Shoosmiths has worked with long-standing client, Scanlans Property Management, to recover more than £4m of service charges and ground rent for their clients throughout the UK over the past five years.

The move comes after Scanlans set out to further reduce service charge arrears by passing uncollected amounts to Shoosmiths achieving prompt payments and releasing funds for the upkeep of developments.

Ian Stanistreet, head of the property management department at Scanlans, said: 'We're impressed by the way Shoosmiths has been able to collect this sum of money for us on behalf of our clients.

'As Scanlans grows and takes on more clients throughout the UK, we know we can fulfill our commitments to them by working with a law firm which has a strong national footprint and an impressive reputation for recoveries services. Our aspirations also run parallel to those of Shoosmiths' - to be the go-to firm in our field for wide-ranging potential clients.'

Ian added: 'Whilst £4m is a lot of money it is a small proportion of the total amount of service charge we collect but we have to ensure that uncollected service charge is kept to a minimum and working with Shoosmiths and their experienced team has meant that we are well under this target and able to keep below this level.'

Darren Shaw, partner in Shoosmiths' recoveries services group, said: 'It has been great to work with Scanlans Property Management, a long-standing client of ours, to help them meet their strategic aims and, specifically, to help them recover this substantial sum.

'We are passionate about building our client relationships and it is a testament to the strength of our team here at Shoosmiths that we have hit this target.'

Shoosmiths' recoveries services group is one of the key providers of recoveries litigation in the UK, with significant expertise in the recovery of ground rent and service charge arrears for property management companies, landlords and developers. Acting for most of the UK's top retail and commercial lenders, the group also works with leading companies in other sectors, such as utilities and construction. The firm's recoveries services group has the infrastructure and strength and depth to handle both, and everything in between, all under one management umbrella.

Scanlans Property Management are dedicated to property management and resolving property management issues, and have been providing services to residents, leaseholders, managing agents and investors for over 25 years. They manage commercial and residential property in both the public and private sectors, throughout the Midlands and North West from offices in Manchester and Birmingham, as well as in Liverpool, Leeds and Chester. Their professional property managers are fully trained and qualified Members of the IRPM, ARMA and RICS.