charges. No leaseholders, no revenues, no group.
It appears things are happening very fast at Peverel. Sorry … make that FirstPort.
So, FirstPort feature a yellow kettle on their website.
They have not even started yet and already they are in hot water!
Michael, Ollie
The site of a yellow kettle as a logo is somewhat strange and what significance does it have if any?
I tried to see if it was clear what type of kettle it was supposed to be, was an electric kettle or a basic kettle that is placed on a gas stove?
It seems that as the Peverel Group, were before, they are likely not to change after Re-Branding.
FirstPort LOGO seems that this kettle will only work, when properly connected, as with Peverel Retirement, who have shown, that they can only work one way.
Ollie,
We have Peverel Retirement (FirstPort) as Managing Agents and Peverel Retirement (First Port) already has a Brand Name.
The Brand Name is for Peverel Management Services Ltd (First Port) who was part of the Peverel Group company who along with:
. Cirrus Communications Systems Ltd,
. Glyn Jackson,
. O`Rourke,
. Owens
These 4 companies were guilty of being a Bid & Price Fixing Cartel for over 5 years.
Peverel Managing Services Ltd (FirstPort) made £1.4 million from the 65 developments that these cheats made by informing Peverel Retirement (FirstPort) residents that their Warden Call Systems and Fire Systems were deemed necessary to be replaced?
Many of the Warden Call Systems/Fire Systems were working as would be expected but Peverel Management Services Ltd (FirstPort) decided that by UP-Dating the Systems after 20 years allowed Cirrus Communications to boost their turnover over at least a 5 year period..
Peverel Management Services (FirstPort) are also now replacing working smoke alarms after 10 years, they have never actually given a satisfactory reply to this question?
Ollie,
Further to your comments on About Peverel.
Ken Kilmister and Melissa Briggs and two others in 2009, sent a complaint regarding the Price Fixing to the SFO who decided that £1.4 million worth of dodgy contracts was not serious enough to prosecute?
Peverel Group have claimed that the Price Fixing was carried out only in 2005 to 2009 inclusive.
As the financial years begin in April each year the dates are really 2004/05 to 2009/10 which means that are we being told that no other Price Fixing occurred in 2004 and 2010?
The Times Newspaper exposed Peverel/Cirrus in October 2009 so that may have prevented Price Fixing Scams from January 2010.
What happened to the 3 Stooges who Price Fixed after they were informed by PMSL who would have had to explain to them that we have sacrificed you to save our selves.
No honour amongst thieves?
Do we know how many contracts were won by Cirrus Communication Systems Ltd prior to 2004 and who were the Sub-Contractors who were tendering before the 3 Stooge Bidders who Price Fixed from 2005?
If Ken & Melissa sent a complaint about Price Fixing to SFO in 2009, they probably did not know if the size of the alleged fraud matched the SFO minimum criteria for starting investigation. The previous SFO website claimed the fraud must be valued over £1 Million pounds or was a wide spread problem raising complaints from many MPs before SFO would commit manpower to investigate.
The OFT investigation report came out in 2011 to confirm the price fixing fraud did take place at many retirement sites around the country . I believe the sites were identified and total value gained by PMSL was well over £1 Million in the report..
So you ( and Residents Associations at other sites ) should lodge a new complaint of “price fixing” and “insurance commissions” ( submit with with the OFT report ) at SFO and get your MPs and Sir Peter to urge SFO for action.
A kettle, just a lot of hot air then.
We cant work what it even means.
Do the leases for M&S Retirement Blocks name Peveral Management Services Ltd as the Management Company responsible for administration of the Service charge account and services under the lease ?
If so , a company named FirstPort would have no right to take over the service charge accounts .
No, the M & S leases do not mention Peverel’s name, or for that matter any name. The leases just give a general power for the landlord to “appoint an agent”.
If if Peverel is mentioned in a lese, a name change would not stop them from managing. The wording is usually “Peverel or their successors in title”
And it woudl be the same postion if Peverl was the landlord. A simple name change would not mean they cease holding title.
Maybe I can throw some light on the kettle.
The word kettle originates from the Norse word Cauldron, as used by witches to stir up their potions.
The most famous of potions was used for raising the dead.
So is it possible that Peverel will be thrown in and reappear as First Port a first rate management company which will reform the industry so that all elderly residents will in future live in paradise.
You mean more of the same Peverel abuse under a new name First Port.
There is NO such state as paradise under the leasehold system.
Last Resort more like it..!
minus £39 million worth okee dokee
sorry should have added this link
http://companycheck.co.uk/company/07925023
Oh dear, oh dear, a name change, I did not want this.
As I have an ongoing Small Claims Court action against Peverel and they were found guilty by non-communication either to myself or the court, does this mean a new claim to the new group?
The case was won on 8th September, name change on 9th. I know it’s only less than £500, but it’s a lot to a pensioner.
Have received the judgement paperwork today (17th Sept) Any budding lawyers out there with any advice??
Jim Gardner,
You have nothing to worry about. It is a name change, but it is the same company.
If you don’t receive your £500 within the specified time (usually 14 days) go back to the court and ask them to enforce the judgement (a simple form filled is all that is required)
Congratulations on your win.
After 6 months and only 1 letter of reply from anyone at Peverel due to what I believe was incompetence, arrogance and downright ignorance by their area and regional managers, I finally got paid my out my court winnings. It took around 24 letters/e mails, telephone calls but the 1 letter to the CEO, Janet Entwistle, got things moving and within a week I was paid by the acting head of legals.
There are other serious issues we have here that the acting head was not pleased with and I hope those two managers get what they deserve. Am now on stage 2 of Peverel’s complaints procedure.
So much for a peaceful retirement!
One other thing though, the building was first occupied in 2010, could this mean that as we have Cirrus installed, could we be part of the scam as well?
Keep up the good work.
Jim Gardener,
Finally received you £500, well done.
Can you explain what you did at the Small Claims Court and how much did it cost?
Have you any outstanding other claims which we could help you with?
Hi Charles,
Gladly tell you. It cost me £35 to issue the summons and interest was paid to me at 08% per day, which of me was around .09p per day. I started to do it all on line but got very confused to what I needed to do and after bungling through the process it seemed that for me the best way to deal with the court is to phone then, say your an idiot and needed guiding through a complicated process and be led by them as they were very helpful and not intimidating at all.
We and I here do not have any monitory issues as such. It is the non-doing of things that the area manager said he would do, that is, get an estimate for LED lighting and sensors, waiting over a year, (lights on 24/7), smoke alarms going off any time day or night, (resident being woken in the night with a paramedic shining a torchlight in her face, Careline calling family members when Careline had been informed the residents were on holiday, 3 toilet cisterns leaking, probably from new all in the same place (residents were asked to pay for repair until it was mentioned that Peverel should pay, an elderly lady waited for nearly 4 weeks for a new floor to be laid due to the toilet leaking, outside sales calls to residents internal phones, a resident has been without a smoke alarm for 2 weeks and still counting and so on, hope you get the picture.
Nothing gets done.
The house manager left on the 25th July, we saw the area manager on her last day here when she had 1 hour left and the new house manager was not there. We saw the area manager twice the following week and once when the new temporary manageress came and that has been it. Still do not have a manager to this day 1/1/14 and the temporary has broken her shoulder so we are without again. Have to rely on other local managers to pop in as and when they can, we don’t know when though. Oh and we never had a fire alarm test for 7 weeks because no-one knew how to do it.
You may deduce that I’m not a happy bunny with Peverel.
James,
Thank you for sharing this on Campaign against retirement leasehold exploitation, can I share this posting on LKP and About Peverel as it sums up the parts of Peverel Retirement, that continue to fail to undertake their responsibilities.
No problem Charles, you can tell who you want as the more people who know what a rag tag of a company I have to pay a fortune to, the better my chances are of getting something done here.
At present I am waiting for the regional manager to contact me so we can all meet to discuss our problems here. If his past conduct is anything to go by then I am sure I will be contacting Janet Entwistle again soon as she was the only person that got things going for me.
James Gardner,
Your victory in the small claims court is in fact of huge significance.
You have proved to all victims of Peverel’s management that you don’t need a battery of lawyers or deep pockets to take Peverel on. All those who have lost because of Peverel sahould follow your example. Well done, James.
Thanks for the compliment Michael, most appreciated.
All you need is the will to carry on, don’t let it get personal, expect to loose, treat it like a hobby and know when stop throwing good money after bad. oh, and a sense of humour helps a lot.
Problem now is that the issue that I had still has not been resolved as to who, if anyone is at fault. My car was damaged by falling masonry from the building and I was claiming my car insurance excess and hire care insurance excess waver back totalling £414. A 4 year old building should not be dropping things so someone is to blame. Waiting for the winter storms to come and see if it happens again as each year has brought problems with tiles falling off the roof…..on a new build!!
For myself, I hope that our problems will help to secure rights for us baby boomers who these companies seem intent to screw us out of our money any way they can.
Am waiting for the area manager to confirm a meeting with us to “discuss” our problems, could be waiting for some time if past records are to go by. (Nah, don’t think so, not now)