Managing agent can't provide building insurance certificate

Stesshead

Hi all,

We have been having ongoing problem with our managing agent and not getting anywhere. Hopefully we can get some advice on this forum

We have been living in the leasehold property for over a year now but we are never provided a building insurance policy. We have been chasing managing agent who said they do not have the insurance policy and they have been chasing the freeholder. But the freeholder asked us to talk to the managing agent. Till now, neither of them are able to produce the building insurance policy although we paid for it at the time of sale a year ago.

We also talked to our solicitor who finalized the sales about the insurance policy coz we paid the insurance via them surely they should have a copy, but the answer is no talk to the managing agent.

Has anyone been in the same situation before? We just do not have the time to waste with the managing agent. Can I threaten to take them to LVT or something to get it resolved quicker?

Sorry this is a long post and a bit of a rant:o thanks in advance

G_M

What does your lease say about insurance? Freeholder's responsibility?
What does the managing agents contract say? Responsible for insurnace?
How many properties in the block? Have you spoken to other leaseholders?

You will have to 'make' time as it sounds as if the building is uninsured which is not good. You need to pin down responsibility for this and chase them.

See the leaseholders advisory service here for help.

clutton_2

as a last resort i suppose you could ask your lender... they would not have lent on an uninsured property and would have asked for sight of an insurance certificate before completion .....

Stesshead

Hi,

Thanks for your reply.

The lease says its freeholders' responsibility to insure the building which has about 30 flats. When we bought the flat, we paid insurance premium through our solicitor. I am just thinking our solicitor should be responsible to provide us with a copy of the insurance policy since they collect the money. Can I chase them as well?

I am just wondering the building should be insured otherwise we wont be able to get a mortgage?

not easy to be a FTB, even harder to be a FTB buying a flat:o

Fire_Fox

If you have been living in the property for over a year then you are surely chasing TWO buildings insurance certificates? Do you pay for buildings insurance as part of your service charge or separately?

If the long lease says it's the freeholder's responsibility it's the freeholder's legal responsibility. Anything else (management company, solicitor) is clouding the issue. Are you chasing the freeholder in writing by recorded delivery? Are you quoting your long lease and the LEASE website that GM linked to? Have you made contact with concerned leaseholders in the other flats and are they chasing too?

LVT route will not be quicker. If you get no response to your recorded letter you may need to take out your own insurance which is far from ideal. I agree get the lender involved to chase the freeholder if necessary.