Freeholder trying to rip off leaseholder

[Deleted User]

PS you're right. Got email from the senior council enforcement officer: 'I can confirm that as planning authority the council is not as yet taking any enforcement action regarding these premises. Neither is it currently minded to. Certainly, in terms of the planning legislation there is no applicable Section 20. Am passing all info to LEASE. Cheers. Am slightly poorly with a quinsey. Hope to stave off stress and surgery. So no roast dinner but anti biotics. Boo hoo

TJ27

Sound like good news. Bear in mind however that it probably isn't the planning department who would serve enforcement notices relating to HMO standards. So just because planning aren't doing anything, it doesn't mean nothing's happening.

If notices have been served they will have come from a department known as something like, "private sector housing." I'd try giving them a ring in the morning.

[Deleted User]

The Housing Options Practitioner in Housing Services, had forwarded my emails to both the 'Planning Dept and Housing Renewal Environmental Health Officers as former deals with planning consents and enforcing repairs to external parts of buildings and the latter to matters to do with Houses in Multiple Occupancy. they should be contacting you directly.', he said in his email to me. It seems hard to find out if there is an enforceable order on the house. The Team Leader ( Enforcement), who sent me copies of the stuff that had been issued in relation to common parts of the building. In a letter she said 'The section 372 notice refers to standards of management and the section 189(1A) refers to the repair works necessary to bring external common parts of the building up to the standard required by the Housing Act 1985. ' She says, 'I recently visited the property at the request of the leaseholder of the top flat, Mr XX, and can confirm that there are also repairs required to the roof covering, dormer windows and fire walls on front and rear elevations. Please don't hesitate to contact me if I can be of further assistance.'
From what you say I need to find out what - if any - enforceable notices are on the building and what is my liability as a leaseholder. We've only had the flat for 3 years, surely we should have been informed if such a big bill was coming up?