COMMUNITY LIVING
Small things , such as enrolling municipal staff on the access and egress system so that they can obtain easy access to the estate , are simple but effective ways of making them feel welcomed .
2 . Don ’ t expect an easy ride
Don ’ t expect a path of least resistance now that you have an open line of communication . Everything that a municipality does is underpinned by the Integrated Development Plan ( IDP ), and unfortunately everyone , including estate managers , needs to follow the normal processing channels when it comes to things like lodging a complaint regarding service delivery , for example .
Estate managers should still expect to face challenges and delays when obtaining approval of development plans and building plans .
‘ A big challenge faced by estate managers is getting approval for changes to a property . When you change a commercial building into a common area , for example , you not only change the property category but also the property value , so this can take time ,’ explains Hendriks .
Pick your battles wisely and know when to sit back and let the proper processes run their course .
3 . Give and take
A healthy relationship swings both ways , so expect to give something in return .
‘ In most cases a local municipality will take longer to respond to emergency repairs such as water leaks and electrical outages by appointing an external contractor ,’ explains Hendriks .
This can be a time-consuming exercise , and sometimes costly too , but if an estate can utilise their network of trusted contractors to do the work quickly then this can benefit both sides .
An offer of assistance doesn ’ t have to be financial either . ‘ Just remembering to acknowledge individuals who have gone the extra mile to help you and treating municipal staff with respect goes along way too ,’ concludes Hendriks .
Zeenat Moosa Hassan
43 H O M E O W N E R S A S S O C I A T I O N