In 2015 First Port announced with a fanfare that they had been appointed by Quintain to manage the Emerald Gardens scheme in Wembley Park. FirstPort wins Quintain’s Emerald Gardens regeneration project
Nearly 10 years on they are handing Emerald Gardens over to MLM Property Management.
CHANGE OF MANAGEMENT – Emerald Gardens, North West Village, Wembley, London, HA9 0FT
As you may be aware, FirstPort will sadly no longer be managing Emerald Gardens from 19 August 2025. We are deeply disappointed to lose you as a customer and we will ensure the handover of information is as seamless as possible so that there is minimum disruption to you and your fellow residents.
Your new managing agent is MLM - Michael Laurie Magar and they will take over all management responsibilities on 19 August 2025.
The balance owed on your account at 18 August 2025 will be removed from our system and transferred over to MLM - Michael Laurie Magar - this will include any credits accrued on the account. All funds owed at that point will need to be paid to your new agent and not FirstPort. If you pay for your charges by Direct Debit, this will be cancelled on our system.
On behalf of FirstPort, I would like to wish you all the best in the future with your new managing agent, and If you have any questions or need assistance, please visit our Contact Us page at https://www.firstport.co.uk/contact-firstport/.
MLM confirmed to Wembley Matters they are taking over the management of several of Quintain's Wembley Park blocks in addition to Emerald Gardens but full details will only be revealed when a press release in agreed with Quintain.
Much has happened regarding FirstPort since 2015.. In 2018 here were complaints from residents in other blocks in Wembley Park about steep rises in service charges Forum and Quadrant residents face huge service charge increases that FirstPort tried to justify First Port attempt to justify leap in service charges at Quadrant Court, Wembley Park
Barry Gardiner MP for Brent West brought up the conduct of several managing agents, including FirstPort in the Westminster Hall Leaseholders and Managing Agents debate on the 28th February 2023 LINK
Gardiner said about FirstPort:
FirstPort’s response to those and the more than 500 more complaints like them that I have received is to make no response and ignore things for as long as possible—for months and years, not days and weeks. There is a lack of accountability and transparency over what the residents are charged for and whether the costs are reasonably incurred and reasonable in amount. There is a total failure to provide leaseholders with a breakdown of service charges. Many of my constituents can wait more than 20 months for accounts to be finalised.
Even when FirstPort admits that refunds are owed to the leaseholder because of double counting, overcharging or charging for services not provided, the requests for the return of the overpayments are often ignored, or the returns can take many months to be made. FirstPort also charged multiple administration penalty charges of £60 each when someone queried the costs. One resident ended up being billed for more than £400 of admin charges and was then browbeaten into paying because of the threat of legal action.
In 2019, Nigel Howell, the then chief executive, conceded to me that it was unlawful for his company to impose late penalty fees on leaseholders who had disputed their charges—but not all leaseholders have been refunded. Nigel Howell also confirmed to me that his company had charged costs for areas not under FirstPort’s management and promised that a 20% refund would be given in the following year’s accounts. Strangely, Nigel Howell was removed from his post as chief executive.
After years of suffering, one brave, resilient resident finally took FirstPort to the tribunal. FirstPort sought to rely in its defence on two factors: it tried to rely on the payments made by leaseholders—in other words, by paying up they had intimated consent; and, especially ironic given the FirstPort practice of delay, it tried to rely on the length of time the leaseholder had taken in bringing the challenge to the tribunal.
On Friday 13 January, the last working day before the hearing, I received the following email in my office from my constituent at 5 pm:
“They are settling all of the claim. Their lawyers harassed me all week and made the offer on Friday afternoon, just hours before the hearing this Monday. They did not want this case heard as they have been lying to Barry. They owe money to 202 families.”
Complaints from residents across the country moved Labour MPs to convene a meeting with FirstPort about their concerns in January this year. FirstPort under fire from MPs over service charge hikes
David Pinto-Duschinsky, who co-chaired the meeting with FirstPort, said:
I’ve had dozens and dozens of complaints about FirstPort’s unacceptable service charge hikes, poor service and lack of responsiveness and transparency.
All too often they are using leaseholders as little more than cash cows to be milked for every penny. People are paying more and more, and getting less and less. Enough is enough, this group of Labour MPs has come together to do everything we can to hold these unscrupulous managing agents to account.
In the same month leaseholders in Faversham Lakes new build project managed to oust FirstPort as managing agents: FirstPort dropped from Kent housing estate amid residents’ revolt over fees
In February this year the relevant trade body suspended FirstPort: FirstPort suspended from its own trade body the Property Institute
