Job Details
MAIN PURPOSE OF THE JOB:
To positively contribute to the Leasehold Services Team responsible for the effective recovery of service charges and other invoiced sums including; major works; shared ownership and ground rent; reserve fund; and, any other specified debt from leaseholders, freeholders and shared owners.
To provide a timely and comprehensive resolution service to resolve customer enquiries, complaints and disputes, adopting a sensitive but proactive approach to resolve issues relating to; estimated, final day-to-day and major works charges; invoices; income accounts; and rent and reserve fund demands to shared owners.
To use legal action when necessary to resolve complex and contentious customer cases. Assess strengths as weaknesses of case as part of determining suitable course of action whether settlement or legal action.
To liaise with appropriate colleagues and service providers within the Council as well as external stakeholders, contractors, and organisations including, courts and tribunals, to achieve successful outcomes to disputed and/or contentious matters.
To provide high quality housing management services to the Council’s customers ensuring that any service charge and shared ownership arrears are chased up and income is maximised within specified timeframes.
MAIN AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:
1. To collect disputed sums, reduce arrears, and where necessary, to instigate legal action for recovery by instructing the Councils legal representatives.
2. To lead on customer enquiries, complaints and disputes resolution involving making decisions and recommendations, referring cases which have more serious implications for the Council to the Team Leaders, when necessary.
3. To follow local and organisational procedures for managing accounts to ensure that prompt action is taken to recover monies outstanding on any accounts where there is unpaid ground rent, service charges, reserve fund or capital expenditure.
4. To liaise with LBH Legal Services, Solicitors, Barristers, Estate Agents, Banks, Building Societies as well as the leaseholders, freeholders and shared owners to obtain the required information to resolve any shared ownership and ground rent, major works, service charges and reserve fund queries, and to recover debts owed to the Council.
5. To respond to all enquiries, complaints, and disputes, including the provision of written correspondence, within agreed timescales and to the highest quality.
6. To contact the Council’s residents to arrange site inspections in the company of interested parties and other relevant officers from the Service Areas in order to obtain necessary information used for resolving disputes and contentious cases.
7. To prepare template correspondence documents to support the Leasehold Services Teams’ activities, including; agreement forms; reminder letters; referral forms; standing order forms; Direct Debit mandates; payment slips; and statements of accounts.
UMBRELLA HOURLY RATE:
