Freeholder wants £18,500 for first phase of works

glicky

Fire_Fox wrote: »

Can you please add to your existing threads instead of starting new ones on the same topic? It saves us repeating the same questions and answers and means all the information is in one place.
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4215515
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4280619
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4293051

Has anyone spoken with LEASE yet?

Apologies - I've tried to amalgamate them.

What do you mean "Has anyone spoken with LEASE yet"?

thelem

glicky wrote: »

What do you mean "Has anyone spoken with LEASE yet"?

LEASE is the leasehold advisory service that has been mentioned several times in this thread.

http://www.lease-advice.org/

propertyman

glicky wrote: »

Another question regarding the above:

Glicky, please stop!
You are falling into the trap of arguing yourselves in circles. Please do read this but don't summarise, it's already condensed

1: Please re read my earlier post- in order to challenge the amount, work and timing of the bills you must assert your rights.
NB it important that you initiate, if the LL does then that opens huge costs for you*

2: Next, stop applying common sense logic and escrow issues- leaseholds have their own rules -" leasehold logic".

3: Don't bother with LEASE yet as I explain below

4: When and how you should pay is set out in your leases, and if the money is not spent in the financial year( see your lease) what happens to it- given back transferred to reserves etc.

What does your lease say?

5: You don't have the choice of it being put into a third party account, your lease requires it is paid to the landlord (or their agent), full stop. In turn they must hold it in a separate account to the landlord's own funds.

6: Your agent is facing a practical difficulty, they cannot agree a firm start date until they know they can pay the bill and the contractor wont start until he knows that too.

If 5 don't pay they cannot pay the contractors and the LL is unwilling to make up the shortfall. They are pressing everyone to pay so that it gives 5 months to have legal action get the monies in or agree instalments,a and still have lead time to instruct contractors.

Your problem ( lets say you agree the £18 for now) is therefore not really the agent or LL but your neighbours not paying.

Thats why forming a RA allows you to
- get everyone to agree to pay/help those who have problems
- focus issues of concern and take them up with the landlord
- find out who is not going to pay.
- or if you do not all agree the 18k you actually do something about it*.

If you are sensible and constructive the LL and agent might agree that your RA opens a trust or treasurers account and holds the 30 payments, and they press on with the 5 non payers.

Good luck. Come back with your lease wording. :cool:

* If a landlord initiates most leases allow for costs for legal action. If you go to the LVT then the landlord bears his own costs, and the law provides for the LVT to limit any costs where leases allow such costs to be added to service charge.