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leasehold property - removing asbestos garage?

happytails
happytails Posts: 1,554 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
in House buying, renting & selling
We bought our house in Sept 09 and its leasehold. We have a detached asbestos garage and want to take it down (not to be replaced)

Do we need to contact the leaseholders? I am under the impression if we altered the house structurally etc we could have to pay a fee to them but with it being asbestos (walls and roof) and held together with bolts etc therefore technically a shed is it not? we wouldnt have to pay this fee??

Hoping that makes sense. Any help appreciated :beer:

Thanks
DFW Total £21,800 to clear by Dec 2022
MFW Total £184,950 £179,066 to clear by 2035

Comments

  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Is the garage mentioned in your long lease?
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • happytails
    happytails Posts: 1,554 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Fire_Fox wrote: »
    Is the garage mentioned in your long lease?

    i think so
    DFW Total £21,800 to clear by Dec 2022
    MFW Total £184,950 £179,066 to clear by 2035
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    edited 10 March 2010 at 12:40PM
    I would be inclined to write and inform the freeholder you are dismantling the garage due to safety concerns as it is asbestos. The reason I'd mention safety is to give the impression this is essential. ;) I wouldn't mention permission or any charge, if they come back to you then negotiate. By law any admin charge must be "reasonable" and can be challenged at an LVT.
    http://www.lease-advice.org/publications/
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • happytails
    happytails Posts: 1,554 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Fire_Fox wrote: »
    I would be inclined to write and inform the freeholder you are dismantling the garage due to safety concerns as it is asbestos. The reason I'd mention safety is to give the impression this is essential. ;) I wouldn't mention permission or any charge, if they come back to you then negotiate. By law any admin charge must be "reasonable" and can be challenged at an LVT.
    http://www.lease-advice.org/publications/

    Thanks, that makes sense :) i will do that. After ive sent the letter should i crack on with dismantling it or wait for their reply?

    Cheers
    Sarah
    DFW Total £21,800 to clear by Dec 2022
    MFW Total £184,950 £179,066 to clear by 2035
  • Richard_Webster
    Richard_Webster Posts: 7,646 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    There is no general rule about what leases say about these things so you really must check the lease wording on this.

    You will have realised by now I hope that you are the leaseholder, and if anyone needs writing to it is the freeholder.

    Also there are some freeholders from hell so I would Google the name of the freeholder and of any managing agents to see if any adverse comments come up before thinking of contacting them.

    If it is a little old lady she might not care and might well write you a letter agreeing to almost anything that is reasonable without charge provided you send her a stamped addressed envelope, but some of these freeholders from hell are on to every way of making money.
    RICHARD WEBSTER

    As a retired conveyancing solicitor I believe the information given in the post to be useful assuming any properties concerned are in England/Wales but I accept no liability for it.
  • Nosht
    Nosht Posts: 744 Forumite
    Remember that asbestos is relatively safe until you disturb it.

    N.
    Never be afraid to take a profit. ;)
    Keep breathing. :eek:
    Just because I am surrounded by FOOLS does not make me wise. :j
  • Fire_Fox
    Fire_Fox Posts: 26,026 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    happytails wrote: »
    Thanks, that makes sense :) i will do that. After ive sent the letter should i crack on with dismantling it or wait for their reply?

    Cheers
    Sarah

    That is your call. Are you going to regret it if you are charged an admin fee? Are you willing to threaten/ go to an LVT if the freeholder tries to fleece you? Presumably you have asbestos professionals on standby?
    Declutterbug-in-progress.⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️
  • G_M
    G_M Posts: 51,977 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    happytails wrote: »
    We bought our house in Sept 09 and its leasehold. We have a detached asbestos garage and want to take it down (not to be replaced)

    Do we need to contact the leaseholders? :beer:
    You ARE the leaseholder (I assume). You 'hold' the lease!
    Is the garage mentioned in your long lease?
    i think so.
    The answer is either 'yes' or 'no'!
  • lincroft1710
    lincroft1710 Posts: 19,451 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Photogenic Name Dropper
    It is very expensive to have a garage with asbestos cement walls and roof removed. I had a large single garage with only the roof of asbestos cement sheets and just removal of the sheets to a licensed asbestos waste reception site (we'd removed them from the roof) cost over £250.
    If you are querying your Council Tax band would you please state whether you are in England, Scotland or Wales
This discussion has been closed.
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